I love chai tea, and lately, I’ve been drinking it every morning. I seem to alternate between craving an iced chai latte and an iced coffee.
It’s so much cheaper to make your own Homemade Chai Concentrate. Plus you also get to choose the sweetener you want to use and the kind of tea you’d like to use.
What Is a Chai Latte?
First off, chai is an Indian spiced tea, and the latte part is just the nondairy milk of your choice.
You can order one hot or iced and you can easily make it yourself.
Do I Need to Use Cardamom Pods or Seeds in My Chai?
This recipe is slightly adapted from the one in The Vegan Slow Cooker, but the only change is to use cardamom pods instead of the seeds.
Why? I’ve been told they are hard to find and either work!
This week my batch is made with green tea, and I left it unsweetened since I’m using a sweetened vanilla creamer.
Last week it was regular tea sweetened with stevia and monk fruit.
Can I Make Homemade Chai Concentrate in the Slow Cooker?
Today I’m sharing my chai recipe with preparations for making it on the stove-top or in the slow cooker. Just use the method that fits in best with your day.
I have exact amounts for you in the recipe, but I have to admit that often I throw mine together without measuring.
Maybe I’m in the mood for more ginger or a stronger flavor of cardamom. So once you try the recipe, tweak it so it’s perfect for you.
What’s My Favorite Slow Cooker?
It changes from time to time but right now I really like the Hamilton Beach Programmable Right Size Slow Cooker.
If you are only going to have one slow cooker this is the one for you. You can cook in it as a 2, 4, or 6-quart slow cooker so it does it all!
My Favorite Way to Make Homemade Chai Concentrate?
Lately, I’ve been making my chai in my 4th burner pot. You can see a photo of it above.
It’s stainless steel, has a basket that’s great to steam asparagus in or to can a super small batch of jam. It’s one of my favorite all-purpose pots.
We won’t use the basket for this recipe, but I had to let you know why I’m charmed by it. The lid is what works its magic with the chai concentrate recipe.
There are two sizes of draining holes on the lid. For the chai, I just turn the smaller holes to the front and pour out the concentrate into the pitcher I will keep it in.
But Can I Make Homemade Chai Concentrate in My Instant Pot?
Are you looking for a recipe to make Chai in your Instant pot? You can find The Best Instant Pot Chai Tea Concentrate on my other site, PlantBasedInstantPot.com.
You can also make this in your Instant Pot by watching the video below!
More drink & creamer recipes
- Thai Iced Tea Concentrate
- Strawberry Oat milk
- Homemade Cold Brew Concentrate
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Syrup Recipe
- Easy Balsamic Fig Shrub
- Cashew Almond Vegan Creamer for Tea
- Coconut Oat Vanilla Nut Vegan Coffee Creamer
Homemade Chai Concentrate
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 5 slices fresh ginger , about a 1/2 inch knob
- 4 whole cinnamon sticks
- 10 whole cloves
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 6 cardamom pods
- 10 regular teabags black, green, or roobios or 5 pitcher sized tea bags
- sweetener of your choice to taste – optional
Instructions
Stove-top Directions
- Add the water and all the spices to a pot. (see note 1) Heat over high heat until it just comes to a boil, them turn heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes and take off the heat.
- Add in the tea bags and let steep 5 to 10 minutes depending on how concentrated you want the flavor to be. Remove tea bags and add sweetener of choice if desired.
- Store in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks or freeze in ice cubes for later.
- Note 1: If you have a 4th burner pot you can easily strain through the small holes in the lid. Or you can use a normal pot and use a large tea ball or muslin tea bag to hold the spices. You can also just pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer to remove the spices.
Slow Cooker Directions
- In the morning: Put water and spices (or spice bag) in your 4 quart slow cooker. You can use a large tea ball or muslin tea bag to make straining easier or you can strain out at the end with a fine mesh strainer. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- After cooking: Add in tea bags to the slow cooker and turn to high. Let steep 5 to 10 minutes depending on how concentrated you want the flavor to be. Remove tea bags and add sweetener if desired. Take out the cinnamon sticks. If you didn’t use a spice bag, pour into a pitcher while straining out the spices through a piece of cheesecloth placed in a funnel to remove the rest of the whole spice.
- Store in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. It can be frozen as well.
noreen lisowski says
Once you’ve made the concentrate, what’s the proportion of water/milk to concentrate?
Kathy Hester says
It depends on how strong you make it tea-wise, but I’d start with 1 – 2 parts tea to 1 part nondairy milk. With the creamer I’m using I’m doing 3 1/2 parts tea to 1/2 part vanilla creamer.
Twisted Mommy says
Awesome! I am definitely going to try this. My 3 1/2yr old and I are serious Chai lovers 🙂
Kathy Hester says
You have to tell me how it goes and any variations you do! 🙂
Caroline says
Glad it’s not just my little girl that loves Chai.
She sounds so middle class ‘Mummy, please can we share a Chai Latte?’ If they only knew! hahaha
Kathy Hester says
That’s awesome!
Sherr S says
Thank you, Kathy~ this is a lovely Chai recipe. You have motivated me to invest in the whole spices and make my own, instead of using ready-made tea bag Chai.
And a huge thanks for all the cruelty-free goodness you bring us via your books and this website. Bless you!
Kathy Hester says
Thank you so much! <3
Becky Striepe says
This looks so, so good. I love chai on a chilly afternoon.
Erin says
I have been on such a chai kick ever since the baby was born! I can’t wait to make it from scratch. Perfect!