Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
This Chai Latte (Tea) Starbucks Copycat has been my go to afternoon pick me up this summer. It takes 2 minutes to make and is the perfect combination of a sweet treat and caffeine boost. The whipped cream on top is totally optional, but so yummy. You can make homemade chai concentrate or use store bought. Both are delicious!
Tea is something I began incorporating in my routine a couple of years ago. I love the taste of it and the health benefits it has. I usually drink hot tea, but I have been on an iced tea kick this summer. Do you drink tea regularly?
Chai is my favorite kind of tea. I love the taste of course, but also that it has a little caffeine. I usually brew a cup right before I sit down to do my computer work. I like to add some honey and a splash of half and half.
When I go to Starbucks and am not getting a coffee, I usually get their iced chai latte. So I wanted to create a copycat recipe that you can easily make at home that is much less expensive.
Starbucks uses Tazo tea. So I used the Tazo Classic Chai Latte (photo below) to make this latte. This is the easiest option because it is already brewed and sweetened. It is basically black tea brewed with some spices, vanilla, and sugar.
You mix the chai with equal parts milk and now you have yourself a chai latte. You can froth this mixture if you want. It can be served warm or iced. I also typically add in some extra cinnamon and whipped cream on top.
It is so easy to make and the perfect afternoon treat.
Jump to:
Highlights
- Can be served hot or iced
- Only 2 ingredients needed
- Can be made dairy free
- Make your own chai or use store bought
- Vanilla whipped cream on top
- Refreshing and sweet
- Perfect afternoon pick me up with a little caffeine
Ingredients
- Milk: Use whatever milk you prefer. Dairy free milks (like coconut, almond, or oat milk) work great as well. I love using coconut milk.
- Chai: Like I mentioned above you can use the Tazo Classic or Skinny Chai Latte. This is a great option because it is already brewed and chilled. However, if you want to make your own chai base, you can just use chai tea bags. This is also nice because you can control the sweetness. Steep 2 tea bags in ½ cup of boiling water for 8 minutes. Stir in ⅛ teaspoon of vanilla and honey/sugar to taste. I prefer the skinny one because it is less sweet and convenient. If you do not like your chai latte very sweet, you would probably like the Skinny or homemade version the best.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
Instructions
before you start . . .
- Brew the chai (if not using Tazo Classic Chai Latte). Bring ½ cup of water to a boil. Steep two bags of chai in the water for about 8 minutes. Chill if making an iced chai tea latte or use immediately if making a hot latte. Stir in the ⅛ teaspoon of vanilla and honey or sugar to sweeten.
Step 1: In a small bowl, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla using a frother or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Step 2: In a glass filled with ice, combine the chai and the milk. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon if desired.
TIP - I like to use a frother to whip the cream because it is less to clean up. I also whip the cream in the liquid measuring cup that I measured the milk to reduce the number of dirty dishes as well.
Expert Tips & Recipe Notes
- Make the homemade chai base ahead of time. If you are making an iced chai latte, you want the tea to be cold. I recommend making it at least one day in advance. You can also batch prep it and it will last for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
- Adjust to your taste. You may like less/more milk/sweetener than the recipe calls for. This is a good starting point, but feel free to adjust the ratio.
- If you do not like a lot of sugar, do not use the Tazo Classic Chai Latte. Use the skinny or make your own with tea bags. The classic is on the sweeter side.
FAQs
A chai latte is typically equal parts chai tea and milk. It is sometimes topped with whipped cream. This beverage can be frothed and served warm or cold (iced). Chai tea is made by either steeping bags of chai in water or you can steep black tea in water and add the chai spices, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, star anise, fennel, nutmeg.
No. If you want coffee, ask for a dirty chai or add espresso.
Chai tea is just tea without milk. You can make it from scratch or just steep chai tea bags in water. A chai latte is made with a bolder brewed chai and equal parts milk.
A dirty iced chai latte is a chai latte with espresso.
Use the Tazo Skinny Chai Latte or homemade chai base (½ cup) with nonfat milk (½ cup or unsweetened almond or coconut milk). Use a sugar free sweetener or sweeten lightly with honey.
Brew one shot of espresso and add it to the chai latte to make it “dirty”. This is delicious, especially if you are a coffee lover.
Starbucks uses an even more concentrated version of the Tazo Classic Chai Latte. It is more like a syrup. It is not something I believe is commercially sold.
Yes. Their chai concentrate is already sweetened. This is why a lot of people prefer to make this drink at home.
Related Recipes
Chai Latte (Tea) Starbucks Copycat
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup milk*
- ½ cup Tazo Classic Chai Latte or Tazo Skinny Chai Latte, see notes for homemade*
Optional
Whipped Cream
- 2-3 Tablespoons cream
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla
- cinnamon for topping
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla using a frother or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- In a glass filled with ice, combine the chai and the milk. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon if desired.
I love the flavors of chai! Now I know it is so easy to make at home!
This was so easy to throw together so I could get my chai fix!
Oh my word! I need this in my life.