I’m a tea girl. This wasn’t always the case, but now tea’s my jam all the way. One of my favorites is chai. You can find chai in most coffee shops these days, however usually it’s overly sweet for my palate. I finally learned how to make my own so that I can have it just the way I like it, using just a touch of honey as a light sweetener.

I love that chai is just black tea with milk and warming spices that are full of health benefits. In this recipe I use, anise, cardamom, black peppercorns, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon sticks, fennel, and fresh ginger.

A few of the health benefits of chai include:

anti-inflammatory benefits from the clove, and ginger
anti-nausea benefits from the ginger
aids digestion from the black pepper, cardamom, fennel, ginger and clove
black tea is high in polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants

This recipe calls for making a batch of tea, then heating separately with milk, and blending with a touch of coconut butter for a rich, frothy, latte that tastes delicious.

I love chai full of spice, and I think this recipe hits all the spice points I’m looking for. However, feel free to play around with the spices and add more or less, or completely omit one if it’s not your thing. That’s what is so nice about making something at home specifically for you.

Recipe: Homemade Chai

Chai Latte

Makes 1 serving

3/4 cup Homemade Chai (see recipe below)

1/2 cup almond or other nut milk (I like to make my own or get the unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk from Three Trees)

1 teaspoon coconut butter (optional)

1/2 teaspoon honey (or to taste)

Combine the homemade chai and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Pour into an upright blender, add the coconut butter if using, and blend until foamy. Pour into a mug and add honey to taste. Serve immediately.

Homemade Chai (this makes enough for about 4 servings)

8 whole star anise

2 tablespoons whole cardamom pods

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 cinnamon sticks

One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

4 cups filtered water

6 tablespoons loose leaf black tea (or 6 tea bags)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

With a mortar and pestle gently crush the star anise, cardamom, fennel, cloves, and black peppercorns. Add these spices, along with the nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and ginger to the water in a small pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the tea and vanilla. Cover again and let steep for another 10 minutes. Strain into a jar, pressing on the spices to extract as much liquid as possible. Use in the Chai Latte recipe above or drink with warm or cold nut milk as desired. Allow the homemade chai to cool completely before storing in the fridge for up to two weeks.