Copycat Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Recipe - Bites With Bri

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Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Recipe (Copycat)

By Brianna May

on Jul 27, 2021, Updated May 18, 2022

5 from 247 votesSavePinShareJump to Recipe

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This Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Recipe is my favorite afternoon pick-me-up. It only takes a few minutes to make and is the perfect combination of a sweet treat and a caffeine boost. Top it with whipped cream and extra cinnamon or enjoy it as is, either way, it is delicious.

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Making chai lattes at home is going to save you money and it will probably taste better than your local coffee shop. Try my Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte for fall.

If you love a good Starbucks copycat recipe, try my Iced White Chocolate Mocha or Sweet Cream Cold Foam.

What is a Chai Latte Made of?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
How to Make a Starbucks Chai Latte
Chai Concentrate Options
Expert Tips
Additions & Variations
Recipe FAQs
More Drink Recipes
Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Recipe

What is a Chai Latte Made of?

A chai latte is typically equal parts chai tea and milk. It is sometimes topped with whipped cream. This beverage can be frothed and served warm or cold. The tea is made by either steeping bags of chai in water or you can steep black tea in water (or use black tea concentrate) and add the chai spice blend of cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorns, ginger, star anise, fennel, and nutmeg.

Fun fact: the word chai is actually the Hindi word for tea. So when you say chai tea latte, you are essentially saying “tea tea latte”.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Hot or cold – This recipe will show you how to make your latte hot or over ice.
Easy – You only need a couple of simple ingredients.
Customizable – Use regular milk or dairy-free, like almond milk or coconut milk, for this recipe. Create your perfect drink!
Quick – You can make a homemade version of a chai concentrate or use store-bought for a faster option.
Low Caffeine – Chai has less caffeine compared to coffee.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

overhead of ingredients needed for Starbucks chai tea latte

Chai Concentrate: If you are using a store-bought concentrate other than the Tazo brand or the ones mentioned above, be sure to check the concentrate to milk ratio. Some do not call for a 1:1 ratio. Follow the ratio on the packaging.
Milk: Any unsweetened milk or non-dairy milk, like almond, coconut, or oat milk, will work.
Honey: The Starbucks chai concentrate contains honey. So to make this a true copycat Starbucks chai tea latte, I like to sweeten my unsweetened concentrate with honey. If you are using a sweetened concentrate, you will probably not need any more sweetener.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.

How to Make a Starbucks Chai Latte

Quick Overview

Combine the concentrate and milk.
Serve over ice or hot.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Combine hot or chilled chai concentrate with hot or cold milk.

Step 2: Serve over ice or hot with whipped cream and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top.

steps 1 & 2 milking being poured into concentrate chai poured over ice

TIP – Use hot milk and concentrate for a hot latte and cold for a copycat Starbucks iced chai latte.

Chai Concentrate Options

1. Chai Concentrate from Tea Bags

This is my favorite method because chai tea bags are easy to find and have a long shelf life. You can also use as much (or as little) of any sweetener of choice or make a sugar-free chai latte. You can easily whip up a small or large batch of the concentrate and you only need 2 ingredients, tea bags and water. I steep 2 tea bags in about 1/2 cup of boiling water for about 8 minutes. Sweeten with honey, sugar, brown sugar, stevia, monk fruit, Splenda, etc.

Chai concentrate to milk ratio: 1:1

tea bags steeping in pot with boiling water

2. Tazo Chai Concentrate (Starbucks brand)

Tazo is a very popular tea brand owned by Starbucks. You can find their products in most grocery stores. This is the tea that Starbucks uses for its tea lattes and other beverages.

Starbucks uses a special (and more concentrated) version of the Tazo Chai Concentrate that is not sold commercially. The Tazo Classic Chai Concentrate is already sweetened and I find it to be a little too sweet. They also have a skinny version that I have not tried (perfect for making a skinny chai tea latte like Starbucks). It has less sugar so it might not taste as sweet.

Chai to milk ratio: 1:1

3. Homemade Chai Concentrate

I have never made chai concentrate from scratch. It is a combination of black tea bags and spices, like cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, etc. These recipes are very highly rated and the ones I recommend if you want to make your own chai.

Homemade Chai Concentrate Recipe by Sweet Steep (1:1 Ratio) Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate by Gimme Some Oven (1:1 Ratio)

4. Best Store Bought Chai Concentrate

I have tried the concentrate by Tazo and Trader Joe’s. Unfortunately, they are both already sweetened and too sweet for me. This is why I typically make my own concentrate from tea bags. This article ranks and reviews some popular brands if you are looking to find the best store-bought option.

Oregon Chai makes a sugar-free chai concentrate that has great reviews on Amazon. The Tazo Skinny and Tazo Classic concentrates are also very popular.

Expert Tips

For an iced latte, chill the concentrate. You want the concentrate to have time to chill. I recommend making it at least one day in advance. It will last for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Serve over ice cubes.
For a hot latte, froth and warm the milk. Be sure to froth the milk or warm it in a small saucepan (or in the microwave). I also recommend warming up the concentrate for about 30 seconds in the microwave for a hot drink. This preparation is similar to a masala chai.

Additions & Variations

Pumpkin Spice: Add 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin puree and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice to the milk to make a pumpkin chai latte. You can also add Homemade Pumpkin Cream to your chai tea latte.
Matcha: Whisk in 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of matcha powder into the concentrate.
Low Carb: Use method 1 to make the concentrate or buy the sugar-free chai concentrate mentioned above. Use any low-carb milk (like almond or coconut) and keto sweetener, like monk fruit.
Dirty Chai (Coffee): Add 1 shot of espresso or strongly brewed coffee to the latte.
Vanilla: Add a splash of vanilla extract to the concentrate or a pump of vanilla syrup.
Cold Foam: Top your iced chai tea latte with Homemade Cold Foam.
Brown Sugar: Add a splash of my Brown Sugar Syrup.

iced chai latte with whipped cream and cinnamon on top

Recipe FAQs

Do chai lattes have caffeine in them?

Yes. The standard 16-ounce (grande) chai latte from Starbucks has 95 mg.

How much sugar is in a chai tea latte?

It depends on how it is ordered or the amount of sugar added. I like to add about 1-2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup.

Are Starbucks chai lattes dairy free?

A standard chai latte drink at Starbucks is made with 2% milk. However, you can easily request almond, soy, coconut, or oat milk, which are all dairy free. The chai concentrate is dairy free.

Are chai lattes vegan?

Not always, but they can be made vegan. Be sure to use dairy-free milk and a sweetener other than honey.

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Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Recipe

Brianna May 5 from 247 votes This Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Recipe is my favorite afternoon pick-me-up. It only takes a few minutes to make and is the perfect combination of a sweet treat and a caffeine boost. Top it with whipped cream and extra cinnamon or enjoy it as is, either way it is delicious. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 2 minutes Total Time: 12 minutes Servings: 1 latte

Equipment

Frother
Nonstick pan/pot

Ingredients

▢ 1/2 cup chai concentrate see Chai Concentrate Options section above*
▢ 1/2 cup milk*
▢ honey, simple/maple/brown sugar syrup, or sugar, to taste*

Optional Garnish

▢ whipped cream
▢ cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
Combine hot or chilled chai concentrate with hot or cold milk.
Serve over ice or hot with whipped cream and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Notes

Chai Concentrate: See the Chai Concentrate section above for different methods for making your own and store bought options for chai concentrate. If you are using a store bought concentrate other than the Tazo brand or the ones mentioned above, be sure to check the concentrate to milk ratio. Some do not call for a 1:1 ratio. Follow the ratio on the packaging. Milk: Any unsweetened milk or non-dairy milk, like almond, coconut, or oat milk, will work. Honey: The Starbucks chai concentrate contains honey. So to make this a true copycat Starbucks chai tea latte, I like to sweeten my unsweetened concentrate with honey. If you are using a sweetened concentrate, you will probably not need any more sweetener. Save this recipe!Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!Email *Save

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 247 votes (239 ratings without comment)

10 Comments

Your article was so awesome Thank you for sharing it. You’ve made a read in this person!
Reply
1. Yay!! SO happy to hear this.
  Reply
I love the Starbucks chai tea latte! so its so great to have copycat recipe to use!!
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Oh, so good! Thanks for sharing this easy recipe!
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Oh, wow, looks amazing. Now I wish one 🙂 Love how you included all the recipe variations. I will try them ALL!
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I love this! I have tazo tea bags on hand already, and I love the idea of making concentrate from them! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Reply
love this starbies copy cat! it’s actually better!
Reply
Oh my word! I need this in my life.
Reply
This was so easy to throw together so I could get my chai fix!
Reply
I love the flavors of chai! Now I know it is so easy to make at home!
Reply

Welcome, I'm Bri!

As a passionate recipe developer and avid home cook, my goal is to empower you to embrace cooking as a joy, not just a task. I love crafting boldly flavored dishes and putting unique spins on classics that anyone can enjoy. Flavor always comes first in my kitchen. Dive into my collection of easy, family-friendly, and well-seasoned savory recipes that are guaranteed to leave you wanting seconds. These are the kind of simple yet unforgettable recipes that will keep you eager to cook at home.

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