If you are like me, you can probably down a cup of black coffee pod coffee, but your soul yearns for that special something else that comes along with a handcrafted espresso beverage from your favorite café. Make this dirty chai latte from the comfort of your home in 10 minutes!
Well grab your favorite mug, put on some coffee shop sounds (there are websites entirely devoted to recreating the background noise!) and prepare to get fulfill your coffee dreams from the comfort of your PJs! This dirty chai latte recipe tastes great even as an iced dirty chai! I love dirty chai lattes because they combine two of my favorite drinks – a chai latte, and a café latte. Chai is sweet, spicy, and lightly caffeinated with black tea. It also gets frothed milk and a shot of espresso.
Why You'll Love This Dirty Chai Latte
- Wake Up Call – Both espresso and chai tea contain caffeine, so combining the two gives you an extra boost!
- Café Quality – Get that cozy café feeling right in the comfort of your home in just 10 minutes!
Ingredients for Dirty Chai Latte
- Espresso – A dirty chai calls for one shot of espresso. If you do not have an espresso machine, you can use instant espresso, or you can substitute ¼ cup of strong brewed coffee. Keep in mind that lighter roasts tend to have more caffeine, while darker roasts have a bolder taste. You can also use decaf if you want the flavor without the buzz.
- Boiling Water – You will need a little water to make your chai tea. Tea bags do not steep properly without water, so don’t try steeping them directly in the milk. Instead, use less water, or milk with more fat content if you want a creamier beverage. You can add up to a cup boiling water if you want a ilder version.
- Chai Tea – When making something into a concentrate, it should be twice as strong as how it will be consumed, so for your chai latte, you will need 2 tea bags per serving.
- Sweetener – You can sweeten your dirty chai however you like. Stevia, sugar, honey, and maple syrup are all great options. I recommend 2-3 tsp, but don’t skip out on the sweetener altogether, or your drink will be unpleasantly bitter and the chai flavors will be understated.
- Milk – This drink will work with any sort of milk. Dairy milk or half and half will both result in a pleasantly creamy beverage. If you are looking for a nondairy option, oat milk is your best bet to replace dairy, but almond, soy, and coconut will work as well. Walnut milk is also a really fun pick if you can find it!
How To Make It
- Steep 2 chai tea bags in 6 ounces of boiling water. Approx. 2-3 minutes.
- Brew espresso into a large coffee cup.
- When the tea has steeped to make a concentrated tea, mix the espresso, tea and sweetener together in your coffee cup.
- Froth the milk or half and half to make a soft foam and top drink , giving it a gentle swirl. Frothing isn’t required; milk can be poured directly into cup. Enjoy warm or iced.
Step by Step Instructions
First, brew your chai tea concentrate. To make your chai concentrate, pour 6 ounces of boiling water over 2 chai tea bags, and leave them to steep for 3 minutes. Do not leave your teabags in for too long, or the concentrate will become bitter. If you prefer your chai to be stronger, simply add an extra teabag.
Next, pull your shot of espresso. You can either use an espresso machine, mix instant espresso, or simply brew ¼ cup of strong coffee.
Remove your teabags, and mix your tea and espresso together. Stir in your sweetener until it is completely dissolved.
Finally, add your milk. You can pour warm milk directly into the cup, or for a more authentic feel, froth the milk with a frother or steam wand. If you don’t have access to either pieces of equipment, you can try a few other methods to aerate your milk. You can try shaking it in a closed mason jar, whisking it by hand or with electric beaters, using a French press, or simply blending your milk in a blender on medium speed until it reaches your desired level of foam.
Assemble your drink, and enjoy! This is much more affordable than your Starbucks dirty chai with that added shot espresso!
Cook's Tips
- If you want to enjoy your dirty chai latte as an iced beverage, simply steep your tea and add your espresso, then add your sweetener of choice to the hot liquid. Pour your beverage over ice and add milk.
- You can double or triple your recipe, if you want to plan ahead. Store your dirty chai in a glass jar or pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Milk or cream froths best when already warmed. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon for extra flavor.
FAQ:
A dirty chai is a nickname for a chai latte with a shot of espresso added. It starts with a sweetened chai tea concentrate, then espresso, and gets finished with steamed milk. it's a wonderful burst of flavors of masala chai and chai spices that becomes a wonderful tea latte. You won't need to order it from a coffee shop any longer with this homemade chai latte.
If you are a purist for tea, it may sound strange to add coffee, but for some reason, these two beverages blend perfectly together. The taste is essentially a sweet, cinnamon and spice latte.
Yes. A dirty chai is a decently caffeinated beverage. The average dirty chai will clock in around 140-160 mg of caffeine. To get your exact caffeine content, check your box of chai, as well as your tin of espresso.
Looking for more delicious drinks and dessert recipes? Try these
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Dirty Chai Latte
Ingredients
- 1 shot Espresso or ¼ cup Strong Brewed Coffee
- 6 oz Boiling Water
- 2 Chai Spice Tea Bags
- 2-3 tsp Sweetener of Choice stevia, sugar, honey, maple syrup
- ⅓ Milk or Half & Half warmed
Instructions
- teep 2 chai tea bags in 6 ounces of boiling water. Approx. 2-3 minutes.
- Brew espresso into a large coffee cup.
- When the tea has steeped to make a concentrated tea, mix the espresso, tea and sweetener together in your coffee cup.
- Froth the milk or half and half to make a soft foam and top drink , giving it a gentle swirl. Frothing isn’t necessary, milk can be poured directly into cup. Enjoy warm or iced.
Notes
-May use decaf coffee/espresso
-May use any milk or cream of choice such as soy milk, nut milk, oat milk, etc.
-Recipe may be iced as well. Simply dissolve sugar or sweetener in the tea and espresso then cool down and pour over ice. Finish with milk and enjoy.
- Can be doubled or tripled and prepped ahead of time. Keep in fridge for up to 4 days, in a glass jar or pitcher.
- Milk or cream froths best when warm and a pinch of cinnamon can be added for extra flavor.
- You can use a hand held frother, shake in a mason jar, use a whisk, electric beaters, blender or French press to froth milk without a fancy milk frother.
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