Best Chai Tea
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Oct 1, 2025 
This homemade Best Chai Latte recipe is rich and simple, based on the authentic chai you find in India, with tons of spice and a creamy and sweet touch!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
What we in America think of as chai tea, or a chai tea latte, is a far cry from what is traditionally served in the rest of the world. An authentic Easy Chai Tea recipe is made with thick buffalo milk, considerably too much sugar, black tea, and cardamom pods.
Served in scant shot glasses from dawn until way past dusk, this beverage is EVERYWHERE you look in India. This homemade chai tea recipe is easy to make and tastes just like the chai you can get in India. You might not have these ingredients on hand normally, but they are worth getting for whenever you are craving a cup of hot chai!
Why You’ll Love This Chai Tea Recipe
- Make-ahead friendly – This make-ahead chai is great to keep on hand, too. You don’t have to buy the boxed stuff anymore!
- Bold Indian flavors – From cardamon to cinnamon, every sip of this rich chai tea is loaded with bold notes of Indian flavors.
- Cozy and comforting – This warm and spice-filled chai is the perfect comfort drink.
It’s been many years since I last visited India. Yet I’ll never forget sitting in open-air chai shops drinking creamy, ultra-sweet chai with friends.
Ingredients and Tips
- Water – The base of the recipe. Use plenty of water, then let it simmer down into strong condensed tea.
- Star anise – For bold licorice flavor that packs a punch.
- Cinnamon – Use whole sticks, so they can be easily removed.
- Green Cardamom pods – Green cardamoms are the best to use here
- Black tea bags – Or you can use loose-leaf black tea
- Half & half – Or whole milk.
- Sugar – To make it sweet, of course!
- Garnishes – I love to use garnishes like cinnamon sticks and whole cloves of star anise.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Vanilla – Stir in a dash of vanilla extract for a boost of sweetness.
- Iced – Serve over ice with cold milk for a refreshing version of this chai tea.
- Vegan – Swap the half and half with oat milk, cashew milk, coconut milk or almond milk.
- Sugar-free – Replace the sugar with honey, maple syrup or use alternative sweeteners such as coconut sugar or date sugar. I would not recommend sweetener products such as stevia that will drastically change the chai flavor profile.
- Extra spice – For a slightly stronger spiced flavor, gently crush the whole spices using a mortar and pestle!
How To Make Homemade Chai Tea
Find the full Best Chai Tea recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Keep chai tea in an airtight container in the fridge, and leave the spices in the chai until ready to serve. The longer they sit in the tea, the bolder the flavor will be. You can refrigerate this chai for up to 10 days if you have any chai leftover!
Serving Suggestions
This delicious and rich chai tea pairs really well with my Easy Cinnamon Biscuits or these Walnut Cherry Scones for an afternoon treat.
You can also start the day with this chai tea, along with eggs, bacon and a side of my Roti recipe for an Indian inspired breakfast.
Best Chai Tea Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 4 cardamom pods, cracked
- 4-5 black tea bags, or 1/4 cup loose black tea
- 2 cups half & half, or whole milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Press the cardamom pods until they crack. Bring the water, tea, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom to a boil.
- Boil for 8-10 minutes, until the tea is black and has reduced to about 2 cups. Strain and add the sugar. Add the half & half and stir until hot.
- Place the used cardamom pods in the bottom of the cups for good friends.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, this recipe is actually masala chai. Masala means “spiced” chai which is black tea with whole spices that add extra flavor and make this tea very comforting. Some masala chai recipes include fresh ginger, so feel free to throw a little in!
Any black tea would work, but I recommend using something strong like darjeeling tea or assam tea!
Yes! The word “chai” means tea in many different languages, with origins in India. So when we say “chai tea” it is redundant, but that is how it has become known here in the US!
Yes! Each cup of this tea could have up to 25 mg of caffeine in it, similar to basic black tea caffeine count.
Chai isn’t meant to be low carb or low sugar. It is meant to be strong, sweet, silky, and packed with spice! If you want your chai recipe to taste authentic, use the half & half and plenty of sugar.
Thanks for the recipe! But why was the sentence — “a friend who spoke English well” necessary?
My Daughter and I went to a very authentic Indian Market in Kansas City today. A very nice Indian gentlemen hooked us up with his recipe. Except it is very different from the chai that I teach to my students in culinary school. At the school we use milk black tea cinnamon cardamom pods ginger clove and star of anise. This guy sold us Hibiscus chamomile Indian Sage cinnamon and anise seed. My question is, is this to make the tea also? Please advise.
Chef Michael
Hi Michael, I’ve never heard of (or tasted) that version, but India is an extremely diverse country with varied culinary styles throughout. Maybe that is a popular blend in a different India state. Sounds good!
This is a yummy recipe, I have been obsessed with Chai and drinking it everyday for the past few weeks!
I just ordered this amazing chai blend on etsy and hight recommend it!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/263470098/medicinal-masala-chai-blend
Born in India to American parents, we enjoyed Indian tea at our table every day. I’ve never used star anise but will certainly give it a whirl. I love this drink and readily share the recipe I grew up drinking with others. In India you can get variations of the same drink with little tweaks to change the flavor. Frankly I’ve never really liked it with ginger. Instead of star anise we use cloves which have much the same intensity. Thanks for sharing. Oh, and the milk used makes a HUGE difference, doesn’t it? ;-) Skim or light % milk doesn’t cut it, buffalo is best but a rich whole or half and half will work well. Nice to meet a true chai lover!
We were in India last summer. We rode a train from Jaipur to Mumbai. The chai tea man would go down the corridor and call “Chai Chai Chai”. It was served out of a tin container into a paper cup. Maybe I was really thirsty or hungry but it was the most amazing drink. I am making chai right now as I remember that I purchased spices and I discovered a whole bag of cardamom. It smells divine in my kitchen. My boys are waiting for a cup of this delicious tea.
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I will be trying this recipe out tonight. Looks delicious.
I just attended the birthday party of my daughter’s friend who is Indian and was introduced to Indian chai…this recipe is almost exactly what I had at the party, but I too suggest letting the spices steep for longer for a more robust taste. Delicious!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Such a lovely thing to make and share with friends. They love it… :)
Keep the recipes comingAa
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There are something like 4000 languages spoken in India, and almost as many ways to make chai. When I was there, the family I lived with taught me to make it with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Sometimes I leave out the black tea, if I want to drink it after six pm.
Instead of leaving out the black tea cause it’s close to bedtime and it would be difficult to get to sleep as it is a stimulent, you can perhaps make it with chamomile tea. It helps you sleep.
This is off the topic of chai tea, but could you please tell me where you purchased the cups in the picture? I would love to have smaller tea/coffee cups.
Hi Hyde, I think they came from Home Goods a few years back. I’m not sure if they still have anything like that.
Thank you, at any rate.