Enjoy a quick Chai Latte using homemade Chai Concentrate. The black tea is brewed in small batches and infused with fragrant chai spices. This DIY chai concentrate is a game-changer, allowing you to customize your chai experience effortlessly. Enjoy hot or cold, latte or iced - the possibilities are endless!
For some people, making masala chai on a daily basis is calming and familiar. There's a lot of comfort in the process, and the rush of adrenaline as the chai almost boils over the pot.
But for some, it's a mundane, time consuming process which requires too many dishes. And that's understandable! It's super convenient to have a tasty chai ready in a snap instead of standing over a pot. That's where a great chai concentrate comes in!
No trips to Starbucks necessary to get a Chai Tea Latte with how easy it is to make a weeks worth of Chai Concentrate at home. During the fall season, you can top it with the fan favorite Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam if not the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam. Add a shot of espresso to make a Dirty Chai Latte.
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Why this Recipe Works
The problem I've had with a lot of concentrates is that some of them have so much cinnamon that it drowns out the other spices or it's overly sweet. It's never quite right for me. Masala chai is very personal to each person that makes it!
A lot of recipes out there use readymade chai tea bags. These tea bags already have spices, which is fine! But you're here because you're looking for the best chai concentrate and a blend that you can customize. Not just any generic store bought "chai tea".
This recipe is all about personal preferences with which spices to use, how strong the black tea is, the amount of sugar, the milkiness. That's why I've grown to love having homemade chai concentrate on hand for chai lattes!
Making your own spiced chai concentrate means that you get to control the spices and the sweetness. Not to mention, you have a hot or iced cup of chai ready within minutes and it'll last you the week. It's an inexpensive option to have it homemade!
What is Chai Concentrate?
Chai concentrate is black tea brewed in small batches with spices. You can use loose leaf black tea or tea bags. It's a quick way to make an inexpensive chai latte without leaving your home. Just add your choice of milk!
It's not quite the same as an authentic masala chai in terms of texture and balance. But the flavors are certainly there.
Concentrate is not commonly found in the Indian subcontinent, but became popularized in the U.S. in the recent years to make chai lattes. It can be found at most grocery stores near the bottled coffees and in the form of syrups to add to drinks.
Pre-Bottled Chai Concentrates
Not only are most pre-bottled chai concentrates severely overpriced, you also have no control over the flavor, sugar, and not to mention the preservatives. Half of the labels are unclear with their ingredients, too.
A lot of chai concentrates put you at around $2 a cup, whereas mine is less than a $1 per cup. Once you have all the spices, you can make dozens of batches and even prepare your own blend.
Starbucks uses a Chai Tea Concentrate for their famous Chai Tea Latte, which I find to be unpalatable due to the heavy cinnamon. The ingredients their website lists are water, black tea, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, natural flavors, and star anise for the base. They also add sugar, honey, ginger juice, more natural flavors (what is that???), vanilla, and citric acid (a preservative).
Two concentrates that I do enjoy are South Asian-owned companies, the Chai Box and One Stripe Chai Co.
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
The ingredients for chai concentrate is very similar to a cup of masala chai, there's just no milk since that's added separately.
- Black tea - Assam tea work best for masala chai, and English breakfast is a good runner up. My favorite loose leaf black tea is Danedar and my favorite tea bags are Tetley British Blend. I do not recommend earl grey. You can use high quality green tea but it will be a much different flavor profile and adds earthiness. If you're looking for a no-caffeine option, rooibos is a great option.
- Sweetener - Granulated sugar is the most typical sweetener, but brown sugar, stevia, honey, and even maple syrup will work. You can also omit the sweetener and add it in later when using the concentrate or use vanilla syrup. Readers have also reported that they used medjool dates to naturally sweeten their concentrate.
- Spices - My chai concentrate spice blend includes cloves, black peppercorns, nutmeg (freshly grated), star anise, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom pods, dried rose buds, and ginger. Spices can be added - like fennel and tulsi - or omitted based off of personal preference. Use whole spices for the best, robust flavor. You can also use a homemade Chai Spice.
You do not need to use all the spices I did! The main spices to use would be:
- black pepper - spice and warmth
- cardamom - fragrance and sweetness
- cinnamon - spice and sweetness
- cloves - warming and bitter flavor to counteract sweetness
Honestly, you could get away with not using cloves as well but I think a small amount elevates chai.
How to make Spicy Chai Concentrate
Making chai concentrate is incredibly similar to making a cup of masala chai. However, there are a few extra steps that ensure that there is plenty of flavor from the spices and the tea is strong but not over steeped until bitter.
- Crush the spices. Use a mortar and pestle to lightly crush the spices to release their oils. Use the flat edge of a knife to smash them instead of a mortar and pestle.
- Dry roast the spices and extract flavor. To really bloom the spices, add them to the pot on low to medium heat and dry roast them for about a minute until they're fragrant. Continuously mix them around so they don't burn. Then, add the water and bring it a rolling boil to allow the spices to infuse with the water.
- Steep the tea. This recipe makes chai concentrate from loose leaf, but you can use tea bags as well. Add the tea into the spice-infused water and boil it for about 5 minutes, giving it a stir every once in a while. Then, remove the pot from heat and let the tea and spices steep for a minimum of 15 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until it's dissolved.
- Bottle the concentrate. Sanitize the bottle and its lid in boiling water before use. Once the chai concentrate has cooled, use a fine mesh sieve to transfer it to the bottle. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
I made Chai Concentrate labels for you for easy labeling!! Download them and print them on Avery Round Labels (22856).
If cinnamon is your most prominent flavor, reduce that amount of cinnamon the next time you make it or add more cardamom, black pepper, and ginger. They should be your three most prominent spices.
If the concentrate is too bitter, the black tea has been steeped for too long or your tea leaves aren't a good match for this recipe. Add more sweetener to offset the bitterness.
How to use Tea Concentrate
Give the bottle a good shake before use. To use the concentrate, use a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to the milk of your choice. If the tea steeps for too long and is really strong, dilute it with a tablespoon of water at a time if you're making hot tea. Ice cubes will dilute strong concentrate as the ice melts.
The concentrate can be heated, steamed, or poured over ice with milk to make hot or an iced chai latte.
If you're looking to make a Dirty Chai Latte, you may want to use something more like a Chai Syrup for a concentrated, sweet flavor.
Tips and Tricks
- Mortar and Pestle - If you don't have a mortar and pestle, chop the ginger into slices and lightly smash the spices under the flat edge of a knife.
- Large Batches - To scale the recipe, use the recipe card to increase the amount of servings. Follow the instructions on your tea, i.e. 1 tea bag is usually equivalent to 1 serving of tea, and 1 teaspoon of loose leaf is equivalent to 1 serving of tea for most brands. You'll add 1 cup of water per tea bag and adjust the spices to preference.
- Sweetener - Reduce the amount of sugar to taste! Many readers reported preferring 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup of sugar. Start low and add sugar as needed. Make unsweetened chai concentrate by omitting the sweetener and adding it later or using a syrup. Readers have also reported successfully using blended Medjool dates to naturally sweeten their chai concentrate!
- Milk Options - Use your favorite milk or plant-based milk. Oat milk is the best vegan option for a chai latte. Sweetened condensed milk is also a great option for unsweetened chai concentrate.
- Decaf Options - You can use decaf assam tea or use rooibos which is naturally caffeine-free.
Storage Instructions
Store the chai concentrate in a pitcher with an airtight lid in the refrigerator for up to five days. To extend its shelf life, use 1 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of water.
It can can also be frozen for up to three months. To do this, pour the concentrate into ice cube molds and freeze for 5 hours. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. When you're ready to use it, you can melt the cubes in a microwave and add hot milk for a hot chai, or pour hot milk over the ice cubes for an iced chai.
Why is the Chai Concentrate Cloudy?
The tea may become cloudy after refrigeration. This is due to the caffeine and tannins that are released from the tea leaves at temperatures over 100°F. They eventually bond with each other when chilled. Water boils at 212°F, so this is pretty much unavoidable.
Not only that, but black tea has the highest amount of tannins. Historically, masala chai is made with low quality tea leaves (read more), which have high levels of tannin. The longer the tea is steeped, the higher the concentration of tannins which results in bitter, unpalatable tea.
The cloudy tea is completely fine to consume. But if you have time on your hands or like to prep things overnight, you can also steep 10 black tea bags in 5 cups of room temperature water for up to 8 hours. Simply infuse the water with spices beforehand, strain out the spices, and let the water cool. Then add the tea bags to steep.
You can also keep it in the sun for a partial day to have especially strong tea. This will result in clear black tea that is ready to be refrigerated or served over ice.
More Chai Recipes to try
Recipe
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Homemade Chai Concentrate
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1-inch knob ginger, peeled
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 star anise
- 5 cloves
- 4 dried edible roses, (optional, but delicious)
- 7 green cardamom pods
- 10 black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- 5 cups water
- 5 teaspoon loose leaf black tea, see notes*
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, or to preference
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle, crush the knob of ginger into chunks to release the juices and expose more surface area. Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, roses, cardamom pods, and black peppercorns into the mortar and use the pestle to lightly crush them so they release their oils. Lastly, use a microplane to grate a bit of nutmeg.
- Transfer all of the spices from the mortar to a medium sized pot. On medium heat, dry roast the spices for a minute, or until they're fragrant. Use a wooden spoon to stir them around every 10 seconds so they don't burn.
- Pour the water in with the spices and bring it to a light rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, or until fragrant.
- At this point, add in the black tea leaves and mix really well. Simmer the spices with the black tea for 5 minutes. Be careful not to boil it for too long, otherwise it will be very bitter.
- Remove the pot from heat and pour in the sugar. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Allow the spices and tea to steep in the hot water for at least 15 minutes. Then, strain the chai concentrate into a sanitized pitcher with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to five days.
- Use a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to milk. The concentrate can be served steamed, heated, or chilled.
Notes
- Substitute honey or brown sugar as a sweetener
- *Use 1 tea bag per teaspoon of tea leaves.
- The amount of spices for cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves, and nutmeg are based on high quality single-origin spices. They are especially potent and flavorful. Adjust the amount based on the quality of spices and personal preference.
- Substitute black tea with rooibos for a decaffeinated option.
Savanna says
I didn't technically make this exact recipe, because I'm waiting to go pick up some spices tomorrow, so I tried it out with some loose leaf spiced apple chai that I had and followed the amounts and times listed. It turned out great! I'll be trying it again with the recommended spices.
Toby says
I found your website when searching for a recipe for instant pot large quantity masala chai concentrate. Your recipe is not designed for the instant pot but I suppose it came up because I was googling large quantity. I think it's a very good recipe. Your recipe indicates that 10 cups of water will provide 10 servings, but when milk is added it will provide considerably more -- I'm guessing more like 20 if someone uses the 1:1 proportion suggested.. I like the chai heavily spiced so I will use the amounts you give for 10 cups with 8 cups of water with more emphasis on the spices I like the most [cinnamon and cardamom]. I add the sugar or sweetener at the same time as I heat the chai with milk. Did you know that in the notes where you give the equivalent of tea bags instead of loose tea when someone changes the amount the number in the notes section remains at 5? It would be better to indicate where you put the number of teaspoons of tea in the recipe that one tea bag per teaspoon would also work. Thank you for this website.
Shweta Garg says
Super interesting - please let me know how this works!! I think 8 cups makes sense since most of the water won’t evaporate.
Thank you for letting me know! I’ll let the developer of the plugin know because my expectation would be that it multiplies.
AJ says
I made your Chai recipe today and am in love! I can’t claim to be a Chai tea expert, but my taste buds rule me. I used everything on your list except for the tea, I used Darjeeling. I didn’t have rose petals, so I used a small amount of lavender buds and cut the sugar in half. I didn’t toast my spices because I got ahead of myself and overlooked that segment. I’ll do it next batch. I nuked a cup of lactose free milk, frothed it with my mini hand held, added a cup of your chai concentrate and will never buy Starbucks or the like again. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’ll be trying your other recipes in future.
Martha says
This recipe produces very weak masala chai, even at a concentrate to milk ratio closer to 4:1 than 1:1. However, I like the general idea of the recipe and the inclusion of black peppercorns.
My husband is Malayali and prefers his tea with much more cardamom and less sugar/milk. The last time I made this concentrate, I used 12 cardamom pods, 1 piece of cinnamon bark, 5 cloves, 10 black peppercorns, 1/2 piece of star anise, 7 decaf Tetley tea bags, and 3 T sugar. Then, maybe a 3:1 ratio of concentrate to milk. Next time I might up it to 15 cardamom pods. If using decaf tea, definitely increase the number of tea bags to 7 - I think 6 would have probably been ok if using regular black tea. I cut the tea bags open and stir the contents around - I think it helps bring out more flavor and my strainer is fine enough that it mostly strains the leaves out.
Shweta Garg says
To each their own, but this is NOT Masala Chai. This is Chai Concentrate. The way chai masala is made varies greatly across all households and that’s why this posts empowers you to adjust the ratios to your preference. Your comment shows me you don’t have a lot of understanding about the spices used in a masala chai across the Indian subcontinent and how it has translated into the chai concentrate we see in coffee shops today, which is what this recipe imitates. I’ve made this recipe a few dozen times and have loved it so enough to share it with the million people that view Masala and Chai each year, and evidently so have several other people giving it 5 stars!
Melissa says
I boil the spices and water in my instant pot for 10 minutes at high pressure…then add the tea and sugar, and leave turned off for 5 minutes. Remove tea, leave at room temperature to cool and add to my container and refrigerate. My teens are obsessed and drink it on their way to school every morning. Sometimes I add a vanilla bean to change things up a bit! Great recipe! Thanks!
Shweta Garg says
Wow! Awesome to know an Instant Pot method that works, thank you for sharing!
Kristen says
Have you ever tried to boil it down more so it becomes more concentrated with less volume? Like use half a cup of concentrate and then add half a cup of water and a cup of milk when preparing?
Otherwise love the recipe! I did add some fennel which was complimentary.
Shweta Garg says
Yep, somewhat similar to Chai Syrup with less sugar, but you run the risk of bitter tea if you're boiling it more. You're better off adding more tea leaves and spices if you'd like something more concentrated but it's hard to strike a balance.
Let me know if you try it though!
Mark S says
Oh happy day!
I love the Trader Joes chai concentrate, but the sugar load it comes with is out of this world. I've been trying to replicate it using stevia for a long time & have never gotten a decent result until now. The recipe above combined with masala tea from the local Indian grocery store & 1/2 tablespoon of stevia in place of sugar has resulted in 5x 4 oz servings of concentrate and is a thoroughly delightful alternative to TJs and Starbucks.
Josie says
How much water should I be using in this recipe?
Shweta Garg says
I’m confused by your question because it’s listed in the recipe ingredients. 1 cup of water per serving - this recipe is 5 servings.
Jennifer says
I look forward to making this soon. Do you have a favorite container to save it in? I don’t love the Tazo Tea Chai, but have been buying it for convenience and it splashes all over when I pour it! The Chai Box is a favorite, but I am looking forward to a more cost effective version 🙂
Shweta Garg says
Haha, feel that. I store it in something like this - https://amzn.to/3QbqnB1
Stacey says
I made your homemade Chai Spice. How much of that do I add to this recipe? (I am going to make this tonight and just at 5x what the Chai Spice says for making 2 cups of chai) Thanks for your suggestions!
Shweta Garg says
I use 1 teaspoon of chai spice per cup of water.
Alex says
Okay. I've used this recipe since beginning of March. I have only bought a chai twice in that rime and it does not compare!! I only now have to buy more ginger and star anise. Never going back! Thank you.
Shweta says
Heck yes! This is what I love to hear!! So glad you love!
Kathy says
I cannot seem to make my Masala. again without it becoming bitter? Any thoughts?? PS- I am not leaving the tea or spices in too long.
Shweta says
The only reason it would be bitter is by brewing low quality tea for too long or bad quality spices.
Rica says
Personally, its waaay too sweet for me. Half the sugar will do next time. Other than that, great flavour 🙂
Lindsey says
IF you would can this like seal it in a hot water bath would it stay longer? Just thinking about making for a friend to give a s a gift and wondered if you though if I canned/sealed it if it would last longer than the 5 days so I could get it to her?
Shweta says
Sorry, I’m not a canning expert! I’d assume that’s how brands are able to sell shelf stable chai concentrate along with preservatives, though.
Dayana King says
Silly question, if you do the overnight steeping method, once you dry roast the spices, would you boil the steeped tea for 8 to 10 minutes with the spices? Since you won't be boiling the water beforehand and adding the tea later?
Shweta says
Not a silly question at all!! You would dry roast the spices, boil them in the water, strain, let the water come to room temperature, and then steep the tea bags overnight.
Chuchu says
How long do you extend the life of the concentrate by adding citric acid?
Shweta says
Hi! This may be something you research in your own time - since it also requires proper canning procedures.
Crystal says
Never going back to st*rbucks for a Chai latte ever again. So much more flavor and *spiceeeee*
Shweta says
That's what I like to hear! Awesome 🙂
Robert says
Reminders me of afternoons in Mumby.
Guusje says
Can you replace the cinnamon stick(s) by cinnamon powder?
Shweta says
Yes, about a 1/4 teaspoon.
Ariana says
I had never made my own chai concentrate from scratch and I'm so glad I gave this recipe a try! I will never go back to buying it from the store ever again. This was so simple to make, and I especially loved the floral notes from the roses and cardamom!
Shweta says
NEVER. GO. BACK. Rose is not super common but I absolutely LOVE it paired with the cardamom as well! So glad you loved it!
Shirley Lopez says
I'm considering an unsweetened chai concentrate recipe for use at the church coffee bar. Can you tell me why the short shelf life? If it's just tea spices and water, what makes it go bad? Thanks!
Looks like a great recipe, by the way.
Shweta says
Bottled chai concentrates have preservatives and proper sanitization and bottling procedures that allow them a longer shelf life when unopened. Even then, they're only safe to consume 5-10 days after opening and require refrigeration. Homemade chai concentrate will be exposed to bacteria and refrigeration will only do so much to slow the growth. If I have a particularly large batch, I freeze it.