This Copycat Starbucks Chai Tea Latte is a frothy, warm, spicy, and mildly sweet drink. It is usually made with black tea powder, Chai Masala Powder, milk, brown sugar and it is an adapted version of authentic Masala Chai. The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make a Chai Tea Latte with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try at home. I have also shared a detailed video for this recipe to make the process easy and simple. This Chai Tea Latte is a perfect drink to serve on cold winter days or when you crave a fancy drink at home.
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What is Chai Tea Latte?
Chai Tea Latte is a warm, spicy and frothy milk drink introduced by the popular food chain Starbucks. The recipe is an adapted version of authentic Masala Chai, which requires black tea powder, milk, and Chai Masala Powder.
The Starbucks Chai latte usually has a chai concentrate prepared with black tea powder, warm spices, vanilla, and sometimes a shot of espresso if you are ordering a Dirty Chai Latte. Chai concentrated is then mixed in with a frothed 2% milk.
The recipe I have shared here is a Copycat Starbucks Chai Tea Latte, that does not require any fancy equipment. This helps you to make the drink easily at home. And the best part is you will need only under 15 minutes to make this drink.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Chai Tea Latte are simple, either you might already have at home or you can easily find it in most grocery stores around. I have used a homemade Chai Masala Powder here but you can also use individual ingredients like ginger, cinnamon, pepper, and other spices like I made in Masala Chai.
- Black Tea Powder - I have used orange pekode black tea here and you can also use other black tea powders or tea bags
- Chai Masala - The combination of Indian spices that is powdered to make an authentic warm and spice tea
- Milk - I have used whole milk here which froths well to achieve a starbucks style latte but you can also use oat milk, almond milk or other non-diary milks for vegan friendly version
- Brown Sugar - Since I love mildly sweet drink I have used only minimal amount of sugar but feel free to adjust the quantity according to your preferences
- Whipping Cream (optional) - I have used whipping cream for the iced version, which is totally an optional ingredient
How to make Chai Tea Latte?
Even though I have made this recipe inspired by Starbucks, I have used the authentic way to make Masala Chai here as most Indian home cooks do it at their house. Then I frothed the milk in a closed glass jar. I have also shown how to froth the milk without any fancy equipment here.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this drink but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photo and video, please check out the recipe card below.
- Make Chai Concentrate - In a saucepan with medium heat, pour water, black tea powder, Chai Masala Powder (chai tea mix) and bring it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve it for later use
- Boil Milk - Now in another saucepan, pour milk and allow it to puff up. Make sure to keep the heat in medium, as the milk overflows quickly
- Froth the Milk - Now pour the puffed milk, into a glass jar and close the lid. Shake well until it turns frothy and keep it aside as well
- Pour and Serve - Filter the chai concentrate using a fine mesh strainer until ⅓ rd of the serving glass. Now pour in the frothed milk. Finally, sprinkle with some cinnamon powder and it is ready for you to taste and enjoy
- Alternative Method - If you don't want to froth the milk, you can also just add in the milk with the chai concentrate and top it with whipped cream and cinnamon powder
Chai Tea Latte Iced
To make the iced version, allow the chai concentrate to rest for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Pour the ⅓ cup of chai concentrate into a serving glass filled with ice cubes and then pour cold milk into it. Finally, top with whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon powder. Now the Chai Tea Latte Iced version is ready for you to taste and enjoy especially on hot summer days.
You could also find more Iced Drinks recipes below.
Calories
This Starbucks Copycat Chai Tea Latte shared here contains 62 calories per serving and it is an estimation by the nutrition calculator. The calorie count may change if the ingredients are changed or altered. You could also find the detailed nutrition information in the recipe card below.
Tips
- Taste and Flavor - The Chai Masala Powder used here gives a perfect taste and flavor to this drink. But you can also use individual ingredients like ginger, cinnamon, pepper, star anise, cardamom simialr to Masala Chai Recipe
- Frothing - Whole milk gives a nice froth similar to Starbucks style Chai Latte but you can also use heavy whipping cream especially for the iced version
- Frothing Technique - I have used glass jar method to froth the milk, but you can also use milk frother equipments to achieve the similar results
- Vanilla - You can also add vanilla essence for a different flavor and taste
- Serving - This Starbucks Copycat style drink can be served either hot or iced. It can be enjoyed as a thirst quencher or when you crave for a gourmet style drink
Storage Suggestions
You can store the filtered chai concentrate in the refrigerator for a week in a closed container. This makes the drink to make easily whenever you crave it. All you have to do is to froth the milk and sprinkle some cinnamon powder.
Serving Suggestions
This Frothy Chai Tea Latte can be served mostly when you want to keep yourself warm. Since the drink contains good warming ingredients it helps to warm up your body from inside out. And you can also have it for evening tea time or when you crave a cafe-style drink.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar recipes below and more at Latte Recipes.
More Tea Recipes
Chai Tea Latte Recipe video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Chai Tea Latte below that I hope will help you to make a perfect Starbucks Style drink at home. And you could also find this recipe in story format.
📖 Recipe
Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Copycat
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Black Tea Powder
- 1½ cup Milk
- 1½ cup Water
- ¼ tsp Chai Masala
- 2 tsp Brown Sugar
- Whipped Cream, optional
- Cinnamon Powder, to garnish
Instructions
To make Chai Tea Latte
- In a saucepan, pour water and add black tea powder, and Chai Masala Powder. Even though I have used spice tea mix here, you could also add individual spices as I have prepared in the Masala Chai recipe
- Mix well and bring it to boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve it for later use
- Now in another saucepan, pour 1 cup of milk, brown sugar, and allow it to puff up
- Remove the milk from heat and allow it to slightly cool down. Now transfer it to a heat proof glass jar. Close the lid of the jar and shake it nicely until it turns frothy. Reserve this frothed milk for later use
- Now in a serving glass filter the prepared chai tea concentrate using a fine-mesh strainer. Fill only ⅓ of the cup
- Finally, pour the frothed milk over the chai tea concentrate and sprinkle it with some cinnamon powder. Now our delicious Starbucks Copycat Chai Tea Latte is ready to taste and enjoy
For Iced Chai Latte
- For Iced Chai Tea Latte, allow the prepared Chai Tea Concentrate to cool down completely and pour into a glass filled with a lot of ice cubes. Pour in the cold milk and top it with whipped cream and cinnamon powder
To Serve
- Enjoy this lip-smacking Starbucks Chai Tea Latte copycat recipe when you crave a gourmet-style drink or on cold winter days to keep you warm
Video
Notes
- Taste and Flavor - The Chai Masala Powder used here gives a perfect taste and flavor to this drink. But you can also use individual ingredients like ginger, cinnamon, pepper, star anise, cardamom similar to our Masala Chai Recipe
- Frothing - Whole milk gives a nice froth similar to Starbucks style Chai Latte but you can also use heavy whipping cream especially for the iced version
- Frothing Technique - I have used the glass jar method to froth the milk, but you can also use milk frothing equipment to achieve the similar results
- Vanilla - You can also add vanilla essence for a different flavor and taste
- Serving - This Starbucks Copycat style drink can be served either hot or iced. It can be enjoyed as a thirst quencher or when you crave a gourmet-style drink
Nutrition
FAQ
Chai Tea Latte is a thick, frothy, warm drink made with black tea powder, warm spice mix (chai masala), and frothed milk. It is one of the popular drinks introduced by famous fast-food chain Starbucks. This latte is usually enjoyed during cold winter seasons to keep yourself warm. You can also enjoy the chai latte in the iced version on hot summer days.
To make the iced version, allow the chai concentrate to rest for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Pour the ⅓ cup of chai concentrate into a serving glass filled with ice cubes and then pour cold milk into it. Finally, top with whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon powder. Now the Chai Tea Latte Iced version is ready for you to taste and enjoy.
Yes, Chai tea powders naturally have caffeine and hence as the drink. So if you would like to have a non-caffeinated drink then feel free to use decaf chai tea powder or bags to make this drink.
This Starbucks Copycat Chai Tea Latte shared here contains 62 calories per serving and it is an estimation by the nutrition calculator. The calorie count may change if the ingredients are changed or altered. You could also find the detailed nutrition information in the recipe card above.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you on how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Enjoy!
Dee
Hello! Chai means tea. So by calling it chai tea - you're saying tea tea. Just thought you'd want to know 😉
Sangeetha Vel
Hi Dee,
Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, I know of it and in fact I mentioned it in our Masala Chai recipe post. But unfortunately, in the western part of the world, the recipe was popularized as Chai Tea. So, I have used it for them also to identify the recipe. Hope this helps 🙂