In college, I had a chai-a-day habit. In fact, I used to swipe a handful of quarters from my dad’s coin jar (sorry, Dad!) on my way out the door to class to treat myself to a chai at a local coffee shop. There’s something magical about the creaminess of the milk balanced with the subtle sweetness and spice. Swoon.
These days though? I don’t steal from my dad’s coin jar anymore (promise). Nor do I enjoy chai lattes as often, mostly because I try to avoid caffeine. This mix is my answer to that problem. Plus, just 6 ingredients and 5 minutes are required!
This mix is made up of some of my favorite spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, and cloves! After much testing of different ratios, this is the perfect blend (in my humble opinion) to create a dreamy chai latte.
What is Masala Chai?
Masala chai is a creamy, spiced tea that’s most popular in India but is increasingly enjoyed around the world. The primary difference between chai and masala chai is that masala chai includes spices, while chai is simply tea and milk.
Chai is typically made with four components:
- Black tea (we prefer bagged or loose-leaf, decaf when possible)
- Milk (we went dairy-free with coconut and/or cashew )
- Sweetener (we went for a little maple syrup)
- Spices (ginger, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, black pepper)
The spices vary depending on the recipe, but our favorite combination is cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
For a more authentic recipe and to learn more about this delicious Indian tea, see this video from Bhavna’s Kitchen.
Once added to a jar, simply shake or stir to combine. It will keep up to 3 months in your spice cabinet, but if you love chai like me, it won’t last that long by a long shot.
Check out the recipe below for tips on how to make hot and cold chai lattes, as well as other applications for this spice blend!
We hope you LOVE this chai mix! It’s:
Spicy
Warming
Well-balanced
Comforting
& So easy to make
This mix makes the perfect chai latte when cravings strike! Because it’s caffeine-free, it’s suitable for any time of day. But if you want to add some tea, simply cut the amount of dairy-free milk in half and sub that with strong brewed black tea. Sweeten to taste and you’re golden. Pro tip? Add your chai spice mix, sweetener, and warmed milk to a blender to achieve a frothy, hot latte. Swoon!
If you’re into warming beverages, also be sure to check out our Best Vegan Matcha Latte, 3-Ingredient Turmeric Tonic, Feel Good Vegan Hot Chocolate, Vegan White Hot Chocolate, and 5-Minute Vegan Golden Milk (which also has its own Golden Milk Mix now!)!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
5-Minute Caffeine-Free Chai Mix
Ingredients
MIX
- 4 Tbsp ground cinnamon (cassia is best)
- 3 Tbsp ground ginger
- 4 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 Tbsp ground black pepper (reduce by half for less spice)
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp ground cloves
FOR SERVING optional
- 1-1 1/2 tsp chai mix
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener to taste)
- 1 cup Homemade coconut or almond milk* (or store-bought)
Instructions
- To make mix, add all spices to a small jar and shake or stir thoroughly to combine. Will keep at room temperature up to 3 months. Or you can store it in the refrigerator if you prefer. Double the recipe if you intend to use it daily (it goes fast!).
- To make a HOT chai latte, add suggested amount of Chai Mix, sweetener of choice, and 2 tsp water to a mug (or small blender). Use a spoon to mix spices into water (or skip this step if blending). Then add warmed dairy-free milk of choice to your mug (or blender) and stir (or blend) to combine. The spice mix can settle to the bottom, but blending really helps! Keep a spoon handy to give it a stir when drinking if the spices need to be dispersed.
- To make an ICED chai latte, add suggested amount of Chai Mix, sweetener of choice, and 2 tsp water to a serving glass. Use a spoon to mix into a loose paste (you want as few clumps as possible). Then add several big ice cubes and top with dairy-free milk of choice. Stir to combine.
- In addition to being used to make chai lattes, we also think it would make a delicious spice mix for cookies, vegetables, smoothies, and more!
Video
Notes
*Recipe (as written) makes ~2/3 cup chai mix.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated for 1 chai latte with unsweetened coconut milk and suggested amount of sweetener.
Pam says
Is there a substitute for cardamom?
Hi Pam, cardamom is key for a classic chai flavor! You could use more of the other spices, especially cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper, but it won’t have a classic chai flavor.
pam says
i make 64oz of cold chai tea [no milk] by sun brewing 4 “stash” double chai tea bags, refrigerating then add milk. How can i use this recipe to do the same?
should I , boil water with spices, then add black/green tea bags steep till cool and then refrigerate?
Do yo think this will work ? what about all the spices ? should i leave in “tea” or strain.
buying stash dbl chai is getting expensive :)
Hi Pam, For something similar, we’d suggest adding the spices to a reusable muslin cloth tea bag along with black tea and brewing just like you do the Stash tea bags. Hope that helps!
pam says
thanks , ill give that a try!!!
Catherine Moore says
Fabulous!! Been trying various authentic chai lattes and wanted to keep the calories and fat down. This was great! The prepared and ready dry mix is great. I used oat milk and 1 Tbsp brown sugar to sweeten. I wasn’t looking for tea-free, not caffeinated but it turned out to be the milky goodness flavor I was wanting. Yumm!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Catherine. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
susan says
It’s a great Chai mix! I was recently turned on to Chai but I don’t use caffeine, so this was an excellent recipe. I use a mini whisk to stir it up in my mug to save dishes & time. Thank you for created this !
That’s a great idea, Susan! Thank you for sharing! xo
Lisa Flack says
I have tried several different spiced chai tea recipes. They all seem to have ground cloves in them. I use my food processor to blend all ingredients into a fine powder. However every recipe I have made, I end up with bits of the clove spice near the end of my drink and at the bottom. It makes me cough as I drink and it and frankly is a big turn off to the drink.
The clove spice obviously doesn’t dissolve. Do I absolutely have to include it? How much will it change the taste if I don’t?
Hi Lisa! You don’t have to include it if you don’t like it! It will be slightly less spiced, but still delicious!
Jane says
I am curious why you recommend cassia instead of Ceylon? Also, the calories per portion seems high, but I guess it would depend on your milk choice. I think this sounds really good. One more thing, I find the ads on your site maddening because they make the page jump all around making one have to scroll over and over to read a recipe. Thanks.
Hi Jane, we found the flavor of cassia cinnamon to be preferable here! Regarding the ads, thank you for your honest feedback and sorry for any inconvenience. We always try to optimize for user experience, while also having ads to keep the content free and high quality. That being said, it shouldn’t be jumping around. Have you tried accessing it on a different device? It could be a computer memory issue.
Chai Delight says
Love this! It’s my go to recipe for chai year after year! Thank you! This is so yummy in tea, coffee, and oatmeal.
Last year, I gave my daughter a ‘Chai-making kit’ for Christmas with all of these spices in a nice basket with a beautiful mug and this recipe. She was absolutely delighted because she loves Chai, too! (Hmm, wonder where she got that from. lol)
Great idea! We are so glad you enjoy it! xo
Sarah Nelson says
Where do you recommend buying spices? Do you have a specific ground cardamom? Amazon has a ‘green cardamom powder’, but I’m not sure if it’s the same thing.
Hi Sarah, we love buying spices in the bulk section of natural food stores, but don’t have a specific brand we prefer. An example of a bottled one we like is Simply Organic. Hope that helps!
Cinnamon homie says
This was the most useful chai latte recipe I found on the web ! I made some for all my family and all of them liked it, including me ! Delicious. I leave a five star rating. Continue the delicious recipes and neat instructions ! Thank you so much.
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing! xo
Silver says
Cassia contains a lot of coumarin, which can be toxic in large quantities. So Ceylon cinnamon is best.
Hi Silver, we found the flavor of cassia cinnamon to be preferable here, but feel free to use Ceylon if concerned! 1 serving chai spice mix has ~1/3 tsp cinnamon, which is well under the recommended maximum per day for cassia cinnamon.
RedBlueSpice says
Made it! Most delicious. I used half of the black pepper.
Yay! Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications!
MS says
Hello, I have been looking for a good chai mix, what would you add to not make it caffeine free? Just black tea? Thank you!!!!
Hi! You can definitely add black tea! Simply cut the amount of dairy-free milk in half and sub with strong brewed black tea.
Rebekah says
Ran out of my favorite chai mix and decided to give this a try…. may not ever go back to buying the ready-made mix! I love that you can adjust the sweetness to taste each time you make it. Delightful! I did do half the pepper per others’ suggestions and found it to be perfect.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rebekah. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Carolyn says
Best chai I’ve ever tasted. I used fresh spices from the co-op bulk section and the flavors are off the charts. I used half the pepper called for and thought it was the perfect amount of heat. I also used half the sweetener when I made a cup to try it and it was still delicious. It’s a bit pricey but I highly recommend and can’t wait to give a double batch to my sister as a Christmas gift.
Great idea! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Carolyn. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Susan says
This was divine. I was craving a warm chai but without caffeine and without requiring a tea bag. I used a barista blend type of oat milk, Califa brand, and frothed the milk. I also only used 1/2 the recommended pepper based on the feedback from other commenters. Thank you for this recipe. I pretty much know any recipe from your site will be amazing!
Yum! Thanks for the lovely review, Susan!
AJK says
Awesome, very punchy. Love it! Have bought ready made chai latte mixes, but they are too anaemic for my taste. Not this mix.
When making this, I had to grind my own cardamom as I couldn’t buy already ground. Advice on the internet was 6 cardamom per teaspoon, but this was a bit heavy on the taste, so next time (and there most definitely will be a next time!), I’ll use 4 cardamon/tsp.
Love it! Thanks for sharing your experience, we’re so glad you enjoyed this!
Grace says
Thank you for this yummy recipe! Made this with almond milk as a cozy fall treat 💛🍁🧡
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Grace! xo
Emily Mulhausen says
Took your recipe with me when I visited Morocco and I got the ingredients from a spice souk when I was there. The chai turned out amazing! Thank you for this recipe!
Wow that is incredible Emily! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing!
Clau says
Omg this is so delicious. I was cravin a warm rich drink before bed and made this even though I had no cardamom. And it’s so rich and delicious. I made it hot in my milk frother and everything came out blended and frothy and delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe ❤️
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed, Clau!
Scott says
Smelled wonderful. But even though I heated the milk to add and stirred like crazy the spices wouldn’t dissolve in the milk. Just didnt work.
Hi Scott, they don’t completely dissolve, but stirring between sips keeps them distributed within the glass.
Natalie says
Love this decaf chai mix! I made mine with almond milk and substituted the black pepper with cayenne pepper. So good!
Yum, that sounds super delicious! Thank you for sharing, Natalie! xo
chelsea says
This mix turned out amazing! I left out the pepper and it tasted fantastic still. I recently stopped drinking anything with caffeine so this was really nice to make!
We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Chelsea! Thank you for sharing! xo