This quick and refreshing iced chai tea latte can be made with just 4 ingredients in about 5 minutes.
Heya, friends, it’s almost spring, the weather (at least here in Southern California) is warming up, and that means it’s time to start thinking about warm-weather recipes.
Top of my list is anything iced, iced mochas, iced caramel macchiatos, iced white chocolate mochas, and today I have a new iced recipe for you, an iced chai tea latte.
It’s actually really simple to make an iced chai latte (or hot chai latte) at home exactly the way they do at coffee shops. You just need chai concentrate, milk, and ice.
But if you’re here, I’m guessing you don’t have chai concentrate, so I’m going to show you how to make a super quick and simple shortcut chai concentrate so you can be sipping an iced chai latte in about 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- Chai tea bags: Use your favorite chai brand, caffeinated or decaf.
- Sugar: I typically use granulated sugar here, but many chai concentrate recipes use brown sugar. Feel free to use whichever you prefer. If you have it, superfine sugar works particularly well because it will dissolve more quickly when you’re making the concentrate.
- Milk: Starbucks uses 2% milk in their coffee drinks, but you can use any milk you’d like including non-dairy milks. The higher fat your milk, the creamier your drink will be.
How to Make an Iced Chai Latte at Home
- Make chai concentrate: In a small pot or microwave-safe cup, bring ¼ cup of water to a boil. Add tea bags and steep tea for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in sugar until completely dissolved and add another ¼ cup of cold or room-temperature water (this will help bring down the temperature of the concentrate so it’s not too warm when you add it to the milk).
- Assemble your drink: Fill a 16-ounce cup with about 1½ cup of ice and add milk before pouring the chai mixture over the milk and stirring to combine. Top with optional whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!
FAQ
What is a chai tea latte made of?
Starbucks and other coffee houses use a mix of chai concentrate and milk. Chai concentrate is made by combining black tea with spices, usually ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and peppercorns, along with some form of sweetener.
If you want to give this a try and make an authentic cup of Indian Masala Chai, go check out this recipe.
Does an iced chai latte have coffee?
Iced chai lattes do not usually include coffee. They are made with just chai concentrate and milk served over ice. However, if you would like to add coffee, you can add a shot or two of espresso and make a dirty chai latte (it’s quite good).
What does an iced chai latte taste like?
If you’ve never had one, chai lattes taste just like what they are, sweet chai tea and milk. It’s a refreshing, lightly spicy sweet flavor that is perfect on a warm day.
Is there caffeine in an iced chai latte?
It depends on the tea you use. Chai tea does have caffeine, so if you buy one from a coffee house your latte will almost certainly be caffeinated, but when making your chai latte at home, you can choose to use decaf chai for a caffeine-free chai latte.
Treats to Go With Your Latte
More Coffee-house Favorites
Quick Iced Chai Tea Latte
Ingredients
- ½ cup filtered water divided
- 2 chai tea bags
- 2 teaspoons (8g) granulated sugar *
- 1 ½ cup ice
- ¾ cup milk any percentage
- Whipped cream optional for topping
Instructions
- In a small pot or microwave-safe cup, bring ¼ cup of the water to a boil on the stove or in the microwave. Add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.
- Stir in sugar until completely dissolved and add remaining ¼ cup of cold or room-temperature water. Set aside.
- Fill 1 16-ounce cup with 1½ cup of ice. Add milk.
- Pour chai mixture over the milk and stir to combine. Top with optional whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Iman says
Really good recipe
Just wanted to note it’s called chai not chai tea (as that would be like saying ‘tea tea’)
But thanks for the quick drink
Kim says
I have made chai lattes before but I prefer this recipe. I think the winning ingredient is BROWN sugar. Very good on a hot summer morning.
Dee says
I love chai tea lattes iced or hot, but I no longer eat (or drink) anything with refined or substitute sugars so I’m wondering how this will taste using raw honey as the sweetener.
Tracy says
If you try it, please report back and let us know!!
Brenda says
It’s really good with honey, i may have used 1 tsp, sooo good!
Tracy says
So glad to hear it. Thanks for reporting in!!
Tasha says
You can also buy raw ( unrefined) cane sugar. Good substitute.
Jennifer says
This is so good! I used dirty chai tea bags that already have espresso in them, and topped with cold frothed milk. Next time I’m going to make a larger batch of the concentrate and store in the fridge.
Katelyn says
YUM! I used brown sugar and almond milk and it’s SO good. Thanks for this recipe. 🙂 love saving money vs spending $6 at a coffee shop for this
GiannaTheChef says
Delicious! Making it for the second time today. I’m using only 1/2 cup of milk instead of 3/4 cup, and it’s perfect. Love this recipe! Thanks!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Kay says
Great recipe! I’ve made it several times. Today I used brown sugar. Yum! Really good. Super quick to make also.
Karen says
How many tea bags are needed to make the tea concentrate?? Thank you
Lynette says
Such an informative post! Thank you.
Karianne says
Sooo good!! Gonna try with almond milk next time, but I’m hooked.
Lindsay says
It was great!
Tracy says
Yay!!
Cynthia says
Yum! I’m impressed! So good!
Jen says
Tips on making concentrate in bulk so I can have it in the fridge ready for the week?
Tracy says
Hi, Jen, I’d make it on the stove, and you can just multiply the recipe as needed to get as many servings as you’d like, but you can probably cut the teabags by a few if you’re making a really big batch. Also make sure the sugar is really well dissolved before storing and then give it a little stir or shake before using. Hope that helps!
Diana Gould says
I made this recipe very easy and tasty. I might try next time to steep a little longer and not so much milk. BUt all in all really good.
Danielle says
I love it, this is now my go to, my daughter loves it also as the the other comment, I use vanilla almond milk hands down sorry dunkin.
Tracy says
LOL love to hear it!!
Kathrynn says
This recipe is great!! I love it! Almond milk is really good with this instead. With cow’s milk it’s good too. Honestly this is better than Starbucks!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kathrynn!!