Looking for a drink that reminds you of comforting, cozy, warm mornings? This maple syrup chai latte is exactly that. The sweetness from the maple syrup mixed with a delicious spiced chai is a match made in heaven that screams fall.

Especially when hot, a mug of maple syrup chai is comforting and relaxing. It’s the perfect pick-me-up on an autumn day or a refreshing iced drink if you like cold drinks during the fall or winter. Plus, it’s easy to make and takes less than 5 minutes.

So, here’s how to make a maple syrup chai latte at home!

What is Chai?

Chai, or masala chai, is an Indian spiced black tea that is served hot and mixed with sugar and milk. It’s a creamy, sweet milk tea that you’ll find all over India, from street food stalls to inside family homes.

Chai is different from your regular brewed tea with milk and sugar. The tea, sugar, milk, water, and spices are brewed altogether in a pot, then boiled and aerated until you get a creamy milk tea.

It’s heaven in a cup. You have a little sweetness, creaminess, and spices that come together for an incredible liquid that is so, so good. I prefer chai hot, but nowadays, you’ll find many iced chai drinks that are inspired by this popular beverage.

What’s a Chai Latte?

A chai latte is basically the same as an iced latte–espresso, ice, and milk–except with chai concentrate.

It’s a modern take on chai and one you can find at virtually any and all cafes around the world, especially at big chains like Starbucks, Peets, etc.

Chai lattes are made with chai concentrate because brewed chai with the same amount of milk would taste watery.

You can find chai concentrates at any grocery store, and they will be unrefrigerated in the coffee and tea aisle. There are lots of brands to choose from, and one carton will give you about 20 drinks.

You can also make chai concentrate at home by brewing chai and using less water, and not adding milk. Usually, chai concentrates are sweetened, but if you make it you can make it unsweetened.

Best Chai Concentrates

Some of the most popular chai concentrates include Tazo, the brand Starbucks uses, Oregon Chai, and Prana Chai which you’ll find at big retailers. You’ll also find a handful of smaller brands as well at independent or smaller grocery stores.

However, I personally don’t like that premade chai because they’re usually super sugary and not very tea-forward.

My favorite chai concentrate is from a small family business called Kimbala, which is from Austin, Texas, and made by an incredibly kind and friendly husband and wife duo.

Their chai concentrates are the best I’ve ever had, and I have literally dreamt about them. This isn’t sponsored; I just love their chai so much.

How to Make Chai

Chai usually has black tea leaves and a variety of 3-5 spices. The most popular tea for chai is Assam, followed by cardamom and any of these spices: cloves, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, and star anise. Sugar or jaggery is the sweetener of choice, followed by whole milk for milk.

Traditionally, you brew black tea leaves and water in a pot, then add your milk and spices and boil it multiple times.

The boiling helps aerate the chai, so it has a frothy and smooth texture. Some people use a ladle to scoop the chai from the pot to aerate it further. Boiling chai also helps some water evaporate, making the chai even creamier.

Is Maple Syrup Good in Chai?

Yes! It’s hard to go wrong with any sweetener in chai. Maple syrup is a great sweetener for chai and other drinks. After all, it’s easy to mix into liquid because it itself is a liquid.

Maple is also a subtle yet unique flavor that goes with most sweet flavors. It’s also a known pairing for fall desserts, drinks, and baked goods that incorporate many of chai’s spices.

The slight caramel flavor of maple syrup brings out the best in spices, so much so that you can even find chai-infused maple syrup! Plus, it works amazingly in creamy liquids like milk or oat milk.

How to Make a Maple Syrup Oat Milk Chai Latte

To make a maple syrup oat milk chai latte at home, you’ll need:

• A milk frother or French press or handheld frother (optional)
• Fresh or premade chai concentrate
• Maple syrup
• Oat milk
• Ice

Maple Syrup Oat Milk Chai Latte Recipe

First, dissolve maple syrup into your oat milk.

Optionally, you can froth your oat milk and maple syrup together to give it a nice, velvety, fluffy texture. I like frothing my oat milk to make it extra creamy, but you don’t have to! You can froth your oat milk using a milk frother, handheld frother, or a French press (which is my frothing tip of the day). All methods give you aerated milk, but I think the French press gives you the best froth (surprisingly).

Then, add ice and chai concentrate into a separate cup. Top with oat milk, mix, and enjoy! Garnish with a dust of cinnamon if you want.

What Syrup Goes Well with Chai?

Aside from maple syrup, you can also use other liquid sweeteners like agave, stevia, honey, molasses, simple syrup, monk fruit, and more. The nice thing about making cafe drinks at home is that you can customize it to your taste.

I personally like jaggery the best in chai because it has a slight caramel taste that complements chai well. However, a close substitute for it is brown sugar, molasses, or maple syrup.

If you’re feeling experimental, you could also add flavored syrups to chai as well, but you should experiment with flavors to see what works best with chai. A spiced drink won’t work as well with as many flavors compared to something more neutral, like an iced latte.

Tips

Here are some tips on making a great maple syrup oat milk chai latte at home!

• If you add only one spice to homemade chai, please let it be cardamom! Most chai recipes include cardamom as the main spice, with variants of other spices. Bonus points if you add freshly crushed cardamom!
• Instead of oat milk, you can add any milk you’d like, including dairy! But pick a milk with more fat or creaminess to it and one with a neutral flavor. Something like almond milk will impart a distinct almond flavor and be watery.
• Fresh spices and brewing black tea leaves separately will give you the best flavor. If you’re short on time or want convenience, though, you can buy premixed chai tea leaves that have the spices in the tea already.