A delicious and easy masala chai recipe made with whole spices, tea leaves and milk. This masala chai recipe is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. It’s spicy, comforting, naturally sweetened, and made in just 1 pot with minimal ingredients! Not freezer friendly.
The spices vary depending on the recipe, but my favorite combination is cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger. Slightly crushing the spices opens them up more and makes for a stronger infusion, packing more of a punch with fewer ingredients and less cost. 😊
It’s the perfect drink to enjoy cuddled up with a blanket and a good book. Or make a big batch and reheat on the stovetop or in a milk frother on busier days. I hope you’ll love this spicy, comforting masala chai.
Ingredients
- 1 whole Cinnamon stick
- 3-4 green Cardamom pods
- 3-4 whole Cloves
- 2 ½ cups Water
- 2 tbsps. grated Ginger (for less intense ginger flavor, slice instead of grating)
- 3 tbsps. loose leaf black Tea (or ~3-4 black tea bags)
- 2 cups Milk
- Sweetener such as stevia, organic cane sugar, demerara sugar or maple syrup, to taste
Method
- To a medium saucepan add spices such as cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves, water, and grated (or sliced) ginger and bring to a boil over high heat. For a less gingery chai, reduce amount of ginger and slice rather than grate. Then reduce heat slightly to medium/medium-low and maintain a simmer for 15 minutes or until it reduces by about one-third.
- Add tea (loose leaf or bags) and milk of your choice and lower heat to low. Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to mix. Then turn off heat and let steep for 5 minutes more (covered) or longer for deeper flavor.
- Add sweetener of choice to taste (we prefer maple syrup, but sugar is more traditional). Strain through a fine mesh strainer before serving.
- Keep strained, cooled leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in a milk frother.
- Serve masala chai with biscuits or other savouries.
