Indulge in the cozy warmth of this Vanilla Chai Latte, a perfect blend of bold chai, creamy warm milk, simple syrup and dash of vanilla, topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon. This soothing, aromatic drink offers the perfect balance of spice and sweetness, making it an ideal beverage to wake up to.
This creamy morning beverage is perfect on a cold day or would be perfect as a Christmas morning chai. The flavors of ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and allspice pair perfectly with fall, the holidays or just an everyday drink to start your day with!
If you are like me and love having a chai tea latte every morning, you have to try my other chai flavors like my Hot Matcha Chai Latte Tea Recipe ~ Tried and True recipe!
Why this Recipe Works
Homemade Chai: There is just something about the taste of homemade chai that you simply can't beat by making your own homemade vanilla chai latte! This recipe has a quick brew with spiced chai tea bags and is perfect with simple syrup for sweetness and freshly frothed milk!
Easy to Make: This easy vanilla chai latte comes together in 5 minutes with simple ingredients, quicker than going through the drive-thru at Starbucks! It's such an easy recipe and a great way to save money on your morning pick me up!
Cozy and Comforting Flavors: I love how bold and cozy these flavors are! The flavors of ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and allspice pair together well for the perfect drink.
Ingredients
- Hot Water: You can boil the water in a mug in the microwave or boil with a tea kettle.
- Chai Tea: Use spiced chai black tea bags for the perfect tea, you can find these at most grocery stores!
- Hot Milk: For a rich and creamy vanilla chai latte, I recommend using whole milk. You can also use the milk of your choice like almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk! I would avoid rice or soy milk as they don't froth as easily, creating that perfect foamy texture we are looking for.
- Simple Syrup: I like to use simple syrup here, you could also use honey, pure maple syrup or a few dashes of sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: Look for pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the perfect vanilla forward flavor profile. If you have a vanilla syrup on hand, you could also use that in place of the simple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Cinnamon: A dusting of cinnamon on top of the vanilla chai latte creates the perfect final touch. You could omit or use ground nutmeg, cloves, or ginger if that's what you have on hand.
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
Instructions
- Start by steeping your chai tea bags and hot water in your preferred mug of choice for about 3-5 minutes. The longer you steep the chai, the richer the flavor will develop.
2. While the chai tea steeps, heat the milk. If you have an electric milk frother and steamer, add the milk and froth and steam to heat, creating the perfect foamy texture.
3. If you do not have an electric milk frother and steamer, heat the milk either in the microwave or over the stove top in a small pot.
4. Once the milk is heated, use an electric hand held frother for about a minute to froth the milk.
5. Once the tea is steeped and the milk is frothed, remove the tea bags and add the simple syrup and dash of vanilla to your mug.
6. When pouring the frothed milk into the mug, use a spoon to hold back the foam until the end. Pour all of the hot milk in with the chai tea and then pour the foam layer on top at the end.
7. Top with a dusting of cinnamon as desired.
Quick Tip
Chai flavors vary significantly depending on the brand of tea you are using. Flavors like black tea, ginger, cardamon and allspice are strong and can be bold or light depending on your brand!
For this latte recipe, I have found if I am using the trader joe's chai tea, I prefer two tea bags, as the flavors are on the bolder side. If I am using Tazo or another brand, I usually use three tea bags for the same amount of water for a stronger flavor.
FAQ
Yes, follow the recipe exactly, but add one shot of espresso to the tea mixture before adding the milk foam on top. If you are unfamiliar with the term "dirty", it simply means to add espresso or coffee to the drink to take it to the next level.
I typically use a tea kettle or tea pot to heat the water on the stove. You could also heat the water in the microwave for 1 minute until boiling.
Yes, simply follow the recipe, but only froth half of the milk and set aside. Combine the steeped tea, vanilla, half of the cold milk and simple syrup. Pour over ice cubes. Add the other half of the milk that has been frothed for the milk foam on top of the ice for the perfect iced vanilla chai latte!
Tip*The hotter the tea is, the more quickly it will melt the ice so if you can make the tea mixture beforehand and place in the fridge to cool, you will have better results.
Yes, simply heat 4 oz of your favorite chai tea concentrate (tazo chai concentrate works great) or make homemade chai concentrate by batching the tea, vanilla and simple syrup combination above.
If you don't want the dusting of cinnamon, you could also top your chai latte with a star anise (don't eat whole), cinnamon sticks or vanilla sugar for the perfect fancy tea latte!
Equipment
Electric Frother & Steamer: An electric frother and steamer works best for this recipe to both heat and froth your milk at the same time. An electric hand frother is a great option if you don't have the frother and steamer combo appliance.
Tea Kettle: Use a tea kettle to heat your water or a microwave.
Vanilla Chai Latte
Ingredients
- 4 oz boiling hot water
- 2 chai tea bags
- 5 oz hot whole milk
- 1-2 tablespoon simple syrup
- dash of vanilla extract
- sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
- Start by steeping your chai tea bags and hot water in your preferred mug of choice for about 3-5 minutes. The longer you steep the chai, the richer the flavor will develop.
- While the chai tea steeps, heat the milk. If you have an electric milk frother and steamer, add the milk and froth and steam to heat, creating the perfect foamy texture.
- If you do not have an electric milk frother and steamer, heat the milk either in the microwave or over the stove top in a small pot.
- Once the milk is heated, use an electric hand held frother for about a minute to froth the milk.
- Once the tea is steeped and the milk is frothed, remove the tea bags and add the simple syrup and dash of vanilla to your mug.
- When pouring the frothed milk into the mug, use a spoon to hold back the foam until the end. Pour all of the hot milk in with the chai tea and then pour the foam layer on top at the end.
- Top with a dusting of cinnamon as desired.
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