Starbucks Chai Latte Copycat Recipe

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With just 2 ingredients, this spiced black tea Starbucks hot drink is so easy to make at home, including the frothy foam. It’s a little spicy and perfectly sweet.

Chai Latte in a glass mug.

Recipe Highlights

  • Chai Latte is a spiced tea drink made with black tea, warming spices like cinnamon and clove, and milk. This copycat recipe recreates the Chai Tea Latte at Starbucks. It’s the most popular tea drink at Starbucks.
  • It’s so easy to make, with just 2 ingredients (chai concentrate and milk), using the same brand of chai concentrate that Starbucks uses.
  • The delicious fluffy foam is made using my trick of frothing milk with a French press.
  • This recipe makes a 16 ounce cup of chai latte, which is the exact size of a grande drink size.

RELATED: Starbucks Iced Chai Tea Latte Copycat

Ingredient Notes

Chai Latte ingredients.
  • Tazo Classic Chai Latte Concentrate
    This chai concentrate tastes exactly like the one used at Starbucks, but the one in the stores are a stronger concentrate that needs to be diluted with water. A black tea concentrate is made with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and vanilla.
  • Milk
    2% milk is what Starbucks uses to make makes their chai latte but you can use any kind of milk you like, including oat or soy.
My Chai Concentrate Pick

Photo Credit: amazon.com

Delicious and so easy to make at home using this chai concentrate that tastes just like the one at Starbucks!
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Step-by-Step Instructions

Four photo collage showing steps to make a chai latte.

For full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to see the recipe.

  1. Heat chai concentrate and milk in a saucepan.
  2. Pour heated chai latte into a French press.
  3. Place lid and move the plunger up and down.
    Chai latte will double in volume.
  4. Pour chai latte into a mug.
My French Press Pick

Photo Credit: amazon.com

Works great for making froth, cold foam, and hot tea!
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Expert Tips

  • Every company makes a different chai blend using different spices so if you want your chai latte to taste just like Starbucks, you’ll need to use the Tazo chai concentrate.
  • No need to add any sugar since the chai concentrate is sweetened.
  • To customize your drink, add brown sugar syrup and swap the 2% milk with oat milk. Top it off with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam.
  • If don’t want the froth, you can skip the French press and just heat the milk and chai concentrate.
  • Don’t overfill the French press. Since the chai latte will double in volume as air is pumped in, don’t fill the French press more than halfway with the chai latte.
  • A handheld milk frother can also be used to make froth, but the French press does a better job.

Questions You May Have

Is there caffeine in this drink?

Yes, the chai is made with black tea, so there’s caffeine in the drink.

What does chai latte taste like?

It tastes like black tea with hints of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and other warming spices. The milk and sugar make it creamy and sweet.

What’s in Starbucks Chai Tea Latte?

It’s made with 2% milk, water, and a chai tea concentrate that includes black tea, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and vanilla.

Pouring chai latte into a glass mug.

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Starbucks Chai Latte Copycat

Author: Jee Choe
A recreation of the popular tea drink at Starbucks, with froth that's easily made at home.
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 7 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Course Drinks
Yield1 serving (16 ounces)

INGREDIENTS
 

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Heat chai concentrate and milk in a saucepan.
    Simmer on low for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Pour heated chai latte into a French press.
  • Place lid on the French press and move the plunger up and down 20 times.
    Make sure to hold onto the lid as you move the plunger. Chai latte will double in volume.
  • Pour chai latte into a mug.

EQUIPMENT

NOTES

  • 2% milk is what Starbucks uses to make makes their chai latte but you can use any kind of milk you like, including oat or soy.
  • Every company makes a different chai blend using different spices so if you want your chai latte to taste just like Starbucks, you’ll need to use the Tazo chai concentrate.
  • No need to add any sugar since the chai concentrate is sweetened.
  • To customize your drink, add brown sugar syrup and swap the 2% milk with oat milk. Top it off with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam.
  • If don’t want the froth, you can skip the French press and just heat the milk and chai concentrate.
  • Don’t overfill the French press. Since the chai latte will double in volume as air is pumped in, don’t fill the French press more than halfway with the chai latte.
  • A handheld milk frother can also be used to make froth, but the French press does a better job.

NUTRITION

Calories: 60 | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 209mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 0.04mg
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4 thoughts on “Starbucks Chai Latte Copycat Recipe”

  1. I just had a question about the spice level. Crazy enough, I haven’t had a chai (yet) that was as awesomely spicy as Starbucks. Of course, from place to place it varies on the barista but I LOVE it when it’s spicy. I just bought the Bigelow Vanilla Chai teabag and made it with oatmilk and it’s just…not giving me the spicy punch I’m looking for. I’ve tried the Oregon Chai Tea Latte concentrate and still feel like it’s lacking.

    I also use oatmilk, do you think the oatmilk flavor just masks everything too much? I’m in dire need of a chai latte I can make at home that packs the punch.

    Reply

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