Creamy, cozy, and gently spiced, this Rooibos Chai Latte gives you everything you love about a chai latte without any of the caffeine. Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and star anise simmer right on the stove with naturally sweet rooibos tea, then it all gets finished with vanilla, a drizzle of maple syrup, and steamed milk. Coffee-shop cozy, made at home with nothing fancier than a saucepan.
In This Post
💬 Why This Recipe Works In My Kitchen
Fall is my favorite time of year, and the smell of cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise simmering in my kitchen reminds me of everything I love about the season. That's really why I make this chai. A warm, creamy cup at the end is a pretty nice bonus!
I simmer the whole spices right in the pot with rooibos so their flavor has time to come through. Then a splash of vanilla and real maple syrup rounds it all out. Warm, sweet, spicy, and just the kind of cozy I'm looking for.
The rooibos is naturally caffeine-free, too, so I can enjoy a cup in the evening. But it's that fall-spice smell that keeps me coming back to this recipe. My daughter who isn't much of a coffee or tea drinker, loves this Rooibos Chai Latte.
Simply Made, Fully Flavored!
Ingredients You Need
🛒 Whole Serving Shortcut Ingredients
- fresh tubed ginger paste
Fresh Food Ingredient:
- milk
- water
🥫Pantry Staples
- rooibos tea
- cinnamon sticks
- whole cloves
- cardamom seeds
- star anise
- peppercorns
- vanilla extract
- maple syrup or honey
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Rooibos Chai Tea Concentrate
Toast the spices: Using the flat side of a knife or the back of a spoon, gently crack the cloves and peppercorns. Add the cloves and peppercorns along with the other spices to a dry medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and toast for 1-2 minutes, just until you can smell them.
Simmer the concentrate: Carefully pour in the 4 ½ cups of water (it may sizzle a little) and whisk in the ginger paste. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Steep the rooibos: Turn off the heat, add the rooibos, cover, and let it steep for 10-15 minutes. A longer steep is an easy way to get a stronger flavor. (Rooibos doesn't turn bitter the way black tea can.)
Strain and season: Pour the concentrate through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar or large measuring cup, pressing gently on the tea and spices. A few tiny bits of ginger may slip through, and that's totally fine. Stir in the vanilla. Taste it, then add maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time until it tastes just right to you.
Heat and froth the milk: In a clean saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk until it's steaming with small bubbles around the edge. Then froth it, just tilt the pan slightly, dip the frother in, and froth for 20-30 seconds until it's light and foamy. No frother? Whisk hard for about 30 seconds instead. I used an electric frother for my milk.
Build your latte: Fill each mug about halfway with hot concentrate, top with the hot milk, and spoon the foam over the top. You can also serve your latte cold or over ice. Simply froth without heat. Before serving you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
Beginner Cook Checkpoints
- Toasting the spices: Toasting just means warming whole spices in a dry pan to wake up their flavor. After 1-2 minutes they should smell warm and fragrant. If you see smoke or they smell sharp and burnt, start over. Burnt spices make the whole batch bitter.
- Simmer, don't boil: You want small gentle bubbles in the pot, not a rolling boil. A hard boil cooks off too much water and leaves you with less concentrate. Turn the heat down until it just barely bubbles.
- The color: Don't worry when the concentrate turns a deep reddish-brown. That's the natural color of rooibos, and it turns a pretty caramel color once the milk goes in.
- Taste before you sweeten: Rooibos is naturally a little sweet, so taste the strained concentrate first. Then add maple syrup, honey, or sweetener of your choice 1 tablespoon at a time until it tastes right for you.
- Milk temperature: Heat the milk until it's steaming with small bubbles around the edge. If it boils, it can scorch on the bottom of the pan and taste flat. (Using an electric frother? It takes care of the temperature for you.)
What To Serve With Your Rooibos Chai Latte
- Something baked: Warm Chai Apple Crumble Muffins are a natural match since they share the same cozy spices.
- A cozy brunch: Pair it with my Apple cinnamon Baked Oatmeal, which can be baked ahead of time.
- After dinner: Serve it after dinner instead of coffee.
Get Recipe Updates & Helpful Meal Prep Tips!
Storage and Reheat
Refrigerator: Pour the strained concentrate into a sealed jar and keep it in the fridge for 5-7 days. Keep it separate from the milk and only mix what you're going to drink.
Reheating: Warm the concentrate gently in a small saucepan or the microwave until it's steaming, then top with hot milk. Don't let it boil.
FAQ
No, traditional chai is made with black tea, which has caffeine. This version uses rooibos instead, so you get all those cozy chai spices without the caffeine.
Yes. Use unsweetened oat or almond milk, and stick with maple syrup, since honey isn't vegan.
Whole dairy milk and barista-style oat milk froth the most reliably. Almond milk will be thinner but still delicious.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 star anise
- ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
- 15 whole peppercorns
- 4 ½ cups fresh water
- 2 tsp fresh ginger paste
- 16 Rooibos tea bags or ⅓ cup if using loose leaf tea
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey or sweetener of your choice
- milk or alternative milk of your choice
Instructions
- Toast the spices: Using the flat side of a knife or the back of a spoon, gently crack the cloves and peppercorns. Add the cloves and peppercorns along with the other spices to a dry medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and toast for 1-2 minutes, just until you can smell them.
- Simmer the concentrate: Carefully pour in the 4 ½ cups of water (it may sizzle a little) and whisk in the ginger paste. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Steep the rooibos: Turn off the heat, add the rooibos, cover, and let it steep for 10-15 minutes. A longer steep is an easy way to get a stronger flavor. (Rooibos tea doesn't turn bitter the way black tea can.)
- Strain and season: Pour the concentrate through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar or large measuring cup, pressing gently on the tea and spices. A few tiny bits of ginger may slip through, and that's totally fine. Stir in the vanilla. Taste it, then add maple syrup, honey, or sweetener of your choice 1 tablespoon at a time until it tastes just right to you.
- Heat and froth the milk: In a clean saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk until it's steaming with small bubbles around the edge. Then froth it, just tilt the pan slightly, dip the frother in, and froth for 20-30 seconds until it's light and foamy. No frother? Whisk hard for about 30 seconds instead. I used an electric frother for my milk.
- Build your latte: Fill each mug about halfway with hot concentrate, top with the hot milk, and spoon the foam over the top. Add a garnish if you like with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
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