How to Make Homemade Masala Chai Concentrate

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Are you a fan of chai tea? If so, you're going to love this recipe for homemade chai tea concentrate!

With just a few simple ingredients and minimal effort, you can create a delicious and aromatic concentrate that will elevate your daily cup of tea.

Whether you prefer your chai hot or iced, this concentrate is versatile enough to suit any preference. Plus, it's easy to customize to your own taste preferences by adjusting the amount of sugar and spice.

Follow this step-by-step recipe below to learn how to make your own chai tea concentrate at home!

The first time I made this homemade chai concentrate, my bestie declared it "better than starbucks". I have to agree that does make a better-tasting cup of chai and it's also better for your wallet too. This recipe will have all of your chai-loving friends begging for the recipe.

Jump to:

• 🛒Ingredients
• What to look for in chai spice blends
• What spices are typically found in a chai spice blend?
• How does chai tea taste? 
• 🥣Instructions
• 👩🏾‍🍳Substitutions
• 📝Variations- What can I make with this masala chai concentrate?
• 🍳Equipment
• ❄️Storage
• What does the word chai mean?
• 👩🏾‍🍳Top tip
• 🎥Video
• 📖Printable Recipe Card

The best part of this chai recipe is that I keep it simple for you by using a premade chai spice blend. The masala chai tea spice blend I use is from Kenya and I have not found another one that compares as far as flavor is concerned.

My Kenyan friend brought some from her travels and I immediately went to work on developing this recipe. I have been making it for over 3 years and everyone who tries it enjoys the warm flavors of the spices.

🛒Ingredients

When you are looking for a chai spice blend, be sure it is fresh. Most blends will include star anise,black peppercorns, ginger, ground cardamom pods, and maybe fennel seeds.

Black tea bags: use a strong black tea or substitute black tea leaves

Black tea is a type of tea made from the leaves of the tea plant. It is the most common type of tea consumed worldwide. Black tea is fully fermented, which gives it a strong, bold flavor and dark color. In this recipe, the black tea bags provide a base for chai tea.

Chai spice blend: Chai spice blend is a mixture of ground spices commonly used in chai tea. The specific spices used in a chai spice blend can vary, but common ingredients include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The chai spice blend adds flavor and warmth to the tea.

Vanilla bean: Vanilla beans are the seed pods of the vanilla orchid. They have a sweet, aromatic flavor that is often used in sweet dishes and drinks. In this recipe, the vanilla bean adds a sweet and floral flavor to the tea.

Sugar: Sugar is a sweetener that is made from sugar cane or sugar beets. It adds sweetness to the tea and helps to balance out the spices. You can use any type of sugar, such as white granulated sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup, in this recipe. You can also use a sugar alternative, such as stevia or monk fruit sweetener, if you prefer.

What to look for in chai spice blends

Different brands will use different ratios of spices and I prefer the blend from the Kenyan Heat brand. I have tried other brands like Laxmi in the past, but found it was too heavy on the cardamom for my taste.

Chai spice blends can be difficult to find in local grocery stores. Morton & Basset spice company has a chai spice blend that may be availible locally. King authur has one that can be purchased online here. The blend I use can be found on amazon here.

If you want to try making your own chai spice blend that uses whole spices like cinnamon sticks and green cardamom, check out this recipe from fellow food blogger Shweta.

Chai tea concentrate is great to have on hand at any time of the year. In the cooler months, it pairs well with just about any baked good that has pumpkin spice or cinnamon.

Making your own chai concentrate is much cheaper than ordering chai drinks from local coffee shops. Once you make this easy recipe, you can adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe according to your personal preferences.

What spices are typically found in a chai spice blend?

Cardamom: Cardamom has a sweet, floral, and slightly citrusy flavor. It is often used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon has a warm, sweet, and slightly woody flavor. It is often used in sweet and savory dishes.

Cloves: Cloves have a strong, sweet, and slightly bitter flavor. They are often used in sweet and savory dishes, particularly in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Ginger: Ginger has a warm, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor. It is often used in South Asian and Indian cuisine.

Nutmeg: Nutmeg has a warm, sweet, and slightly woody flavor. It is often used in sweet and savory dishes, particularly in European and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Black pepper: Black pepper has a pungent, spicy flavor. It is often used in savory dishes to add heat and flavor.

Some chai spice blends may also include other spices, such as allspice, anise, fennel, and coriander. The specific combination of spices used in a chai spice blend can vary, and the flavor profile will depend on the proportions of each spice.

How does chai tea taste? 

Chai tea is a spiced tea that has a complex and aromatic flavor. It is usually made with a combination of black tea, milk, and a blend of spices, such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The specific aromatic spices used in a chai tea blend can vary, and the flavor profile will depend on the proportions of each spice.

In general, chai tea has a warm, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor, with notes of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. The addition of milk to chai tea adds a creamy and smooth texture and helps to balance out the spices. Some people also add sugar or honey to sweeten the tea.

Overall, chai tea is a comforting and flavorful drink that is perfect for sipping on a cold day or anytime you want to indulge in a warm and aromatic treat.

This warm drink pairs well with these chocolate chip cookies or this cranberry bread.

🥣Instructions

Making this Starbucks chai concentrate recipe couldn't be easier. All you need to do is bring the 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.

Add tea bags sugar, vanilla and chai spice to the hot water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let the tea steep off the heat.

After the tea has steeped, remove the tead bags and vanilla bean.

Strain the chai conentrate through a fine mesh strainer, then let cool. Cover and store.

👩🏾‍🍳Substitutions

Sugar- instead of white sugar, use coconut sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup or raw honey. The flavor will be different, but it will still taste great if you don't like to use white sugar.

Chai spice: If you don't have chai spice, you can try using a combination of ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. You can adjust the proportions of the spice mixture to your liking.

Vanilla bean: If you don't have a vanilla bean, you can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead or 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.

Black tea bags: If you don't have black tea bags, you can use loose-leaf black tea or english breakfast tea in a pinch.

📝Variations- What can I make with this masala chai concentrate?

Dirty chai latte- add a shot of espresso to your hot or iced latte for a boost of caffine.

Masala chai - add hot milk and concentrated syrup to your favorite mug for a spicy tea treat.

Iced chai latte- Add an equal amount of the syrup to the milk of your choice and serve over ice cubes. I've made chai tea latte with whole milk, coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk with great results.

Hot Chai Latte- whip a cup of homemade chai tea in under 5 minutes when you have this masala chai syrup ready to go!

🍳Equipment

If you want to make a latte with this concentrate, a milk frother will come in handy. You can use a handheld frother but my frother of preference is this one from instant brands.

❄️Storage

Leftover chai tea concentrate can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. A Mason jar with tight-fitting lids works well for storing the concentrate. You can also freeze the concentrate by pouring it into ice cubes, then storing the ice cubes in an airtight container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

To serve the frozen concentrate, thaw it in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then mix it with hot water or milk to your desired strength and sweetness.

What does the word chai mean?

The word chai means 'tea'. So when people say 'chai tea latte', they are technically saying 'tea tea latte'. I don't think massive portions of society will be changing their search habits anytime soon, so that is the main reason why this recipe is named the way it is. Just to make sure that people can find it in the search engines.

👩🏾‍🍳Top tip

My top tip for making this recipe successfully is to adjust the amount of sugar and spices to your personal taste preferences. The recipe provided is a starting point, and you can adjust the amount of sugar and spices to your liking. For example, if you prefer a sweeter chai tea, you can add more sugar.

If you prefer a more spicy chai tea, you can add more chai spice blend for extra flavor. You can also experiment with using different types of sugar or sweeteners, such as brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey, to add a different flavor profile to the tea.

🎥Video

📖Printable Recipe Card