Make starbucks chai tea latte at home

Skip the coffee shop line. It’s easy to make a chai tea latte Starbucks copycat drink at home in less than 10 minutes. This popular drink is full of warming spices, and frothy milk.

Make starbucks chai tea latte at home

My favorite drink at Starbucks is a chai tea latte. It’s full of delicious, rich, spicy flavor, the perfect hot drink when you want to feel warm and cozy. Did you know that the word chai means “tea” in Hindi? So this drink actually translates to “tea tea latte”.

This homemade version is super easy to make, with the help of tea bags, and at a fraction of the cost of a store bought drink.

If you like being your own barista, be sure to try this Starbucks copycat vanilla frappuccino, medicine ball tea and caramel frappuccino.

In this post you will learn:

  • How to make a copycat Starbucks chai tea latte
  • Tips for frothing milk
  • Variations to customize your latte

Ingredients needed

Many recipes use a chai tea concentrate but this recipe just requires tea bags.

Chai tea bags – Be sure to choose chai tea bags, not black tea. I really enjoy the Celestial Seasonings Bangel Spice Tea because it tastes very similar to the Starbucks chai.

Water – Used to make the homemade chai concentrate.

Milk – Use your favorite milk like 2%, whole, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or almond milk. Starbucks uses 2% milk in their drinks.

Brown sugar – Brown sugar adds a nice warm, caramel like flavor that pairs well with the chai spices. Feel free to substitute with granulated sugar, honey, or maple syrup.

Vanilla extract – An optional ingredient that adds a hint of warmth and sweetness. You could also add a splash of vanilla syrup.

Make starbucks chai tea latte at home

How to make copycat Starbucks chai tea latte

Step one: Boil water in a small saucepan on the stove or in the microwave. Once boiling, remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep for at least 5 minutes.

Step two: Mix in brown sugar and vanilla extract. Pour tea mixture into a coffee mug.

Make starbucks chai tea latte at home

Step three: Froth milk either in milk frother, sauce pan or French press. Pour frothed milk into mug with tea. Optional, sprinkle with ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

Make starbucks chai tea latte at home

Do chai tea lattes have caffeine?

Yes and no. The answer will depend on if the tea bags you choose contain caffeine. The Starbucks chai latte does contain caffeine.

Recipe tips

  • If you like the drink to be less sweet, reduce the amount of sugar to 1 teaspoon or leave the sugar out completely.
  • If you want extra creaminess, try topping with a little whipped cream.
  • What does it taste like? If you like pumpkin spice lattes, you will enjoy a chai. They contain similar spices but the chai doesn’t have the espresso.

Best way to froth milk

Frothing the milk is an important step to make this drink. There are a few different methods you can use to froth milk, a frother, a saucepan or French press.

If using a saucepan or French press, heat milk to 150 degrees. It’s helpful to use a food thermometer or look for small bubbles to form.

Once the milk has reached the right temperature, whisk vigorously until it starts to foam. If using a French press, pump it for about one minute.

Variations

Dairy Free – You can make this latte dairy free by substituting the milk with soy, oat, almond, cashew, or coconut milk.

Sweetener – The Starbucks version is very sweet. Feel free to adjust the sweetness to your liking. This recipe calls for brown sugar but you can substitute with honey or maple syrup.

Iced – If you would like to make this an iced chai tea latte, let the tea mixture cool completely. Fill a glass with ice and pour in tea mixture and then stir in cold milk.

Dirty chai tea latte – To make a dirty chai latte, make about 4 ounces of espresso or strong coffee. Pour it into a mug. Add in chai and then foamed milk.

Make starbucks chai tea latte at home

More easy drink recipes

  • Starbucks copycat mocha frappuccino
  • Puppaccino
  • Iced vanilla latte
  • Ginger tea
  • Cinnamon roll latte

Did you try this Starbucks copycat recipe? Let me know how you liked this hot drink in the comments below.

This is an easy chai tea latte recipe that is sure to satisfy.

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chai tea latte

Servings: 1 drink

Calories: 145kcal

  • 2 chai tea bags
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • sprinkle cinnamon optional to top drink

  • Boil water in a small saucepan on the stove or in the microwave. Once boiling, remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep for at least 5 minutes.

  • Mix in brown sugar and vanilla extract. Pour tea mixture into a coffee mug.

  • Froth milk either in milk frother, sauce pan or French press. Pour frothed milk into mug with tea.

  • Optional, sprinkle with ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

  • If you like the drink to be less sweet, reduce the amount of sugar to 1 teaspoon or leave the sugar out completely.
  • If you want extra creaminess, try topping with a little whipped cream.
  • What does it taste like? If you like pumpkin spice lattes, you will enjoy a chai. They contain similar spices but the chai doesn’t have the espresso.

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 254mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 1mg

What does Starbucks use for chai tea latte?

Starbucks uses 4 ingredients to make their Iced Chai Tea Latte in store: Tazo chai concentrate, water, milk, and ice. The Tazo chai concentrate used at Starbucks locations is made with less water so it's a lot more concentrated and stronger than the packaged Tazo chai concentrate sold in stores.

How is a chai tea latte at Starbucks made?

A Starbucks chai tea latte is made from a mixture of chai tea concentrate and steamed milk. Chai tea concentrate is the primary ingredient in all Starbucks Chai drinks and is an infusion of black tea and several components, including cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.

What is in Starbucks chai tea?

The main ingredients in Starbucks chai concentrate are black tea, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, natural flavors, star anise, sugar, honey, ginger juice, and vanilla. How many pumps of chai are in each size latte? The number of pumps of syrup in a Starbucks chai depends on the size cup.

What milk does Starbucks use for chai?

Starbucks uses 2% milk to make chai tea lattes, but you can ask for a different kind of milk, if you prefer. I also like to make chai lattes with 2% milk at home, giving the lattes perfectly creamy.