This turmeric chai latte is my go-to cold weather drink for healing digestive discomfort and during flu season. The made-from-scratch chai latte is caffeine-free, dairy-free, and naturally sweetened.
If there is one recipe I definitely can’t live without all winter, it’s my turmeric chai latte. You probably already have all the herbs and spices in your kitchen. And together they are such a powerful combination in terms of their warming, anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. I love my chai latte rich and pungent, and most importantly full of healing goodness. Watch the video below for how to make this turmeric chai latte.
A Little History
Although the word “chai” comes from the Chinese word for tea, the original version of chai was made without tea leaves thousands of years ago as an Ayurvedic healing drink. That’s the way I make mine, completely caffeine-free. However, the combination of herbs and spices used in traditional chai varies from region to region in India.
Tea leaves were added into the drink when tea plants came to India. Then milk and sweetener were added, turning it into a latte, much later in history. What’s commonly known as chai in North America today is also called “spiced chai” or “masala chai”.
Why I Make Chai Latte
When I have a flu or stomach ache, I make my favourite chai latte to get better. It’s so effective, the chai latte is often the first remedy I use during most sicknesses. Even if I only have a subset of the ingredients on hands, it still does wonders for me.
I used to get severe stomach pain in my 20s as soon as the weather cools down in the fall. Once I was in so much pain for 3 days that I couldn’t eat anything. What finally helped was by drinking hot ginger and cinnamon water with a little honey. That was the beginning of me making my own spiced chai and chai latte. Over the years, I gradually added more ingredients that make my body feel better.
I found the drink extremely helpful for getting rid of lingering flu symptoms, when many other natural remedies had not been strong enough. But I also drink it regularly during winter season, when I am not sick at all.
Turmeric Chai Latte Ingredients
I boil the herbs and spices that work the best for me to make the chai. Then I add turmeric powder, full-fat coconut milk and a touch of honey for extra immune boost and to make it taste better.
Here are the ingredients I use in my turmeric chai latte.
- Ginger
- Cinnamon Stick
- Green Cardamom Pods
- Black Peppercorns
- Fennel Seeds
- Whole Cloves
- Bay Leaves
- Filtered Water
- Unpasteurized Honey
- Turmeric Powder
- Coconut Milk (or milk of your choice)
Recipe Notes
- If you don’t have all the spices, you can use a subset of them based on what is available to you, or substitute for other spices commonly used in chai, such as star anise, nutmeg, allspice, and coriander. Note that all the spices don’t offer the same medicinal benefits. Choose what you like, while making chai with different flavour profiles.
- This is a caffeine-free chai recipe. If you want a caffeinated chai, you can add black tea leaves to the herb and spice mix.
- In the latte, I usually add organic coconut milk or coconut cream, or homemade plant milk, such as oat milk and other nut milk. You can also use animal milk if you prefer.
- When making latte, I add honey after turmeric and milk. This is because I use unpasteurized honey and I don’t want to add honey directly into boiling-hot chai that will destroy the good enzymes in honey.
Storage
If you make more chai than you can finish within the day, store the chai in a sealed glass jar in the fridge. You can reheat it later on to either drink it by itself or to make latte with it.
Related: More Healing Teas You Will Love
- Bedtime Calming Tea (TCM, Vegan, Paleo)
- Honeysuckle, Monk Fruit and Chrysanthemum Tea (TCM, Keto, Vegan)
- Easy DIY Floral Tea 3 Ways: Coupling the Healing Power of Teas and Flowers
Related: More Tasty Turmeric Recipes You Will Love
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad in Turmeric Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Paleo)
- Joojeh Kabob (Persian Chicken Kabob)
- Turmeric Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
- Pineapple-Turmeric-Ginger Probiotic Sauerkraut
- No-Cook Golden Milk Coconut Mango Pudding (Paleo, AIP, GAPS)
- Nourishing Lamb and Spinach Curry: Food for Winter
- Anti-inflammatory Garlic Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Aloo Gobi with Shrimp (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
- Loaded Vegan Curry Lentil Soup /w Winter Vegetables
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Turmeric Chai Latte (Caffeine-Free, Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
For Chai
- 3 inches ginger root thinly sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon green cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups filtered water
For Turmeric Chai Latte
- turmeric powder to taste
- coconut milk to taste; or milk of your choice
- unpasteurized honey to taste
Instructions
Making Chai
- In a medium pot, add all of the chai ingredients, including sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, whole cloves, bay leaves, and water.
- Place a lid on the pot, then place the pot on the stove. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to medium. Simmer the chai for 40 minutes.
- Strain the chai through a filter to catch the herbs and spices and let the liquid pass through. Serve the chai tea hot on its own, or use it to make a chai latte.
- You can add the cooked herbs and spices back into a smaller amount of water and reboil them for 20 minutes. The second pot of chai tea may be weaker.
Making Turmeric Chai Latte
- Pour hot chai into a cup but don't fill the cup completely full.
- Add turmeric powder to the cup, stir to mix well. Then add the milk of your choice. Lastly, add the honey. Stir to dissolve the honey. The amount of turmeric, milk and honey should be according to your own taste.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- If you don't have all the spices, you can use a subset of them based on what is available to you, or substitute for other spices commonly used in chai, such as star anise, nutmeg, allspice, and coriander. Note that all the spices don't offer the same medicinal benefits. Choose what you like, while making chai with different flavour profiles.
- This is a caffeine-free chai recipe. If you want a caffeinated chai, you can add black tea leaves to the herb and spice mix.
- In the latte, I usually add organic coconut milk or coconut cream, or homemade plant milk, such as oat milk and other nut milk. You can also use animal milk if you prefer.
- When making latte, I add honey after turmeric and milk. This is because I use unpasteurized honey and I don't want to add honey directly into boiling-hot chai that will destroy the good enzymes in honey.
Nutrition
I want to thank you for this recipe! I’ve made it so many times for me when i’ve been feeling under the weather, and for my friends with different ocasions. We all love it! This tea made my colds, my menstrual pains, better. And I wish I knew about this in my postpartum period, it would have helped with my blues too. Thank you again!