Starbucks-Style Iced Chai Tea Latte

A spiced, creamy iced chai latte that matches the Starbucks version using a from-scratch whole-spice chai concentrate and oat milk instead of the chain's sugar-heavy liquid chai concentrate.

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups filtered water
  • 4 bags organic black tea (or 4 tsp loose-leaf Assam)
  • 3 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger (or 1/4 tsp dried ground ginger)
  • 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • 2–3 tbsp organic coconut sugar or pure maple syrup, to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened barista-style oat milk (or oat-cashew blend)
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Clean swaps

How we upgrade the restaurant version with better ingredients.

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What you'll need

  • High-powered blender — Smoothies, nut milks, and blended drinks without chunks.
  • Nut milk bag — Strain almond or oat milk to a clean, creamy finish.
  • Cold brew pitcher — Steep coarsely ground coffee in cold water overnight — no machine needed.

Instructions

  1. Combine the water, cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, ginger, and black peppercorns in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  2. Add the tea bags, reduce heat to low, and steep for 5 minutes. Do not boil — it will turn bitter.
  3. Remove from heat. Remove tea bags and stir in the coconut sugar or maple syrup until dissolved. Let the concentrate cool to room temperature.
  4. Strain the chai concentrate through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar or pitcher. Refrigerate until cold.
  5. Fill two tall glasses with ice.
  6. Pour about 3/4 cup of the cold chai concentrate into each glass.
  7. Pour 3/4 cup of cold oat milk into each glass. Stir gently, dust with ground cinnamon, and serve.

FAQ

How long does homemade chai concentrate keep?

Strained and refrigerated in a sealed jar, the chai concentrate keeps for up to 10 days — making it easy to prep a big batch and enjoy iced chai all week.

Can I make this hot instead of iced?

Absolutely — heat the chai concentrate in a saucepan, froth the oat milk warm, and combine in a mug for a hot version. The ratio is the same: roughly equal parts concentrate and milk.

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