A useful chai latte recipe lets you repeat the tea strength, spice and milk balance you enjoy. This stovetop version starts with whole spices and black tea, then finishes at a measured 500 mL for two 250 mL servings. It is a starting formula you can adjust one variable at a time.
Gather the ingredients and equipment
Use a small saucepan with room above the liquid, a lid, a fine strainer, a heat-safe measuring jug and two mugs. A kitchen scale makes tea and ginger quantities easier to repeat. Have additional hot water available for the final volume adjustment.
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| Ingredient | Amount for two servings | Purpose or adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 300 mL, plus a little hot water to finish | Extracts the tea and spices; final top-up compensates for evaporation |
| Milk | 250 mL | Adds body; use dairy milk or a plant drink you enjoy |
| Loose black tea | 6 g | The starting strength; tea style and leaf size affect extraction |
| Fresh ginger | 6 g, thinly sliced | Warm ginger flavor; reduce to 3 g for a gentler batch |
| Green cardamom | 4 pods, lightly cracked | Opens the pods so their aroma can infuse |
| Cinnamon stick | One piece about 3 cm long | Adds a rounded spice note |
| Cloves | 2, optional | A strong accent; omit for a simpler blend |
| Sugar | 2 level teaspoons, about 8 g, or to taste | Add after straining so you can assess sweetness |
Tea bags can work if you can establish their tea weight; bag counts differ by product. If the weight is unavailable, record the brand and number used, then adjust in a later batch. Ground spices give a different texture and are harder to strain, so use whole spices for this method.
Make the measured batch
- Put the 300 mL water, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and optional cloves in the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and infuse over low heat for 5 minutes. Keep the liquid gently moving, with room beneath the lid.
- Add the 6 g black tea. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, watching the pan. Start your timer when the tea enters the water so the next batch can be compared fairly.
- Add the 250 mL milk. Heat gently for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly hot and steaming. Stir and watch continuously as it heats; milk can rise quickly. Lower the heat or lift the pan away if it starts to climb.
- Remove from the heat and strain into the heat-safe measuring jug. Read the volume. If below 500 mL, add enough hot water to reach 500 mL. If above it, keep the extra as a small additional serving and note the yield.
- Stir in the sugar, taste carefully and divide into mugs. If using exactly 8 g sugar in a 500 mL batch, each equal 250 mL serving contains 4 g added sugar from this addition. Milk or a sweetened plant drink contributes its own sugars.
The times establish a repeatable starting point. Your pan, stove and tea will affect flavor and evaporation. Write down the final volume and what you would change; this is more informative than judging the recipe by color alone.
Download the two-serving chai recipe and adjustment record (plain text) to keep beside your ingredients.
Change one part of the flavor at a time
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| What you taste | Next-batch adjustment | Keep steady for the comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Milk dominates and tea seems weak | Try 7 g tea | Tea time, spices and final volume |
| Harsh or mouth-drying tea | Try a 2-minute tea simmer | Leaf quantity and milk |
| Ginger overwhelms the cup | Reduce ginger to 3 g | Other spices and tea |
| Spice is too strong | Omit cloves or reduce cardamom | Change just one spice first |
| Drink seems thin | Use a milk with a fuller texture | Tea extraction and serving volume |
For a sweeter cup, add a little sugar after tasting and record the total. For a foamy cafe-style finish, reserve a little of the measured milk, heat and froth it separately using your frother's instructions, and include it within the batch rather than adding an unmeasured amount.
Make an immediate-use concentrate
To let two people choose different milks, complete the spice and tea stages with water, then strain. Top the strained tea base up to 250 mL with hot water and divide into two equal portions. Add 125 mL hot milk to each portion. Sweeten each mug separately. This changes the extraction because the tea is removed before the milk stage; treat it as a second recipe and record your preference.
This option is intended for use during the same preparation session. If you keep a perishable prepared drink for later, refrigerate promptly at 40°F / 4°C or below. FDA guidance limits time at room temperature for perishable foods to two hours, or one hour above 90°F / 32°C. Follow FDA food-storage guidance and any milk-package instructions; make a smaller batch when storage is uncertain.
Choose a style, then make it your own
Masala chai recipes vary between households and regions. This version uses a specific spice combination for repeatability, without presenting it as the single traditional formula. Cafe drinks sold as chai lattes also vary in concentrate, sweetness, milk and foam. When ordering, those are useful questions to ask.
Black tea brings caffeine; keep other sources in mind if caffeine affects your sleep or comfort. For a comparison of packaged tea drinks, see the bottled-tea buying guide.