Last verified 17 September 2026
Copycat Chai Latte Recipe
How to build the 7 Brew Chai Latte at home — 5 ingredients, 12 minutes, 182 calories a serving, and roughly $1.96 cheaper per drink than the $4.61 you would pay at the window. This is the recipe I keep coming back to when I am not standing in line.
What you are aiming for — a Chai Latte off the board. The stand's Medium is 182 calories; this version comes in at 182.
A Chai Latte is a chai build. Most home chai lattes taste thin because people steep the spices in milk. Spices give up their oils to hot water, not to hot milk — simmer in water first, then add the dairy.
At a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 4 minutes |
| Cook time | 8 minutes |
| Total time | 12 minutes |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Yield | 1 drink (16 oz) |
| Calories (per serving) | 182 kcal |
| Sugar | 31 g |
| Caffeine | 37 mg |
| Home cost | $2.65 |
| Stand price (Medium) | $4.61 |
| You save | $1.96 (43%) |
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp loose chai or 2 chai bags
- 120 ml water
- 240 ml whole milk
- 1 tbsp loose chai or 2 chai bags
- a cinnamon dusting
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Milk frother or whisk
- 16 oz mug
How to make it
- Put 1 tbsp of loose chai (or 2 bags) in a saucepan with 120 ml of water and bring it to a bare simmer.
- Simmer for 8 minutes. Spices give up their oils to hot water, not to hot milk — this is the step people skip.
- Add 240 ml of whole milk and bring it back to 65 °C. Do not let it boil over.
- Take it off the heat, stir in 1 tbsp loose chai or 2 chai bags and let it sit for 1 minute.
- Strain into a mug if you used loose spice, then froth the surface with a whisk for 15 seconds.
- Finish with a cinnamon dusting and a light dusting of cinnamon or cardamom.
Tips that actually matter
- Simmer the spices in water for 8 minutes before any milk goes in.
- Do not boil after the milk is added — it scalds and splits.
- Cardamom and ginger should lead; cinnamon is a background note.
Variations
- Dirty chai: add a shot of espresso.
- Iced chai: steep double strength, then pour over ice.
- Vanilla chai: 1 tsp of vanilla syrup.
What it costs to make at home
| Component | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp loose chai or 2 chai bags | $0.55 |
| 120 ml water | $0.48 |
| 240 ml whole milk | $0.35 |
| 1 tbsp loose chai or 2 chai bags | $0.35 |
| a cinnamon dusting | $0.35 |
| Total per serving | $2.65 |
| Stand price (Medium 24 oz) | $4.61 |
| Saving per drink | $1.96 |
Costs assume supermarket prices and a syrup bottle amortised over roughly 25 drinks. The first drink is more expensive than $2.65 because you are buying the bottle; by the fifth drink you are clearly ahead.
How this recipe compares
Across all 46 copycat recipes on this site, this one is the 45th fastest at 12 minutes and the 7th lightest at 182 calories — 120 calories below the 302-calorie average.
Same technique (chai)
More Tea & Chai recipes
Verified · prices & nutrition are estimates — confirm at your stand