Is Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Healthy
Starbucks chai tea lattes may taste delicious, but they aren’t exactly healthy. The chai tea concentrate used at Starbucks is loaded with sugar. Grande Starbucks chai tea lattes have 240 calories and 42 grams of sugar!
That’s why I prefer to make my own Starbucks chai tea lattes at home using a homemade chai concentrate that has far less sugar.
How To Make An Iced Dirty Chai Latte
I have a confession to make.
Ive only become hip to drinking iced coffee drinks in the last few years. Before this, I would die on the hill of only drinking my strong coffee hot!
I started visiting some of our local coffee shops and Starbucks and would try different coffee drinks, including iced ones.
Now Im only wondering why it took me so long to come over to the dark side? Ha!
Today were sharing our version of a homemade dirty iced chai latte you can make right at home with your espresso maker and favorite milk!
Dirty chai is when you add a shot of espresso with warm spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne pepper with your choice of milk.
And it is a delicious caffeine boost that will help you make it through the day or indulge in a Dirty Chai just because!
Talk about incredible flavor down to the last sip. Also, check out these 65 tea drink ideas to try out.
If you enjoy changing what you sip on, there are many latte recipes to try.
Is A Dirty Chai Latte Healthy
This will depend on what type of healthy you mean. The spices used to make this chai latte recipe have been enjoyed around the world for many, many years and have been thought of as healing. Fresh ginger is a digestive calming food, and a bit of caffeine has been shown to be healthy in most situations too.
We’ve made this recipe vegan and dairy free, and it’s suitable for gluten free diets as well. Swap out the maple syrup with a sugar free vegan sweetener to make this a low carb latte recipe if you’d like.
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How To Make A Dirty Chai Latte Starbucks Copy Cat
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the Dirty Chai Latte recipe below.
Helpful Equipment & Tools
- Milk Frother: Great for aerating milk or whisking matcha or other additions into the chai concentrate.
- Calphalon Classic Hard-Anodized Nonstick Pots and Pans: The small pot in this set is what I use to make my homemade chai concentrate from tea bags .
- LUXU Glass Coffee Mugs Set of 4: Great quality and sized mugs for coffee or tea lattes.
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How Does Dirty Chai Latte Taste
Dirty chai latte has a strong and encouraging flavor given by the spices and herbs used in its making. The most prominent flavors in Dirty Chai latte are the intense aroma and warm flavor of cloves. The drink also gives a powerful fusion of sweet and bitter taste from the use of ginger, cinnamon powder, and cardamom.
What makes this drink special is the addition of strongly brewed coffee and frothed milk. Giving it a jolt of caffeine and all the richness of creamy milk at once.
Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Ingredients
- Water. To make the chai tea concentrate.
- Chai tea bags. There’s a few different brands of chai tea, and you can find it at pretty much all grocery stores and Target.
- Ground cinnamon + ground nutmeg. I like to add a little extra cinnamon and nutmeg to my chai tea lattes.
- Maple syrup or honey. I like to make lattes with natural sweeteners, such as maple syrup or honey, but you can also use granulated sugar. Just make sure whatever sweetener you use, you mix it in while the chai tea concentrate is hot so that the sweetener dissolves.
- Milk. I like to use whole or 2% milk for a creamier latte that resembles a latte you would get a Starbucks, but feel free to use milk alternatives, if desired.
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Starbucks Copycat Chai Tea Latte Recipe
Chai tea lattes are a delicious blend of creamy milk and black tea infused with sweet, warming, earthy spices. Mixed with a little maple syrup or honey, it’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy!
Making chai tea lattes at home couldn’t be more easy! They require only a few minutes of hands-on time, and the concentrate can be make a week in advance so it’s practically ready to to grab and go each morning.
I love to sip on iced chai tea lattes as a tasty afternoon treat and pick me-up! I highly recommend adding the sweet cream cold foam, which can also be made in advance.
Common Questions About Making A Dirty Chai Latte
What is a dirty chai latte?
A dirty chai latte is a classic chai tea latte thats made with chai tea bags, milk, water, and honey along with a shot of espresso.
Do dirty chai lattes have caffeine in them?
Yes, dirty chai lattes have caffeine in them since they are made with black tea leaves and espresso.
What other drink recipes can I make using chai tea?
Some of my favorite chai recipes include
What should I do if I dont have espresso?
If you dont have espresso, there are a few different options for ways to get close to espresso. The cheapest option would be to brew quite strong coffee in a normal coffee pot which wont be exactly the same but itll work. If you have a moka pot or an aeropress coffee maker, those will get you pretty close to regular espresso. If you use the moka pot or espresso, follow the same proportions in the recipe but if you choose to go the strongly brewed coffee route, use 1/4 cup coffee.
What should I do if I dont have chai tea?
If you dont have chai tea, simply use 2 black tea bags along with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a dash of cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and black pepper.
How much sugar is in a dirty chai latte?
Are chai lattes dairy-free?
This chai tea latte recipe can be made dairy-free by using a dairy-free milk such as
- Soy
- Coconut
- Cashew
Are chai lattes vegan?
Chai tea lattes can be made vegan very easily. With this recipe, use a non-dairy milk and instead of honey, use a vegan sweetener such as pure maple syrup.
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Make Your Own Chai Concentrate
Heat 2 cups of water and the spices in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove top. Let the ingredients simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add 2 tea bags and maple syrup .
After another 5 minutes, pour the concentrate through a fine mesh strainer and into a heat-safe jar. Allow the concentrate to cool at room temperature , then place in the fridge.
Time-Saving Tip: Short on time? Buy a chai concentrate or chai tea bags from the store. Store-bought concentrates and pre-mixed tea bags lack the strong flavor profile that youll get from this homemade concentrate, but they will give you the chai experience if youre short on time.
Use this same concentrate to make a hot latte, if desired, just warm the concentrate and follow this hot tea recipe.
Former Starbucks Employee Reveals How To Get Popular Dirty Chai Cheaper
An alleged former Starbuck employee has offered followers a tip on how to get one of the chain’s popular drinks for a lower price, simply by ordering it differently.
Christine Kominek, who also appeared on Big Brother in 2014, prefaced by claiming she worked at Starbucks for over a decade and was now planning on creating a series of videos on how to get your favorite drinks for cheaper.
“Let’s start with the dirty chai. This is a chai tea latte with shots of espresso, which is extremely popular. Most of you say, ‘Hey can I get a grande chai with two shots?” she said, before telling viewers not to do it this way.
Instead, Kominek advised customers to instead order a grande latte with chai syrup in it.
“Our chai is just a pump, but the thing is if you order a grande latte with chai syrup, the chai syrup is only 60 cents, but if you order a grande chai with two shots of espresso, you are paying $1.60 for those shots, and a grande latte and a grande chai have the same base price,” she said.
Kominek’s method makes a saving of $1, which can add up for those who often drink dirty chais. As pointed out by some TikTok users though, ordering a grande latte with chai syrup means you don’t get any of the water that comes in a chai teaperfect if you prefer the richer taste, but not so much if you’re a fan of the water.
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How Do You Make Dirty Chai Latte
To make the Dirty Chai Latte recipe…
You can also use a hand frother to make your frothed milk fluffy! The best temperature for froth milk is 150 degrees, which is scalding hot.
The Best Dirty Chai Latte Ratio
I’ve found that the most delicious ratio for a dirty chai latte is this:
1 shot of espresso to ½ cup of homemade Chai to ½ cup of dairy-free milk to 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.
That’s my favorite chai drink, and I think it matches the dirty chai Starbucks makes. You can adjust the ratio to suit your own tastes.
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What Makes This Recipe So Good
I shared my internet-famous, reader-favorite homemade chai tea latte recipe in 2014. The recipe starts with a homemade chai tea concentrate thats made from simple pantry spices, black tea bags, and water. Warm milk is added to the concentrate to make a classic latte. Its the perfect drink for fall and winter.
By summer, Im all about iced everything: iced coffee, iced tea, and homemade popsicles. Summer time in Florida is no joke when a warm day reaches 100+ degrees.
A couple of years ago, I took my famous hot latte and turned it into a new recipe: a refreshing iced chai. Its super easy to make either a hot or iced drink. Its just a matter of chilling or warming the homemade chai concentrate, which Ill show you how to make today, and then adding cold or hot milk and ice cubes.
What makes this iced chai latte AMAZINGis the from-scratch chai concentrate.
Pre-made concentrates or pre-mixed chai tea bags from grocery store never have the same great flavor as a fresh concentrate. By making the homemade version, which takes just 10 minutes and lasts up to 2 weeks in the fridge, youre guaranteed to make a delicious drink every time!
This Dirty Chai Latte Is Better Than The Coffee Shop
The finished Dirty Chai Latte tastes better than going out and saves you time and money. Plus, my version is much lower in calories, around 100, and is much lower than a coffee shop. It’s the perfect drink for the new season! The recipe for it is below.
Hopefully, it takes the guesswork out of how to make a classic coffee house drink. Whether you use my shortcut or make it from scratch, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
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Copycat Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte
Starbucks is out with a new latte thats on their latest secret menu. Its gone viral and we can taste why everyones gotta have one, or two! Heres my copycat Starbucks dirty chai latte version. Its really similar and so delish. Try this simple and easy recipe, youre going to love it too.
Have you seen the newest trending Starbucks hot and cold beverage thats called a Dirty Chai Tea Latte?
Once I saw that everyone was talking about this delicious beverage, I knew I had to make it at home.
This dirty chai latte is actually on the Secret Menu at Starbucks.
So, what that means is, the actual recipe is not on their regular menu.
You would go in and order their original hot chai tea latte and then, the magic happens.
What’s In Dirty Chai Latte
Dirty chai latte is made of espresso, steamed milk, and spiced black tea.
- Espresso: A concentrated form of coffee that is made by forcing under pressure a small amount of nearly boiling water through finely-ground coffee beans, producing a 1- to 2-ounce shot of coffee. When made correctly, a rich golden cream will form on the surface. Espresso coffee can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans and roasts.
- Steamed milk: The froth in a latte is the result of milk being exposed to high-pressured steam by gradually introducing steam into milk to create a layer of very small bubbles. This can be achieved with nonfat, low-fat, and full-fat milk, as well as milk alternatives, such as almond, soy, or oat milk.
- Masala chai : India’s famous spiced tea that is usually made with a blend of spices including cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, but can also be made with a single spice such as ginger.
- Sweeteners and flavored syrups: Sugar, honey, artificial sweeteners, and popular flavored syrups may be added to dirty chai.
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Achieve The Perfect Latte
Now for the finale. Tip your mug at an angle and pour your frothy milk concoction over the espresso for that fantastic foamy latte look. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick, if you please.
There’s something so rewarding about recreating a Starbuck’s drink in your own kitchen. Everyone’s take on it might be a bit varied, but the mix of espresso and chai tea is rich and always rewarding.
Have you made any Starbucks mimic drinks? If so, share it with us in the comments below! We’re always on the look out for the next, great thing to cure our coffee craving.
What Is A Dirty Chai Tea Latte
Different from a regular chai tea latte, there’s added honey for just a hint of sweetness and the kick to the beverage is: espresso. Sounds a little crazy right? It sure did to me. Tea and coffee together in one cup is supposed to be good?! Yes! It really is so good in fact. The richness of the espresso just works so well with the spiced tea. Then it’s topped off with foamy milk of your choice.
In this recipe I used oat milk, but I’ve also used almond milk and both tastes delicious. You certainty can use dairy milk too. No espresso? No worries, just make the coffee on the strong side. Believe it or not, you can even use decaf coffee as long as it’s strong.
Since it’s way too expensive to buy one of these trendy drinks at Starbucks , I wanted to make it at home even more. I happen to be the biggest Starbucks fan, but I don’t like to spend the big bucks on their popular drinks , so I make lots and lots of copycat Starbucks recipes. I really hope you check this new delicious copycat recipe out and enjoy it right at home!
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What Is A Dirty Chai Latte
A Dirty Chai is a chai latte with a shot or two of espresso added. You’ll love this coffee drink anytime you need an extra boost of caffeine , and it tastes so good, too!
You can serve this tea-coffee drink hot or cold, and there are a couple other variations, too. I’ve heard the two shot version called a Filthy Chai Latte. And if you use soy milk instead of dairy milk, you’ve got a Dirty Hippie. I did not come up with these names … ha ha!
What To Do With The Extra Syrup
Just store the extra syrup in the refrigerator in an airtight container like this glass one.
This is a great way to ensure that it stays fresh, and then when you want to whip up a drink, you have it ready to go.
Whats the best type of milk to use in a Chai Latte?
This will boil down to preference. You may prefer a non-dairy option or your favorite whole milk or almond milk.
This chai tea latte recipe also works with coconut milk or soy milk.
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