Chai first came into my life on a rainy afternoon. One of my dearest friends made chai in a small saucepan with freshly grated ginger and a fragrant menagerie of spices. I sipped, and I knew I had fallen in love.
I am a big chai fan. Hot or cold, it makes no difference - just give me a good, spicy brew and I am content. When the warmer weather comes around I gravitate towards the iced, milky versions. I’m talking about a latte.
Chai lattes are pretty elementary. We need a strong brew of tea - lightly sweetened, and milk. (Yes, of course it’s whole milk, we don’t do skinny versions around here.) But, as with all simple things it is important to get each part of the equation just right.
I decided to come up with an at-home iced chai latte recipe a while ago because, I was simply tired of shelling out $4 every time the craving called (which is exactly 12 times a week).
I would like to say that this recipe makes the “perfect” chai latte, because to me, it does. But, as a perfectionist, I have been forced to realize that there can be several versions of perfection and so, we shall call this the Pretty Darn Good Iced Chai Latte.
This latte will be close by my side throughout the coming summer. I want it to be by yours too. Chai it! I had to...
Sincerely,
Pedantic Foodie
Pretty Darn Good Iced Chai Latte
makes 3 lattes
- 2 bags chai tea of your choice, I like Trader Joe’s Spiced Chai
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- whole milk
- ice
Bring water to a boil in a kettle or a small saucepan. Pour boiling water over tea bags and sugar in a large measuring cup or pitcher. Allow the tea to steep for 15-20 minutes.
When the tea is finished steeping, remove tea bags and refrigerate the tea until cool.
To serve, fill glass to the rim with ice and add 1/2 cup prepared chai tea. Top with milk, stir and enjoy!
Tip: I like to keep the brewed chai “concentrate” in the fridge so I can make a quick drink as I am walking out the door.