In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, coconut milk, crushed cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, black pepper, and sea salt. Place the saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Once it begins to bubble lightly around the edges, reduce the heat to low and let it steep for 10 minutes, allowing the spices to fully infuse the liquid. The mixture will become fragrant and slightly thickened.
Stir in the pure maple syrup until it is completely dissolved. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness with a little more maple syrup if desired.
Add the loose-leaf black tea (or tea bags) to the saucepan. Steep the tea in the warm mixture for 5 minutes over the lowest heat setting. Do not let the mixture boil, as this can make the tea bitter.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Strain the chai through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof pitcher or carafe to remove the whole spices, ginger, and tea leaves. Discard the solids.
Pour the strained chai into mugs. Serve immediately, topped with a dollop of whipped cream if you like.