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Photo of a hand cupping a white mug filled with a Dirty Chai Latte.

Dirty Chai Latte

Cindy
The Dirty Chai Latte is a drink that's gained popularity over the years. This Dirty Chai Latte Starbucks copycat recipe is vegan, simple to make using whole spices, and delicious. Plus, it costs a fraction of the price when it's homemade.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Drink Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 134 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups nondairy milk
  • 2 bags of black tea
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 whole cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 2-3 star anise
  • 4 peppercorns
  • 2-3 slices ginger
  • 1-2 T maple syrup
  • 1 shot espresso or strong brewed coffee

Instructions
 

  • First crush the cardamom pods, cloves, star anise, and, peppercorns. Place the crushed spices in a small pot with 2 cups of water, ginger, cinnamon sticks and, black tea.
    Top view photo of cardamom pods, cloves, star anise, peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon, and black tea, in a small silver saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil and turn the heat off. Immediately take out the black tea bags because they can get bitter. Let stand for at least 20 minutes for several hours.
  • Pour the mixture through a strainer to separate the grounds from the chai.
    Top view photo of dirty chai mixture being poured through a wire mesh strainer, to remove and large spices.
  • Assemble the iced chai latte: Place a few ice cubes in a glass then add ½ cup of the chai mixture together with ½ cup of vegetable milk, a shot of espresso, and one tablespoon of maple syrup. Stir to combine adding more maple syrup or milk, if desired.
    Photo of a white mug filled with a Dirty Chai Latte. There are small bowls with cardamom pods, star anise, and black tea around the mug.

Notes

  • The best ratio for a dirty chai latte is 1 shot espresso to ½ cup chai tea to ½ cup milk and 1 tablespoon sweetener. Feel free to adjust this to your taste. 
  • Dirty chai can be enjoyed hot or cold. For a hot latte, warm the tea mixture in the microwave or on the stove, and add hot milk. 
  • A mortar and pestle do a great job of crushing whole spices for this recipe. You can also put the spices in a bag and crush them with a heavy object. 
  • Store leftovers, without adding the milk, in an airtight container (I suggest a glass jar) in the fridge for up to a week. When you're ready, add the milk and espresso and enjoy hot or iced. Or make chai tea ice cubes with any leftovers. These can be added to cold brew coffee to add lots of sweet, spicy flavor.
    • Keyword dirty chai latte