A few weeks ago I made a pot of chai for the 60-plus people I anticipated would come to a cooking class I was teaching that day. That’s a lot of chai, so I pulled out my largest cooking vessel, one that could easily house a small child. When it came time to brew the tea, I realized my recipe was more complicated than I remembered. It called for several different whole spices, which I didn’t have, and involved straining the entire thing through a sieve, a feat I wasn’t sure I could manage singlehandedly. I knew it was a good recipe, but I wondered if it could be good without requiring a special trip to the market or risking bodily harm from hot liquid. And so I simplified it into an easy chai recipe. Initially for my own ease, ultimately for yours too.
What Is Chai
In India and other parts of Central Asia, chai is simply tea. In fact, the Hindi word chai translates literally to “tea”, which means all the years I was offering friends a cup of chai tea, I was actually saying, “would you like a cup of tea tea?” Here in the west, we’ve come to associate chai with an Indian preparation that is deeply spiced, milky, and pleasingly sweet, without being cloyingly so. You make it by steeping spices that can vary by region or household, but commonly include cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves.
Benefits of Tea
Cultures the world over have preached the healing properties of tea for centuries, but it’s only recently that this has been backed up by science. Black tea, from which chai is brewed, is rich in polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant. The caffeine in black tea can have upsides too, linked with greater mental focus. Just be sure to cut yourself off from the caffeine early enough in the day that it doesn’t interfere with your slumber.
Chai is Comfort
To me, chai is a cup of comfort, much like a mug of hot cocoa. And like cocoa, anything that comes from a box, carton, or store-bought mix can’t hold a candle to one you make yourself. Lately, it’s been my go-to brew when real comfort is in order, whether it’s one of my girls under the weather or a friend suffering a loss. A glass jug filled with homemade chai delivered to a doorstep is love in a jar, if you ask me.
An Easy Chai Recipe
Making chai isn’t tricky, it just requires a handful of spices and a bit of patience. Here’s the step-by-step tutorial (with an easy chai recipe below).
Chai: Step One
Combine thinly sliced fresh ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla, along with honey and sugar in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for five minutes.
Step Two
Remove from heat, add four black tea bags, and steep for 10 minutes.
Step Three
Scoop out the tea bags, ginger slices, and cinnamon stick.
Step Four
Add two cups of milk. I prefer whole or two percent milk here, since a little richness goes a long way. You can also use plant milk. My preferred one is a blend of almond and coconut milk.
Step Five
Gently heat the tea to your liking, pour into mugs, and savor every sip.
If you like this easy chai recipe, you might like:
Hot Cocoa with Whipped Cream Hearts
Easy Chai Recipe
Chai, a milky, deeply spiced, and lightly sweetened tea, is a comforting brew if ever there was one. Simply steep ginger and spices with black tea, honey, and sugar, add milk, and pour.
Ingredients
- One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups water
- 4 black tea bags, such as Assam or English Breakfast
- 2 cups 2 percent or whole milk (use coconut, coconut/almond milk, or oat for a plant-based version)
Instructions
-
Put the ginger, 1 tbsp each sugar and honey, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and water into a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
-
Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes.
-
Scoop the ginger and cinnamon out of the tea and add the milk. Taste and add more honey/sugar if desired. Warm on the stove and serve. Store leftover chai in the fridge, where it will be tasty for up to 5 days
Comments
04.02.2019 at4:24 AM #
Les
Sounds delicious! Can the base be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge? How long would it keep?
04.02.2019 at4:24 AM #
Katie Morford
That sounds like a great idea. I would think a week at least, since it won’t have the milk and you’ll have removed the ginger and cinnamon.
04.02.2019 at7:05 AM #
Ginny
Just made it – delicious!
04.02.2019 at7:05 AM #
Katie Morford
Yay! You’re quick 🙂
04.05.2019 at8:01 PM #
Rosemary
Love this chai! For my taste, half the sugar and honey was perfect. I’ll be making it often 🙂
04.05.2019 at8:01 PM #
Katie Morford
That’s a great point, Rosemary. I will make a note in the recipe, since everyone has a different taste for sweet.
04.06.2019 at8:47 AM #
Bliss
Hi Katie!
I’m so glad to have this recipe. I will probably try it with honey alone. I don’t often come across recipes with two sweeteners. Is it simply about taste?
Thank you!
04.06.2019 at8:47 AM #
Katie Morford
Honey has a more dominant flavor than sugar and I like the balance here. But by all means, just use honey. Maybe use a little less and then add more if needed, since honey is a little sweeter than sugar (hence all those bees 🙂
12.27.2019 at10:20 AM #
JOANNE JOHNSON
I agree with you about how complicated some chai tea recipes are. I searched
endlessly. I found your recipe and I thank you
12.27.2019 at10:20 AM #
Katie Morford
Oh good! Enjoy!
03.25.2020 at4:36 PM #
Veronica Mattson
This was so good! I think I put too much clove though. But I will totally do this again, with the RIGHT amount of clove😀
03.25.2020 at4:36 PM #
Katie Morford
Oh, I’m so glad. It’s such a warm and comforting drink! And yes, that clove can overpower 🙂
05.14.2020 at7:26 PM #
Rose
I made this at home – It was great!
05.23.2020 at7:04 AM #
Shéna
Making this now and the house has a beautiful aroma. Thanks!
06.22.2020 at2:06 PM #
K
Definitely have to strain it to remove the grit. I also cut the sugar entirely. But it is delicious!!! My new comfort drink.
06.22.2020 at2:06 PM #
Katie Morford
Great. And the sweetener is definitely something you can tinker with to suit your palate.
06.29.2020 at5:08 AM #
usha bhagani
Read your recipe which sounds like western version of indian tea.
We indian make tea in many diffrant way but don’t add cenila extract and honey as it is very unhealthy to add honey in hot beverages .
06.29.2020 at5:16 AM #
usha bhagani
As per ayurveda honey cannot be heated and cannot be kept in freeze it looses its benefits.
You can add in to warm cup of tea from top but can’t boil it with water.
06.29.2020 at5:16 AM #
Katie Morford
Interesting perspective about ayurveda, since I’m not well versed in the practice. It would be entirely doable to hold off adding the honey until the tea is done and then stir in when warm.
11.26.2020 at12:55 AM #
Rachael
Just curious as to why you left out black peppercorns? Imho they are an important ingredient, as they are a stimulant similiar to caffeine and lend a comforting heat to the tea that would surely be missed. I’m guessing it was an accident but if you haven’t tried chai with black peppercorns you should! It definitely adds a kick and takes it up a level. Enjoy! 🙂
11.26.2020 at12:55 AM #
Katie Morford
Thanks for the tip! I will try it with black peppercorns next time.
12.13.2020 at8:26 AM #
Wanda
Coulda person use powdered ginger? If yes, how much do you think?
12.13.2020 at8:26 AM #
Katie Morford
I think that would be fine. I’d suggest trying 1/2 teaspoon to start. Add it when you add the other ground spices.
12.16.2020 at6:27 AM #
Susan V
I have made this several times over the past month or so. It’s delicious and warming and so easy to make. As someone else mentioned, I also strain it before adding the milk. Just personal preference, I like to make it without sweetener and use 1 C oat creamer in place of milk. I love it, thank you!
12.16.2020 at6:27 AM #
Katie Morford
Thanks Susan. Your comment makes me want to go make a pot right now!
04.04.2021 at1:09 AM #
Deonette
My brother introduced me to Chai tea at an eating place and I totally loved it. Was at first sceptical but he said try it first.
I love your easy recipe and wonder as a diabetic person if the sugar can be replaced with artificial sugars?
04.04.2021 at1:09 AM #
Katie Morford
Yes. You can sweeten it with whatever works best for you. Liquid stevia might be a good one to try.
05.01.2021 at11:25 AM #
Rebecca DeLeon
I just finished making this for the first time. I can taste the potential, but I wish the recipe would have told me I’d ned a milk bag to strain all the spices afterward. I can taste all the powder and it’s very offputting. I followed the recipe, however since it’s my first time, perhaps did something wrong, not quite sure!
05.01.2021 at11:25 AM #
Katie Morford
Hi Rebecca, This recipe doesn’t require a milk bag. You just need to remove the cinnamon stick, ginger slices, and tea bags. The other spices should dissolve into the liquid as it heats.
04.16.2022 at4:03 PM #
Rita oz
haven’t made it yet, but will as a friend made it said it’s “to die for”!
bet using the base and milk for coffee is just as delish!
05.14.2023 at8:30 AM #
KathyD
One of the best chai teas I’ve had. Great flavor and it was super easy to make. Definitely worth every one of those 5 stars. Thank you!
11.27.2024 at7:06 PM #
Nale
Hi Katie, thank you for this very easy yet delicious recipe! I just bought black tea and as I am a very stubborn person, I found myself making chai at 1am haha! I loved it, my dad too; I left the rest for the rest of the family so I’ll see tomorrow how they found it! Thanks again, needless to say that I’ll be making it often from now on!
11.27.2024 at7:06 PM #
Katie Morford
Wonderful. What a lovely gift for your family.