This authentic Masala Chai recipe features fragrant Indian spices, black tea, and your choice of milk (plant-based or dairy). A cozy comforting mug of goodness. Serve this with Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies!
Many thoughts appear in the mind, but it is the heart that holds one and not another. ~Dorothy Hunt
Call me a late bloomer, but it wasn’t until I went to India and experienced Chai firsthand that I fell in love with it. Now, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t either make myself a cup, or pine for it.
Yes, I’ve had it numerous times here in the states, but somehow, either it was overly sweetened, too bland, or perhaps I had just never truly “connected” with it. It was almost like I met Chai for the first time at age 50 when I went to India. I can’t believe I lived so many years without it!
Masala Chai filled a void I never knew I had until those very first sips. ☕️
Here is a video of my favorite Chai Wallah at work- in a small village in Rajasthan, India. (Shot on my iPhone)
Authentic Masala Chai in India | 30-sec video
What is Masala Chai?
In India, masala means spice, and chai means tea. Spiced Tea. And that is exactly what Masala Chai is -black tea infused with fragrant spices, typically served with hot milk.
Here in the states, we often call this “chai tea”, or a chai tea latte. But in India, saying “chai tea”, is like saying “tea tea”. So that’s why in India, one says Masala Chai – or spiced tea. Good to know, right? 😉
Masala Chai Tea Recipe ingredients
There are typically four components in Masala Chai and the secret is finding the perfect balance between them.
- Black Tea Leaves- or try decaf black tea. Assam and Darjeeling are often used in India because they are grown there.
- Whole Spices – cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, star anise and ginger root
- Milk (or nut milk)- plant-based milk or dairy milk both work great here! In India, whole milk is typically used in Masala Chai. For a plant-based chai, try almond milk or oat milk – both work great.
- Sweetener- use sugar, honey, maple, stevia, agave, your choice!
Best Tea for Masala Chai
- The base of the Masala Chai is typically black tea. Most strong, rich, dark black teas will work well in Masala Chai- something robust enough to hold up to all the flavorful spices. The tea need not be expensive.
- (I prefer to use a high-quality organic, loose black tea that I get in the bulk section of my grocery store. I use about a heaping tablespoon per serving.) Assam, Darjeeling or Ceylon.
- You can also use 1-2 black tea bags. Typical brands used are Lipton Yellow Label, and Taj Mahal, and PG Tips. Some households will custom blend their own teas to create their own signature flavor. This can be a very personal thing.
- Feel free to use decaf black tea.
What makes Masala Chai authentic is the use of spices. One thing is for certain, every single person in India probably has their own unique combination of spices they prefer in their masala chai and there is no one “right” way. It is very subjective.
Spices In Masala Chai
Chai Wallahs- the street vendors who make masala chai, all have their own unique blend of chai spices as well- and as you can probably guess, I was obsessed with watching them make their creations.
These are the chai spices I saw used the most in India:
- Fresh ginger
- cardamom pods
- cinnamon
- whole cloves
- peppercorns
- star anise
I especially love the green cardamom pods I picked up in India. So here is a starting point for you but feel free to improvise and fine-tune to your own taste.
How to make Masala Chai Tea
Step One: Lightly crush whole spices using a mortar and pestle.
STEP 2: Simmer the crushed spices in 1 cup water in a small pot or pan, for 5 minutes.
STEP 3. Add the black tea. Then turn off the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes. Boiling the tea will make it bitter, so just bring it to a boil, then turn the heat off.
Step 4: Add milk of choice.
If you prefer a “richer” masala chai- you can use all milk and skip the water, simmering the spices and tea, right in the milk. Or if you like a lighter masala chai, cut the milk with water. Up to you- a personal preference. I like half and half.
Step 5. Heat and sweeten the chai.
Bring the milk and tea just to a boil again, then add sweetener.
Step 6. Strain and serve.
And there you have it, Masala Chai as they make it in India. A delicious morning beverage or afternoon pick-me-up. I also love this in the evenings with decaf black tea.
Can Masala Chai Be made ahead?
Feel free to brew a big batch of chai ahead, (leaving out the milk) and store it in the fridge. Then simply pull it out from the fridge and heat it up with the milk.
Masala Chai Tea Variations
- During my second visit to India, where we primarily stayed in the North, it was very customary to see chai brewed the same way but with the addition of fresh mint leaves. It was heavenly.
- Add fennel seeds
- Add nutmeg
How to sweeten this Masala Chai Recipe
- The fourth component of Masala Chai is the sweetener. In India, jaggery or cane sugar is typically used.
- I prefer sweetening Masala Chia with maple syrup or honey instead of sugar. But any sugar, or sugar alternative will work here.
- Sweeten to your own taste. For a large 8-ounce serving, I use about 2-3 teaspoons of maple syrup – to balance the spices and black tea. Perhaps this seems a bit much, but to me it tastes perfect.
- Find your own balance 😉 If it tastes overly bitter, it needs more sweetener.
How to serve Masala Chai Tea
Yes, it is very typical to serve chai in a glass (vs. a mug) in India, leaving some room at the top to hold the glass. But a cozy mug is perfect too.
What to serve with Chai Tea
Happy New Year, friends! May this cozy authentic Masala Chai bring comfort and warmth to help get us all through these cold months.
Love and cheers,
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Masala Chai Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1-2
- Category: drinks, tea, hot beverage
- Method: stove-top
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Hindu
Description
This authentic Masala Chai recipe is cozy and warm! Learn to make it like they do in India, using fragrant whole spices, black tea, and your choice of milk.
Ingredients
- 4–5 whole green cardamom pods (or sub white cardamom pods)
- 2 whole cloves
- 1–2 star anise (optional )
- 4–5 peppercorns (optional)
- 1 cup of water ( see notes)
- 2–3 slices ginger (or more! skins ok) , or sub 1-2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 cinnamon stick – split lengthwise
- 1–2 tablespoons loose-leaf black tea, (or 1–2 tea bags) Or sub-decaf black tea
- 1 cup milk of your choice- organic whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, hemp milk ( I like unsweetened, vanilla-flavored almond or oat milk) See notes for “ratio”.
- 2–3 teaspoons (or more or less) maple syrup, honey, sugar or alternative. (Sugar is traditional, but I prefer maple. )
Instructions
- Lightly crush cardamom pods, whole cloves, star anise and peppercorns, and place in a small pot with 1 cup of water. Add ginger and cinnamon. Muddle the ginger a bit right in the pot.
- Bring to a simmer, simmer gently for 5-10 minutes covered, and turn off the heat.
- Add the tea (Do not boil the tea, it can get bitter) and let it steep for at least 5-minutes.
- Add your choice of milk. Bring to a simmer once more, turn off the heat.
- Stir in your choice of sweetener, taste, adding more sweetener to taste. If it tastes bitter, you need more sweetener. Strain into a chai glass or mug.
- Feel the love. xoxo
Notes
TEA: Any dark, rich, robust black tea will work best here. Assam, Darjeeling, etc. You can also make the tea part as strong as you like. Start with one tablespoon loose leaf tea and add more according to your taste. Use loose-leaf or tea bags.
SPICES: Whole spices are preferred here but in a pinch feel free to add or sub ground spices to taste. You can add the ground spices at the end if you like.
MILK RATIO: you can use all milk if you prefer. I typically use a ratio of ½ water and ½ milk. Many prefer the richness of all milk, so feel free to adjust to your taste.
BATCH MAKING: You can make a big batch of the masala chai (without the milk) and refrigerate for up to 4 days, and heat up with the milk and sweetener when ready to serve.
You can add more whole spices and more black tea for an even stronger more concentrated version.
UPDATE: While in Northern India this past month, I had this Chai with the addition of a big handful of fresh mint leaves (simmering in the chai). ABSOLUTELY Delicious! Give it a try!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16 ounces – using almond milk and 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Calories: 51
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 100.5 mg
- Fat: 1.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.9 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I loved this tea. It is my morning staple. Thank you so much for posting this!
Found your recipe online and have been making Masala Chai for a week now. I’ve tried the 3 scales for portions (so nifty, love it!) and they are all great. Don’t have star anise but I’m adding fennel seeds and sage (without crushing). Using oat milk and sweetening with maple syrup. Delicious base recipe and great site. Thank you!
Love it Vanessa…so cozy this time of year!
I saw this recipe on Instagram and right away I got my butt off the couch and made this!! I’m even 37 weeks pregnant! It was so easy to make. It is delicious and now I’m making this on the regular! I switch it up, sometimes add vanilla, no pepper, yes pepper, honey, nothing, maple syrup. Etc. Its soooooo good!!
Made a big batch of this when we went to the hot springs. I made it the night before to intensify the flavour then heated up with soya milk in the morning & sweetened with maple syrup. It was a hit and so tasty. Took me back to India. Def keeping this recipe on hand for future. Thanks Sylvia for sharing this.
Hi I love this recipe! Just wondering where you got that chai cup holder from!
Man this is awesome! It tastes amazing! Do you have any more awesome recipes like this to share with us!?
It does look very yummy and inviting!
Hi, thank you for sharing your recipe. I’m just wondering if I can make up the water and spice part of the tea in a larger quantity and store in the fridge to be heated as needed through the week?
Yes, totally!
When I was in India, I just bought the masala chair spice mix. So I’m wondering if you can approximate how many tbsp/tsp I should put of that? Thanks! Excited to try this.
I would just add to taste. Each is different.
Your recipes are really outstanding, as is your website. My favourite one. I have learned a lot, thank you. I will continue to use it in future.
I notice that you are a very health minded person. However, I would like to draw your attention to the use of oat and soy milk, as these crops are among the ones with the heaviest spraying with glycophosphates (round up). I think organic milk is much better for you than these concoctions heavy on additives.
Made this last night with the amounts for two but only added one cup of water as it says in your method, was it meant to be two cups of water to leave it steeping in?
It was beautiful, far superior to any shop bought chai mixes.. thank you
I have purposely left this at one cup to make it extra strong, so when you add the milk, it still has flavor. But feel free to dilute to taste.
Thanks for sharing…
Best masala chai recipe yet! I’m hooked.
Nice recipe! Tried using sugar syrup instead of plain sugar. Thanks for sharing…
I made this, but it was not strong enough. I don’t know what I did wrong. Does not taste right
Hi Kaitlyn- did you use loose tea or black tea? Whole seeds or ground?
Thank you for posting! Just made a double batch for my husband and me. It was amazing!! Perfect for a rainy, cool day. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I’ve made it several times now anytime I had a craving. I no longer have to drive all the way to an Indian buffet place just to drink this lovely tea ?
(I admit I cheated – I used only powders and not whole ingredients… But it still tastes good! ☕)
Delicious – our whole family enjoys this! Chai is now a regular in our house. Takes my husband and me right back to our travels in India – thank you!
“To clear a few things up-here in the states we often called chai tea, or a chai latte, or a chai tea latte. But in Hindu, chai means “tea”. ” I believe you mean Hindi–the language!
Ha! Yes, you are right. I often interchange…bad habit. 😉
I LOVE chai!!! Thank you for posting an easy recipe. I have a friend who grew up in India and she taught me how to make it by the pot. She would have the pot on the stove all day and it got stronger as the day went by. One ingredient she used that was a surprise to me was the addition of black pepper! Sounds odd but you don’t use much and it just kicks it up a notch. And she always used honey. Sometimes I make a pot, strain it and store it in a mason jar in the fridge to heat up the next day or two. Thanks for a recipe that can be made for just one.
Thanks Mert! yes, I like black pepper too! I forgot to put it in this recipe…but I agree, it’s tasty!
How much water is used? Instructions say to use water twice… First to crush spices and add to water in a pot. Second to add water, ginger, cinnamon and black tea.
Sorry about that Sondra! I see the confusion… and fixed the recipe. Just use one cup water for one serving. 😉
Love this recipe! For various reasons I am not able to drink black tea. However, I made this recipe using all the rest of the ingredients. When given the option of 2-3 or 3-5, I picked the greater number so that the flavor would be a little stronger. I also put a whole stick of cinnamon in because my stick was kind of small. I used a little more maple syrup (would not have thought of using maple). I also put a little cream and a tiny but of vanilla extract. The result was very, very tasty. I didn’t even miss the tea. I am always on the hunt for tasty warm beverages. Thanks for sharing this one.
I’m so happy you liked this and especially love that you made this your own, without the tea! Great to know it still tastes good. 😉
I can’t wait to try this! I loved having tea in India 🙂
Can I sub an herbal tea for the black tea? If so what would you recommend? Just can’t make myself drink real tea as I think they all taste metallic….I know it’s me 🙂 This looks delicious and I love all the warming spices. Thanks Deb
You could use rooibos, or decaf black tea, or just leave the tea out like another reader did. 🙂
Love, love, love this Masala Chai. It feels like a warm hug. Thanks Sylvia.
Im so glad you like it. I love it too….drinking right now. Warm hug is right. 😉