Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate
If we haven’t met yet, I’m a HUGE fan of tea. There are so many reasons why I drink tea almost every day. We live in a world that can be so toxic and polluted and I’m all for doing everything we can to combat the external stressors we’re exposed to everyday! Because it’s full of powerful antioxidants, tea is a great way to offset some of that stress, and offers many other health benefits for your mind and body.
I love tea in all its forms – from the simple beauty of a perfectly steeped cup, to more “decadent” concoctions like a creamy chai tea latte.
A while back I invested in a milk frother for my kitchen, and so of course I needed to come up with the perfect homemade chai tea concentrate recipe to make all my homemade chai tea latte dreams come true! (I also personally think this drink is far superior to the trendy Pumpkin Spice Latte, since it’s perfectly acceptable to drink year-round 
)
The process is actually pretty simple, too! It basically consists of:
- Combine all of the spices in a medium sized pot, dry roasting, and then adding water and bringing the mixture to a boil for 15-20 minutes
- Adding in the black tea leaves and steeping the black tea with the spices
- Adding some honey and letting all the spices steep together
- Strain the mixture and then enjoy your homemade chai tea concentrate!
But before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about the types of tea and why you should drink more of it!
Types of Tea
The primary types of “true” tea are White, Green, and Black. These teas actually all come from the same plant but are simply processed differently.
White tea contains the highest amount of antioxidants, because these are young leaves from the plant that are the least processed. It has a mild flavor and the least amount of caffeine, so if you’re you’re sensitive to caffeine it will be a good option for you.
Green tea comes from the same tea plant but has been allowed to partially oxidize and usually has a “green” flavor.
Black tea has been allowed to oxidize completely and includes some powerful antioxidants that have been shown to provide cholesterol-lowering benefits as well as benefits to the cardiovascular system.
Herbal teas that we commonly drink aren’t actually “true” teas that come from tea plant like the three types listed above. They’re usually just a blend of different herbs and spices that can deliver specific benefits depending on what’s in them. So even though it’s not “true” tea, they’re still a great option. Herbal teas also generally have no caffeine so can be consumed at any time, and many can even help you to get better sleep.
So, What About Chai Tea?
The name “chai” is actually the Hindi word for “tea”, which was derived from “cha”, the Chinese word for “tea”. Legend has it that the origin of chai dates back more than 5,000 years, when a king in what is now India ordered a healing spiced beverage be created for use in Ayurveda.
My mission is to help you learn how to heal your body with food, and this homemade chai is no exception! While chai recipes will vary in different cultures or regions, it is traditionally black tea (I used this one for this recipe) mixed with a variety of spices that offer a wide range of health benefits.
In this specific recipe, the heat from ginger and black pepper was believed to stimulate digestion; the antiseptic properties in cloves were thought to help relieve pain; cardamom was used as a mood elevator; cinnamon supported circulation and respiratory function; and star anise was known to freshen the breath.
I explored many recipes while researching to come up with this recipe, and I have to say that I think this is, hands down, the best homemade chai tea concentrate recipe in the west. But I’ll let you be the judge!
Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate
Ingredients
4-inch knob ginger, roughly peeled and chopped
4 cinnamon sticks
3–4 star anise
10 whole cloves
10 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
10–15 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 cups water
10 teaspoon black tea leaves, contained (see notes)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine all of the spices in a medium sized pot. On medium heat, dry roast the spices for 1-3 minutes, or until they’re fragrant and just beginning to turn golden.
- Pour the water in with the spices and bring the mixture to a boil for 15-20 minutes
- Turn off the heat and add in the black tea leaves, dunking a several times to steep the leaves well. Steep the black tea with the spices for 3 minutes. Be careful not to steep the tea too long, or it will be very bitter.
- After 3 minutes remove the tea leaves from the pot and add the honey.
- Stir until the honey has fully dissolved.
- Allow the spices to steep until the mixture has cooled.**
- Then strain the chai concentrate into a sanitized pitcher or large jar with a lid.
- Store it in the fridge in a sealed container up to five days, or portion into ½ cup servings and freeze (I use my silicone muffin tin to portion and freeze).
Notes
I like my chai on the flavorful side so I prefer a 2:1 ratio of chai concentrate to milk (so ½ cup chai concentrate to ¼ cup milk, for example). The concentrate can be served warmed or chilled.
You can contain your tea leaves in a bit of cheesecloth, steep them in a deep mesh strainer, or use 10 tea bags for this part of the recipe.
For an even more strongly spiced drink, leave the spices in the chai when you transfer it to your container and simply strain the mixture when you serve it. This gives the spices extra time time to infuse even more deeply into the concentrate.
