Politely Sweetened Chai Tea Latte, Two Ways

Start your morning off right!  These spicy and slightly sweet chai tea latte recipes are easy to make at home.  With a little bit of advanced planning, you can save money, avoid the drive-thru line and overly sweet commercial beverages, and also avoid wasteful paper or plastic to-go drink cups.  A win for your wallet, your health, and the planet!

I’ve included 2 recipes below.  The first makes 2 quarts of cold chai tea, which can be mixed to create 4 quarts of iced chai tea latte, perfect for a large gathering or a week’s worth of summer commutes. The second recipe makes a 16-oz tumbler of hot chai tea latte, which is delicious on a cool fall day.  

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan

Iced Chai Tea Latte for your Week (or for a Crowd)

Ingredients:

• 8 cups of filtered water, divided
• 6 chai tea bags
• ¼ cup of sugar, or 2-3 tablespoons of honey, agave syrup, or other sweetener (optional)
• Ice
• 8 cups of unsweetened oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk, divided

Directions:

1. Boil 4 cups of water.  Place the tea bags into the boiling water and allow to steep for 10 minutes.  
2. Remove the tea bags and then add in sugar or sweetener of your choice.  Stir until sugar has dissolved.  Allow the mixture to cool, then add in the remaining 4 cups of water.
3. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour or until fully chilled.
4. To assemble your chai tea latte:  In a large tumbler or to-go mug, add ice and then pour equal parts of chai tea and oat milk in the tumbler.  Enjoy!  

To-Go Hot Chai Tea Latte for One (16 oz):

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of filtered water
• 1 chai tea bag
• 2 teaspoons of sugar or other sweetener (optional)
• 1 ½ cups of unsweetened oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk
• Cinnamon for garnish

Directions:

1. Boil 4 cups of water.  Place the tea bags into the boiling water and allow to steep for 10 minutes.  
2. Remove the tea bags and then add in sugar or sweetener of your choice.  Stir until sugar has dissolved.  Allow the mixture to cool, then add in the remaining 4 cups of water.
3. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour or until fully chilled.
4. To assemble your chai tea latte:  In a large tumbler or to-go mug, add ice and then pour equal parts of chai tea and oat milk in the tumbler.  Enjoy!  

This recipe is from Home Chef and OPL Community member Kristina Shane.