Chai Concentrate Recipe for Tea Lattes
Make this easy chai concentrate recipe for tea lattes with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. A sweet, spiced base perfect for creamy chai lattes at home.
Equipment
- saucepan
- fine-mesh strainer
- heatproof bowl
- measuring cups
- knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
- 10 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup loose black tea leaves like Assam or Ceylon
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the 6 cups of water, the broken cinnamon stick, crushed cardamom pods, black peppercorns, cloves, sliced ginger, and ground nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the saucepan and let the spices steep for 20 minutes, which will create a fragrant, deeply spiced base.
- After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully remove the lid. Stir in the 2/3 cup of granulated sugar until it is completely dissolved into the hot liquid.
- Add the 3/4 cup of loose black tea leaves to the pan and stir gently to submerge them. Put the lid back on and let the tea steep off the heat for exactly 5 minutes to avoid bitterness.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl or pitcher. Carefully pour the concentrate through the strainer to catch all the whole spices and tea leaves. Discard the solids.
- Let the strained concentrate cool to room temperature. It will be aromatic and deep brown in color. Transfer it to a sealed bottle or jar and store it in the refrigerator.
Notes
Let the concentrate cool completely before storing. It will thicken slightly as it chills.