Homemade Chai Concentrate (Starbucks Copycat) Recipe
If you love the taste of a Starbucks Chai latte but it is too expensive or too inconvenient to get one, this copycat recipe is for you! Pour this Homemade Chai Concentrate into your favourite cup with warm frothed milk for a homemade hot chai latte, or serve over ice swirled with milk for an iced chai latte that rivals Starbucks’. Package this concentrate up in a cute mason jar and gift it to your bestie- or save the whole batch for yourself! If can’t get enough chai flavoured goodies like me- check out my Chai Spiced Pears!
Key Ingredients
Loose Leaf Chai Tea: I love the Borealis Chaga Chai tea blend. It has large, flavourful, high quality ingredients including the beneficial mushroom chaga. Other brands of looseleaf chai that would work great in this recipe include this Masala Chai Blend, and this Chai Mix from Davids Tea.
Honey: Some honey has stronger flavours and may alter the finished product. Choose a mild honey if possible.
Truvia Sweet Complete Brown Sugar: I opted to use the Truvia brown sugar in this recipe because it has 75% less calories without compromising flavour. If you prefer, you can use about 6 tbsp of regular brown sugar instead.
Cinnamon Sticks: I love to add an extra cinnamon stick when brewing this Starbucks Chai Concentrate for added flavour. If you don’t have cinnamon sticks you can mix in an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon into the tea batch before brewing. Less is more– I have tried this recipe with 3 cinnamon sticks and it was WAY too powerful.
Water: Use filtered water if possible- it will help your homemade chai concentrate last longer.
Equipment:
Looseleaf Tea Bags or Steeper: I always keep these disposable tea bags on hand for convenience. If you prefer to use a reusable steeper– go for it!
Crockpot or Stock Pot
How to Make Homemade Chai Concentrate (Starbucks Copycat)
Step 1. Start by adding water, honey, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon sticks to a large crock pot or stock pot.
Step 2. Whisk together ingredients until they are dissolved.
Step 3. Spoon two tablespoons of loose leaf chai into each steeping bag or vessel. Tie them and tape or affix them to the side of the pot so that the tea is submerged. Be sure that the tape is not touching your chai mix!!
Step 4. Turn your crock pot on low and let the tea steep for 8 hours, or overnight. If you are using a pot over the stove, steep the tea for 4 hours on a low simmer- making sure not to boil.
Step 5. Enjoy hot with steamed milk or package for later. Allow the chai concentrate to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and tucking it into the fridge or freezer.
How to Make Copycat Starbucks Chai Latte
- Reheat the 8 oz of concentrate in a small pot on the stove or in the microwave in a microwave safe container.
- Froth 1/2 cup of milk and add it to the top of the homemade chai concentrate. If you want a less strong chai latte, add 1/2 cup of hot water before adding your milk.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Kick back and enjoy the best homemade Starbucks Chai Latte that you have ever had!
Batch and Storage:
This recipe yields 16 servings (8 cups)
Allow the concentrate to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Yes you can. I recommend having loose leaf tea because the final concentrate will have a more robust flavour but in a pinch you can use 6-8 regular chai tea bags.
You can use whatever sugar you want! I chose to use the Truvia sugar because it reduced the calories and carbohydrates in the final tea. I would recommend replacing the 4 tbsp of Truvia with 6 tbsp of regular sugar.
Yes, you can cook this on the stove for a minimum of two hours being careful to simmer and not boiled. Keep the lid on to avoid any evaporation.
Absolutely! If you prefer a less strong/sweet tea, simply add an extra 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water per one cup of concentrate.
Yes you can. This concentrate is delicious cold or heated up.
Printable Recipe Card
Homemade Chai Latte Concentrate (Starbucks Copycat) Recipe
Pour this Homemade Chai Concentrate into your favourite cup with warm frothed milk for a homemade hot chai latte, or serve over ice swirled with milk for an iced chai latte that rivals Starbucks'.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon loose leaf chai tea
- 6 tablespoons light brown sugar, or 4 tablespoons Truvia Brown Sugar Blend
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 10 cups water
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add water, honey, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon sticks to a large crock pot or stock pot.
- Whisk together ingredients to make sure that they are dissolved.
- Spoon two tablespoons of loose leaf chai into each steeping bag or vessel. Tie them and tape or affix them to the side of the pot so that the tea is submerged.
- Turn your crock pot on low and let the tea steep for 8 hours, or overnight. If you are using a pot over the stove, steep the tea for 4 hours on a low simmer- making sure not to boil.
- Enjoy hot with 1/2 cup steamed milk or package for later!
Notes
Package any extra up in an airtight container and consume within 7 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 29Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 7mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 0g
Very good…I used a tablespoon less honey and less truvia because I prefer a less sweet chai. It turned out great!
Can’t wait to try this out! Maybe I can save some $$!