Hot chai lattes are one of my favorite cold-weather drinks. There’s just something about those warming spices that feels extra comforting on a snowy New Hampshire day. While I love a good café chai, ordering them out can get pricey, which is exactly why I started making this homemade chai latte syrup.
This simple syrup is made with warm spices, black tea, and a touch of pure maple syrup. It comes together quickly on the stovetop and stores beautifully in the refrigerator, so you can have chai lattes ready whenever the craving hits. In my opinion, it’s better than anything from a coffee shop as I can control the flavor and sweetness, making it a healthier version. This recipe yields about 2 cups of chai latte syrup, enough for about four generous servings and can be ready in 15 minutes.
Perfect for gifting: This chai latte syrup is one of my favorite edible gifts: simple, thoughtful, and always appreciated during the colder months. Every year, I put together holiday gift baskets that include a jar of this syrup, a bottle of my Homemade Vanilla Extract, Homemade Sourdough, and my homemade spice blends: Ranch and Italian blends and Mulled Cider Mix.
Ingredients For Chai Latte Syrup
- Water: 2 cups, filtered
- Whole cloves: 4 cloves
- Ground Cinnamon: 1 ¼ teaspoon
- Ground ginger: ½ teaspoon
- Ground cardamom: ½ teaspoon
- Ground nutmeg: ½ teaspoon
- Ground allspice: ½ teaspoon
- Black tea: Tea bags or loose-leaf both work. Assam black tea is traditionally used for chai and has a strong, malty flavor. I purchased mine through Mountain Rose Herbs.
- Pure maple syrup: 2 tablespoons, plus more to taste
Why maple syrup?
I prefer maple syrup over refined white or brown sugar. It adds gentle sweetness while also providing trace minerals and antioxidants, and you can easily adjust the amount to suit your taste.
How to make Chai Syrup
- In a medium saucepan, add the water and all of the spices and maple syrup.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer whisking frequently for 5 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Remove from heat and add the black tea.
- Let steep for 5 minutes, then strain out the spices and tea using a fine mesh strainer and/or cheesecloth.
- Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a jar or bottle.
Pro-tip: using both a strainer and cheesecloth together will help reduce sediment from the ground spices.
How to Make Hot Chai Latte
Warm the milk and syrup in a saucepan.
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- ½ cup chai latte syrup
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional, to taste)
- Cinnamon, for dusting
Heat the syrup and milk together in a small saucepan over medium heat until just before simmering. Pour into a mug, top with frothed milk if desired, and finish with a light dusting of cinnamon or cinnamon sugar. Feel free to adjust milk/syrup ratios to your preference.
How to Make Iced Chai Latte
- ½ cup chai latte syrup
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional, to taste)
- Ice
- Cinnamon, for dusting
Combine the syrup, milk, and maple syrup in a shaker bottle or whisk together in a large glass. Serve over ice. Optional: add cold foam and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. As above with the hot method, adjust the milk/syrup ratios to your liking!
Storage
Store chai latte syrup in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, if it lasts that long!
Other Ways to Use Chai Latte Syrup
This homemade chai latte syrup is incredibly versatile and goes far beyond just lattes.
- Dirty Chai: Add a shot of espresso for delicious Dirty Chai at a fraction of the cost at a cafe!
- Tea Enhancer: Add to black tea or rooibos for extra depth.
- Oatmeal or Overnight Oats: Drizzle over warm oats or add to overnight oats for a comforting breakfast.
- Baked Goods: Use in glazes for scones, muffins, or quick breads.
- Cocktails & Mocktails: Delicious in fall-inspired drinks.
- Homemade Gifts: As I stated above, this chai syrup is perfect for gifting! Bottle it up with a tag for an easy, low-cost, homemade gift.
If you enjoy this homemade tea recipe, you might like to try my Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte recipe.
I hope you enjoy this homemade chai recipe! Please leave a comment below if you have made it or have any questions!
Chai Latte Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
Chia Syrup
- 2 cups water, filtered
- 2 teaspoons black tea, loose leaf or 2 black tea bags
- 3-4 wholes cloves
- 1¼ teaspoons cinnamon, ground
- ½ teaspoon ginger, ground
- ½ teaspoon cardamom, ground
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- ½ teaspoon allspice, ground
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Chai Latte
- ½ cup chai syrup
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
Chai Syrup
- In a medium saucepan, add the water and all of the spices and maple syrup.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer whisking frequently for 5 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Remove from heat and add the black tea to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Let steep for 5 minutes, then strain out the spices and tea using a fine mesh strainer and/or cheesecloth. Note: using both a strainer and cheesecloth together will help reduce sediment from the ground spices.
- Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a jar or bottle.
Chai Latte (Hot or Cold)
- For Hot: Heat the syrup and milk together in a small saucepan over medium heat until just before simmering. Pour into a mug, top with frothed milk if desired, and finish with a light dusting of cinnamon or cinnamon sugar.
- For Iced: Combine the syrup and milk in a shaker bottle or whisk together in a large glass. Serve over ice. Optional: add cold foam and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
