This easy chai latte powder is quick and easy to make and perfect for a ready-to-make hot drink. It’s the perfect stand-in for your favorite coffee shop drink.
If you like to indulge in drinks, be sure to try this horchata recipe, too!
This traditional masala chai blend is characterized by its aromatic spices such as cardamom, cloves, ginger and pepper.
Making your own spice blends and powders is an easy way to add flavor to your day AND save money at the grocery store. You’ll know it’s a fresh blend, too!
It takes just 5 minutes to make this chai latte mix. This recipe utilizes ground spices and can be made using a whisk or a food processor to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Using a food processor creates a fine powder that more easily dissolves when added to hot water or milk.
What is Chai?
Chai is a type of tea commonly made in India. This spicy, sweet Indian tea has made a splash in the US in recent years, as Americans have discovered just how delicious it is. Coffee houses commonly offer up a variety of chai spice blends, served as a hot drink or an iced chai latte.
Since a trip to India isn’t in my future, I’ll just have to settle for the next best thing: Delicious recipes using the flavors and spice that Indian food is famous for.
Ingredients
Instant tea: I’m not talking about that instant iced tea powder that comes with a long list of ingredients*. You’ll want a 100% black tea powder. This is just one brand you can try. This gives your powdered tea mix a delicious flavor without any additives.
Sugar: You have a couple of options here. Granulated cane sugar is what the recipe calls for, but if you like a slight molasses flavor in your chai, feel free to use brown sugar. If you’re watching your sugar intake, it’s perfectly fine to substitute your favorite sugar alternative.
Milk powder: Non-fat dry milk powder can be mixed with milk and rehydrated for use in cooking or for drinking. In this recipe, it’s what makes this a chai latte mix. (Latte means milk in Italian.)
Non-dairy creamer: Choose a powdered coffee creamer. (That seems obvious, but I’d hate for someone to add a liquid creamer and ruin the mix!) If you prefer a healthier alternative to off-the-shelf creamers available at grocery stores, try this brand.
Chai spices: These lovely, warming spices include ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and black pepper. If you wish to start with whole spices, you absolutely can. Process them in a coffee grinder and measure after grinding. If you’re a fan of French vanilla chai, add 2 teaspoons vanilla powder to the mix.
* Check out this ingredient list for Lipton Iced Tea Mix: Sugar, Black Tea, Polyphosphates (to Protect Flavor), Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (Preserves Freshness), Potassium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness), Purified Stevia Leaf Extract, Calcium Disodium EDTA (to Protect Flavor).
Making Your Own Chai Spice Mix
This part is simple! If you have a food processor or blender, simply combine all of the ingredients in the bowl or carafe and process until you have a fine powder.
If you don’t, you can still make this, but know that the mix will be a little more coarse. To do that, simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend with a whisk.
Storing the Powder
Once the chai powder is thoroughly mixed, store it in an airtight container. It will keep up to 6 months at room temperature.
Instant Latte Recipe
With this mix, you’ll never need to order a Starbucks chai latte again! Simply stir 2 teaspoons of the mix into a mug of hot water or, for a richer drink, a mug of hot milk. You can low-fat or whole dairy milk, or use your favorite alternative milk, such as soy milk, coconut milk, or almond milk.
- To make a dirty chai latte, stir a shot of espresso into the hot mug of chai.
Iced Chai Latte
If you like your lattes cold, especially in the hot summer months, rejoice! For you can make this as an iced latte very easily. There are several options; I prefer the first one if I can manage to plan ahead.
- Make a big batch to enjoy by mixing 3 tablespoons of chai powder into a quart of hot milk or water. Refrigerate until well chilled and serve over a glass full of ice.
- Make a latte with hot milk or water and pour it over a glass full of ice to instantly cool it.
- Add the chai mix to cold milk or water. This works, but it may not dissolve as well as you’d like.
Giving the Gift of Tea
This latte mix is the perfect gift for your favorite chai lover! In fact, this recipe makes about five cups of chai mix, so you could make up a batch and divvy it up into 1-cup portions. Keep one for yourself and you’ve still got sweet little gifts for four of your friends!
Because it’s non-perishable, this chai powder is great for long-distance gift giving. Pair it with some delicious cookies and a cute mug, pack it up in a box, and send it on its way.
Be sure to add a label to the container, detailing the instructions for using it:
Stir 2 teaspoons of chai powder into a mug of hot water or milk. Serve hot or over ice for a deliciously flavorful drink.
DIY Mixes to Pair with this Tea for Giving
- DIY Brownie Mix
- Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar
- Monster Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened instant tea
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup dry milk powder
- 1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine spices, black tea powder, sugar, coffee creamer, and powdered milk in a blender or food processor and blend until well combined and the mixture is a fine powder. No food processor? You can measure ingredients into a large bowl and use a whisk to combine them well. The resulting mixture will be coarser.
- If you prefer to start with whole spices, no problem. Grind them in a coffee grinder or heavy-duty blender before measuring the ground spices into the recipe.
- Store spiced tea mix in an airtight container for up to six months.
To use:
- Stir 2 teaspoons of tea mix into a mug of hot water or hot milk and stir well.
Notes
- To make a dirty chai latte, stir in a shot of espresso into the hot mug.
- For an iced latte, you can add the chai mix to cold milk or water, but it may not dissolve as well as you'd like. You can also make a big batch to enjoy by mixing 3 tablespoons of chai powder into a quart of hot milk or water. Refrigerate to chill and serve over ice.
- If you're a fan of French vanilla chai, add 2 teaspoons vanilla powder to the mix. Dairy free folks can use coconut, almond, oat, or soy milk.
I made this today and with a few tweaks for personal tastes, I really appreciate the trial and error that probably went into this recipe development. It’s a great mixture of spices in the right ratio. I will enjoy drinking this for a long time to come! Thank you.
So glad you like it!
SO simple! Great gift for someone or yummy for home!
I hate to bother you with what is probably a dumb question, but when you say two teaspoons, do you mean level teaspoons like you would do when baking? And how much water/milk is in that mug? I’m a little OCD and things like this bother me. I know I can trial and error it, but I thought I’d ask. Pictures of doing this helps, too! Thanks!
It depends a little on how strong you like the flavors to be. For me? I’d use dessert spoons. 😉 And the mug? About 8 ounces.
Are you able to get instant rea powder? I cannot find it. Thanks
If you look in the body of the post there is a link to one option.
You say tea bags..what kind of tea? Black tea?
From the post: “Instant tea: I’m not talking about that instant iced tea powder that comes with a long list of ingredients*. You’ll want a 100% black tea powder. “
I do not see any amounts for any of the ingredients. Can you please share the mix/how much of each item to use? Thank you.
Scroll down further or use the “jump to recipe” function and you’ll see all the info you need.
Could this be made without sugar and later add maple syrup as you drink it?
I would think so?