Vanilla Chai Smoothie

A chilled, chai-forward smoothie with banana for body, Greek yogurt for creaminess, and a small amount of oats to round out the texture. It drinks like a lightly spiced breakfast blend and finishes cold and smooth.

By Julienne

Cook time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 240 ml water for brewing chai
• 2 each black tea bags chai base
• 1 g ground cinnamon for chai base
• 0.5 g ground ginger for chai base
• 0.5 g ground cardamom for chai base
• 240 g banana peeled and sliced
• 170 g plain Greek yogurt chilled
• 120 ml milk cold
• 20 g old-fashioned rolled oats optional, for body
• 5 ml vanilla extract none
• 15 ml honey optional sweetener
• 120 g ice cubes optional, for extra chill
• 0.5 g fine salt for balancing flavor
• 0.5 g ground cinnamon for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the chai base: combine the water, black tea bags, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom in a small saucepan. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from the heat and steep for 5 minutes. The liquid is fragrant and lightly colored, and steam has dropped to a gentle simmer.
2. Strain the chai into a bowl or measuring cup and cool it for 5 minutes; for a colder smoothie, chill it in the freezer for 2 to 3 minutes until no longer warm. The chai is cool to the touch and no longer steaming.
3. Add the cooled chai, banana, Greek yogurt, milk, rolled oats if using, vanilla extract, honey if using, ice if using, and fine salt to the blender. All ingredients are in the blender and the banana is broken up by the liquid.
4. Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, stopping once to scrape down if needed, until completely smooth and frothy. No visible banana pieces remain and the smoothie pours in a thick, even stream.
5. Taste and adjust: add a little more honey if you want it sweeter, or a splash of water if you want it thinner. Divide between 2 glasses and finish with the ground cinnamon. The smoothie is evenly blended, lightly spiced, and ready to serve.