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Brenda Thompson

Homemade Iced Chai Latte

Cool off with a Homemade Iced Chai Latte and it's blend of subtly sweet and delicious spices. My recipe is easy to make and can be made ahead!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: American
Calories: 87
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups water
  • 8 bags black tea
  • ½ cup granulated sugar this is reduced from original recipe but I found I could probably reduce it even more and it would still have a hint of sweetness without being too sweet
  • 16 whole cloves
  • 16 whole cardamom I bought mine from the bulk food spice section at Whole Foods so I only bought a little more than I needed but you can find it in jars, too, in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. Mine were already just the seeds and not in pods.
  • 5 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
For Serving:
  • 1 cup milk or use foamed milk for hot tea

Method
 

  1. Combine all ingredients except milk in 3-4 quart slow cooker.
  2. Cover and cook on HIGH 2 ½ hours.
  3. When done, strain mixture and discard solids.
  4. Cool to room temperature then pour into freezer cube trays. Transfer to freezer and freeze until solid (about 3 hours)
  5. Transfer "tea cubes" to labeled freezer safe zip top bag.
  6. For each serving, pull out enough cubes to measure a loose one cup (meaning, you just pile them up casually in a measuring cup--it doesn't need to be exact).
  7. Put cubes in blender jar and add one cup of milk. Blend just until combine and still slushie.
  8. Transfer to drinking glass and enjoy! Repeat for additional servings.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD TIP:
This recipe is naturally make ahead because you use the slow cooker to make the tea mixture then freeze cubes to have on hand any time your ready for a serving of this refreshing drink. 
MONEY SAVING TIP:
I purchase the harder to find spices like cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks from the bulk food section of my local grocery store. That way I only buy what I need and don't have a lot leftover. The price per pound may seem like a lot but spices are usually so lightweight you are only paying pennies for what you need and avoiding food waste!