Homemade Chai Tea Latte

It's fall... and as the weather starts changing I want nothing more than cozy socks, comfy scarves, and a hot beverage in my hand... and I know I'm not the only one.

In fact, besides the infamous PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte... but I didn't need to clarify that for you, did I?)  the standard fall back cozy hot beverage seems to be a Chai Latte.  Now granted, this is taken from the relatively small population of my tribe (you know, my friends, family, clients, students, etc.), but maybe you, like several of them, will be surprised that even though it often has the word "tea" in the title, there is nothing healthy about the Chai Tea Latte you get from the coffee shop down the street.  In fact, it's often not even brewed from real tea on the spot, but comes out of a box.  What the what?!?!  And not only that... but check out the sugars! UGH! 

But don't you worry, Chai Lovers, I've got your back.  You don't HAVE to dedicate your treats to your chai addiction.  You just need to  avoid the drive-thru and make it at home.

Okay, a couple of disclaimers here...
1. I've made my lattes multiple different ways.... and I definitely have a favorite...  but my favorite my not be nutritionally right for you.  The way I see it is that you know what your nutrition goals are and how you are eating (are you Paleo? Bulletproof? Ketogenic? Cycling?) so adjust the recipe according to what works for you.  You're a big girl, you can do this.  Worst thing that happens, you try again.  You're not hurting anyone or poisoning anyone's water supply by experimenting. 

2.  You can make this with all the spices yourself with a plain black tea bag.  I'll be honest, I love cooking- but combining spices for a latte isn't the best use of my time right now, so I buy good quality chai tea bags.  If you're looking for the how-tos on spice blending- this is the wrong blog for you...

3. I'm not going to give you specific measurements.  I find that as you are changing your taste buds from the overly sweet Starbucks Chai Latte (or whatever your coffee shop of choice) you will adjust the recipe accordingly.  You may need to use sweetened almond milk and a little sweetener to get started, then gradually ween yourself off.  Or maybe you'll just jump right in and use no sweetner at all.  What it comes down to is this is a treat and a comfort thing (remember the cozy socks and scarves?), so you may need to play with it a little to find what's right for you. 

What you'll need:
Good Quality Chai Tea Bag
Almond Milk (Your choice- I like unsweetened vanilla, but you may find that you prefer sweetened, or original) 
Blender, frother, etc. 

What you might need:
Butter, grassfed (Kerrygold, period.  Trust me.)
Sweetner (such as a Stevia or whatever you have decided is the "least evil")
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

1. Brew tea.  You'll probably need to let the tea bag steep for 5-6 minutes.  Don't rush it... it's a process, and you want all those yummy spice flavors to come out. 
2. Squeeze tea bag as you remove from tea (careful, it's probably hot!) 
3. Depending on your blending/frothing method this may change:
Pour tea into blender, add milk and optional butter and sweetener.  Blend. Pour into mug.
OR
Using frother or immersion blender, froth milk in separate container before pouring into the tea. If you are using butter and or sweetener, you may need to warm the milk so they will blend easier.
4.  Top with cinnamon and nutmeg if you want.

Okay Erin, but how do you like YOUR chai latte?  Tea, about 1/2 Tbsp Kerrygold, Vanilla Almond Milk (unsweetened), maybe a pinch of stevia (more like a half a pinch) blended in my small personal blender and topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg (This is the one I use currently.  It's not fancy, but it gets the job done. It works for everything from my lattes, to my shakes, to my occasional bulletproof coffees). The overall calories are higher, yes. But they come predominately from the butter- which is a good source of healthy fats (if you're using good quality ingredients).  The butter gives the latte a bit "thicker" consistency, which is more like the latte you'd get at a coffee shop. Without the butter, you may find that your latte seems "thin" or watery.  It's because you're using real tea, and not a syrup mixture from a box.  Judge if you want, but if I'm making Chai Latte, that's how I make it.

Oh- and if you're one of my crazy friends... drop an espresso down in there and make it a Dirty Chai.  Yum!

So tell me, how do you like your Chai Latte?