Healthy Chai Latte
Makes 1 serving
I am always looking for ways to make my favorite foods healthier. Most days, this chai tea is my breakfast or brunch. So I like to add the collagen powder, which adds a nice vanilla flavor and dissolves well. The Om Master blend dissolves nicely as well and contains adaptogens. It claims to help with immune health, mental clarity, stress, and energy.
According to The Spruce Eats, chai tea dates back thousands of years in India and Thailand. It is now enjoyed worldwide and made in a variety of ways, using a variety of recipes. The spices all have health benefits and if you are careful about what you use for creamer and sweetener, it can be a healthy way to start your day. Aim for 0-10 grams of sugar per serving.
Here are a few different ways to enjoy a Chai Latte, ranging from quick and easy to a labor of love. Enjoy!
Traveling Chai
If I am traveling, I either make a concentrate of my simmered tea and take it in a mason jar or, for airplanes and longer trips, I love Blue Lotus Chai powder. It is an unsweetened powder mix, no steeping or straining required. My favorite is the Traditional Masala Chai but they also have a variety pack if you want to sample all their flavors and I just noticed on their website that they have a new flavor—Matcha Chai. I usually buy a local honey when I get to my destination or bring stevia and Laird’s powdered unsweetened or coconut sugar-sweetened creamer with adaptogens.
Work Chai
The Blue Lotus Chai is actually becoming more of my go-to lately. Blue Lotus is an amazing company, committed to making the cleanest chai blends. I love their story and passion and I’m not getting any commission from them to say that! I just seriously love this stuff! I’ve been keeping some at work along with a mixture of the Primal Kitchen Vanilla Collagen Powder and the Laird’s Powdered Creamer. I warm water in an electric tea kettle (I don’t know why, but this makes me so happy—it’s a little way to take care of myself at work) and stir in 4-5 scoops of the Blue Lotus Chai powder (it comes with the cutest little wood scooper—I like mine strong so start with 1-2 scoops and increase to your taste) and the collagen/creamer. It mixes nicely and doesn’t really need anything else for sweetener, but you could add honey or stevia powder or drops if you like it sweeter.
Labor of Love Chai Latte
When I’m home and have time, I enjoy letting this blend simmer on the stovetop. It fills the house with the cinnamon and spice and everything nice and tastes delicious.
Ingredients:
1-2 T chai tea*
2 cups water
1-3 T heavy cream, milk, creamer, or powdered creamer
Honey or stevia powder or stevia drops and/or monk fruit to taste
Optional add-ins:
1 scoop Om Master blend mushroom powder
Sprinkle of extra ground cinnamon
Whip cream or Super Creamer for the top (make with vanilla and a little stevia)
Instructions:
If using bulk spices (store in glass), grind them in a coffee grinder for ten seconds. Simmer chai tea in water on medium-low for 30-60 minutes. Some of the water will evaporate, depending on how long you simmer, so keep an eye on it to make sure the water doesn’t get too low. Add more water as needed. You can just steep the tea for 3-10 minutes in a mug, in which case you would want to use the amount of water that is equal to the amount of tea you want, less the creamer. Steeping or simmering longer will bring more flavor out of the tea and will make your house smell delicious!
Strain the tea using a fine mesh strainer. I usually strain it into my mug or Yeti and then strain it again back into a clean pan. You will usually just get a fine layer on the second strain, but it prevents any grittiness from being left in the tea. I turn the burner to the lowest setting just to keep it warm while I finish mixing in my other ingredients.
Add in heavy cream, Super Creamer (our fav), milk (dairy or non-dairy), or your favorite healthy creamer to taste.
Add in optional add-ins. You can add the extra cinnamon now or sprinkle on top before drinking.
Froth in the pan (less messy than frothing in your mug) or combine in a blender until frothy (~5-10 seconds).
For extra luxury, put a dollop of whip cream or whipped Super Creamer and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
You can also let it cool, add ice, and have it as an iced chai latte.
Enjoy in your favorite cozy nook alone or with a loved one.
*I like to make my own chai tea blend using this recipe minus the stevia leaves (I prefer to sweeten to taste after brewing). I get all my bulk spice ingredients (black tea leaves, dried ginger, green cardamom pods, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns) online. I also like Frontier’s chai tea mix or there are many other choices online or in your local health food store. Just be sure to look at the ingredients, especially chai tea liquid concentrates or powders which often have added sugars. Chai tea can have a ton of sugar! At a coffee shop, chai tea lattes have about 30g of sugar per serving. That is a lot for a quick drink!
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