Here’s how to make chai concentrate using tea bags and pantry spices for the best homemade chai lattes. With this delicious masala chia concentrate, you can easily make a hot chai latte, iced chai, or dirty chai latte at home.

Chai concentrate in a glass jar on the counter with spices.
Homemade chai concentrate

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If you love this recipe, you’ll also love my hot & delicious chai latte, iced chai latte, turmeric latte, homemade hot cocoa, and pumpkin spice latte.

What Readers Say:

“Best chai recipe I have come along! Thank you so much for creating and sharing it!”

-Fannie

We just spent two weeks in India (Delhi, Jaipur, Agra) and enjoyed A LOT of chai.

In India, masala chai is made with tea, sugar, warm spices, and milk and served in either small paper cups or terra cotta cups. This was the best part about India: endless chai on every corner!

Years ago, I created my famous homemade chai latte recipe.

I wanted to see how my American version (which is based on the Starbucks chai concentrate) compared to authentic Indian chai.

The verdict: My recipe is spot on in terms of spices and flavor. Chai, in India, is served sweet with a spicy side due to the spices which are boiled with a bit of water and milk and then strained.

In India, no chai syrup or pre-made mixes are used. That’s only an American local coffee shop or Starbucks chai latte thing. And let’s be honest, the mixes don’t always taste the best.

In the past, I’ve shared how to make an iced chai tea latte and my version of a hot Starbucks chai tea latte. Btw, chai means tea. So it’s just a “chai latte.”

Today, I’ll show you how to make the foundation for both an iced and hot chai latte: my homemade chai concentrate recipe.

Ingredients needed to make chai concentrate: tea bags and spices.
Ingredients needed to make the chai concentrate: tea bags, maple syrup, and spices.

Ingredients Needed

Equipment Needed

  • 1 medium saucepan for boiling the spices and tea
  • fine mesh sieve for straining the spices from the concentrate

Substitutions & Variations 


  • DIFFERENT SWEETENER – Instead of maple syrup, use honey, brown sugar, or cane sugar. Stevia may also be used. Traditional chai is served sweet, pairing perfectly with the warm spices, which is why I add a sweetener to this concentrate recipe.
  • WHOLE SPICES – If you have whole spices in your pantry, you’re welcome to use them (like cardamom seeds) instead of ground spices. You’ll need to double the amount since the ground spices are more potent.
  • FRESH GINGER – Instead of ground ginger, you’re welcome to use fresh ginger. I would use 1 inch of ginger, cut into smaller pieces.

How to Make Homemade Chai Concentrate

Step 1: Bring the water and spices to a boil.

In a small saucepan, bring the water and spices to a boil. Whisk the spices in the water. Once the water boils, turn off the heat and allow the spices to steep in the water for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, turn the heat back on and add the black tea bags and maple syrup. Return to a slight boil (the goal is a hot liquid for steeping). Once boiling, turn off the heat. Steep the tea bags in the water and spices for 5 minutes.

Straining the spices from the concentrate.
Strain the spices from the concentrate.

Step 3: Strain the tea and spices

Remove the tea bags and strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer.

Chai concentrate in a glass jar on the counter.
The concentrate is ready to use! Store for up to 2 weeks or use immeadiately.

Step 4: Store the concentrate

Place the concentrate in a storage jar with a lid (I use a glass mason jar). The homemade concentrate, full of so much flavor, is ready to use or store for later! I’ll show you how to use this concentrate below.

Video Tutorial For Concentrate and Latte

How to Make a Hot Chai Latte With This Concentrate

To make a hot chai latte, you’ll need milk. Use any dairy milk (whole milk, skim milk, etc.) or a plant-based milk (almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or coconut milk).

With your milk and concentrate, here’s how to make a latte, step-by-step…

  • Step 1: In a small saucepan, bring milk, maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon to a slight boil (the sides of the milk will begin to bubble), stirring often. Once the sides of the milk begin to bubble, remove the pan from heat.
  • Step 2: Using an immersion blender, blend the milk until it’s frothy. Alternatively, use a fork to vigorously whisk and froth the milk.
  • Step 3: Pour 1/2 cup chai concentrate into a mug. Slowly pour in the frothed milk. Sprinkle the top with an extra pinch of cinnamon, if desired.
  • Step 4: Serve warm.

How to Make an Iced Chai Latte With This Concentrate

To make an iced chai latte, you’ll need your choice of milk (plant-based or dairy) and ice cubes. The chai concentrate should be fully cooled (and chilled in the fridge).

With your milk, ice, and concentrate, here’s how to make an iced latte, step-by-step…

  • Step 1: Fill an 8-ounce drinking glass with ice cubes.
  • Step 2: Pour 1/2 cup of the chilled concentrate over the ice cubes. I recommend using a small strainer, positioned over the glass, to pour the chilled concentrate through the strainer and into the glass. As the concentrate chills, some of the spices (that weren’t filtered out when making the concentrate) and sweetener can clump together, so the strainer will catch this.
  • Step 3: Add 1/3 cup of cold milk of choice (dairy milk or dairy-free milk) to the concentrate: vanilla or plain almond milk, coconut milk, or whole milk, etc.
  • Serve cold.

How many lattes can you make this concentrate?

  • This recipe makes 2 cups of concentrate.
  • You’ll use 1/2 cup of homemade chai concentrate at a time to make a latte.
  • You can make up to 4 lattes with this 2 cups of concentrate.
  • The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you want to make more lattes.

How to Store & Reheat 

  • Store the chai concentrate (once fully cool), in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • Reheat the chai concentrate in the microwave or a saucepan on the stove-top. Then warm the milk and make a hot latte. Or, use the cold concentrate to make an iced latte.
Chai concentrate in a glass jar on the counter with spices.
5 from 5 votes

How to Make Chai Concentrate Recipe

This from-scratch concentrate recipe is a chai lover's favorite: rich and warming chai flavor with the perfect touch of natural sweetness. Use this concentrate to make an iced or hot latte.
Kristin Marr
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 chai lattes
Calories 32 kcal
Cost: $3

Equipment

  • 1 medium saucepan
  • fine mesh sieve for straining the spices from the chai concentrate

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, bring the water and spices to a boil. Whisk the spices in the water. Once the water reaches a boil, turn off the heat and allow the spices to steep in the water for 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, turn the heat back on and add the black tea bags and maple syrup. Return to a slight boil (the goal is a hot liquid for steeping). Once boiling, turn off the heat. Steep the tea bags in the water and spices for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the tea bags and strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve 1/2 cup of chai concentrate to make a latte right now. Store the remaining chai concentrate in a jar in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
  • Use this concentrate to make an iced chai latte or hot chai latte.

Video

Notes

Double or Triple the Concentrate Recipe: If you plan to make this latte part of your daily routine, or want to make iced chai lattes (and use more of the concentrate per glass), double or triple the chai concentrate recipe. Store the concentrate for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Use the concentrate to make this hot drink or an iced chai latte.
How to Reheat the Chai Concentrate: Reheat the chai concentrate in the microwave or a saucepan on the stove-top. Then warm the milk and combine 1/2 cup concentrate with milk of choice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 32kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.2mg
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