If you like the idea of making your own chai latte but don’t have time to brew whole spices every day, this super easy concentrate takes under 5 minutes to mix up, makes over 30 cups of delicious milky, spiced beverage, and lasts for up to 6 months in the fridge.
Simply measure, mix, then add to your cup of strong black tea (or coffee, if you prefer a ‘dirty chai latte’), and you’re away! We’ve also included a Chai Sugar recipe as well, in case you prefer a dairy-free alternative.
Note that traditionally, chai spice blends will vary from house to house depending on what the family members preferred. We’ve given you our preferred recipe, and have listed alternative/additional spices in the Notes for you to play around with of you like.
Chai Concentrate
Ingredients:
1 can (450g) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice pimento
1/4 tsp ground star anise
Method:
1. Mix it all together, and store in an airtight jar in the fridge where it will last for months and months.
2. Add 1-2tsp of concentrate to a cup of strongly brewed tea (black or rooibos is nicest) or coffee, and mix well.
Chai sugar
If you love chai spices and want to use them in things other than just tea & coffee, you can also make chai spiced sugar. Like with the concentrate, you can play around with spices and quantities to suit your tastes, but here’s our blend:
Ingredients:
375g sugar (white, caster, raw are best)
1.5 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground star anise
Method:
Mix all ingredients and store in an air-tight jar in the pantry.
Add to tea or coffee if you prefer a non-milky chai brew. Also delicious in biscuit mixtures (eg Swedish gingerbread) or sprinkled over cookie dough before baking (think Snickerdoodles), dusted over cakes, sprinkled on fruit bases before adding a crumble top and baking… you get the idea. It suits baked goods realllly well. 🙂
Notes:
- Chai spice blends vary, but will almost always include cinnamon, cardamon and clove. Other spices you may like to add include nutmeg, fennel, black pepper, ginger and if you really wanted something warming, you could even try a dash of dried red chilli.
- Freshly ground spices will give a more pungent flavour, but be sure to grind them finely.
- You will find the ground spices float in the concentrate, but sink in the sugar and tea. Stir your concentrate/sugar well before adding, and avoid draining the last sip of your cup as it’ll be full of gritty grounds.
Permaculture Principle 6: Produce no waste; 9: Use small & slow solutions
