Gingerbread Chai Latte
This homemade Gingerbread Chai Latte tastes like the classic morning beverage, but the addition of gingerbread spice adds even more flavor. Warm yourself up on winter mornings with a steaming mug of gingerbread chai!
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Your Favorite Chai Latte, Made Festive with Gingerbread Flavor!
Making chai tea lattes at home using my homemade chai syrup is so quick and easy. I love that I can make my chai lattes as sweet or spicy as I want simply by adjusting the amount of sugar and spices in the chai syrup.
In the fall, I prefer making pumpkin chai lattes. But by the time the holidays roll around, I’m ready to start sipping gingerbread chai lattes in the morning!
Here’s why this is the perfect Christmas chai latte:
✔ Spiced Gingerbread Cookie Flavor: This recipe tastes like a well-spiced gingerbread cookie in a mug. In addition to the chai syrup, I flavored the chai tea latte with a gingerbread spice blend and real molasses.
✔ Homemade and Store-Bought Options: If you don’t have the time or desire to make the chai syrup and gingerbread spice blend from scratch, then don’t! Swap in your favorite store-bought alternatives and follow the instructions as written.
✔ Enjoy Now or Throughout the Week: This recipe makes four servings, which is perfect if you’re hosting friends and family this holiday season. Or, make a large batch right now and store the leftovers in a glass jug for use throughout the week!
Happy Holidays!
-Katie
The 6 Main Ingredients
You can make your gingerbread chai completely from scratch, or you can use a few store-bought shortcuts. I’ve provided exact measurements in the recipe card below, but let’s review the key ingredients you’ll need to prepare a gingerbread-flavored chai latte.
- Chai Syrup — I love how spicy my homemade chai syrup is, but you can use your favorite store-bought concentrate as well.
- Gingerbread Spice — Is so simple to make at home, otherwise use a store blend.
- Water — From the tap is a-okay.
- Molasses — Use light unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses.
- Black Tea — Use regular black tea for this recipe, not chai tea. The chai syrup and gingerbread spice mix will add lots of spiced flavor, so you don’t need chai tea bags! You’ll need either 6 tea bags or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf tea.
- Milk — I’ve tested this recipe with both dairy milk and Oatly oat milk. Both taste great!
How to Make a Gingerbread Chai Latte
- Stir together the chai syrup, gingerbread spice, water, and molasses in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Let sit and steep for 10 minutes before discarding the tea bags.
- Turn the heat back to low and add 1 ⅔ cups of the milk; stir to combine. Warm on the stove until it is hot, then when warm remove from heat.
- While the tea mixture is warming on the stove, use a frothing wand and frothing cup to froth the remaining 1 ⅓ cups of milk. Divide between four mugs. Dust the tops of the frothed milk with extra gingerbread spice before serving.
Katie’s Tip: For added holiday flair, garnish each mug with a soft gingersnap cookie or a miniature gingerbread man.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The chai syrup can be made several weeks in advance (store it in the fridge!), and the gingerbread spice mix lasts for months in an airtight container.
The entire gingerbread chai tea latte can be prepared as instructed, then stored in an airtight jar in the fridge. It will last up to 5 days and can be gently reheated on the stove or in the microwave. Each serving takes ⅓ cup of milk for frothing.
Tips for Making this Recipe
- Selecting your milk. I’ve made this recipe with both dairy milk and oat milk (which is what Starbucks uses). I did not test any nut milks or soy milk. If using a milk alternative, I recommend plain unsweetened for best results. I don’t recommend using skim dairy milk.
- For a stronger gingerbread flavor, feel free to use more gingerbread spice and/or more molasses. As written, you can taste hints of chai and hints of gingerbread and neither flavor overpowers the other in this recipe.
- Don’t want to froth the milk? You can simply warm all of the milk with the gingerbread chai mixture and divide between four mugs.
Recipe Variations to Try
- Dirty gingerbread chai — Add 1 shot of espresso to each serving.
- Iced gingerbread chai — Prepare the recipe as instructed, but don’t heat the mixture up again after adding the milk. Let it cool slightly, then pour over ice and top with frothed milk and a dusting of gingerbread spice.
- Gingerbread oat milk chai — Replace the dairy milk with an equal amount of unsweetened oat milk (I prefer Oatly oat milk). The Starbucks gingerbread chai latte is made with oat milk, so this will give you a true copycat Starbucks flavor.
- Pumpkin chai latte — Swap the gingerbread spice mix for pumpkin pie spice. (Or just follow my pumpkin chai latte recipe!)
Love gingerbread drinks around the holidays? Make Gingerbread Martinis for the 21+ crowd at your upcoming holiday party!
More Hot Winter Drinks
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Gingerbread Chai Latte Recipe
This homemade gingerbread chai latte features the classic flavors of chai tea, with the addition of gingerbread spice for even more flavor. Warm yourself up on winter mornings with a steaming mug of gingerbread chai!
Ingredients
- ½ cup chai syrup (homemade or store-bought)
- 4 teaspoons gingerbread spice
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup molasses (not blackstrap)
- 6 black tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose black tea)
- 3 cups milk, divided
Optional Garnishes
- Gingerbread spice
- Gingersnaps
- Mini gingerbread men cookies
Instructions
- Prepare the chai syrup and gingerbread spice if you don’t have both on hand already.
- Add the chai syrup, gingerbread spice, water, and molasses to a heavy bottomed saucepan; stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Let sit and steep for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the tea bags, squeezing to release any absorbed liquid, and discard.
- Turn heat back to low and add 1 ⅔ cup of the milk; stir to combine. Warm on the stove until it is hot, then when warm remove from heat.
- While the tea mixture is warming on the stove, use an immersion blender or a hand frother to froth the remaining 1 ⅓ cup of milk.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the hot tea mixture, dividing between 4 mugs or glasses, then divide the frothed milk between the glasses, pouring over top . (Straining is optional and only needed if you use loose tea. Otherwise use a tea infuser for loose tea.)
- Add a small amount of gingerbread spice mix to a fine mesh strainer, then dust the tops of the frothed milk with the spice mix before serving. Garnish Tip: For extra flair, you can lay a gingerbread stencil over top and then sprinkle the gingerbread spice garnish so you have a garnish shaped like a gingerbread man on top.
Notes
Selecting your milk — I’ve made this recipe with both dairy milk and oat milk (which is what Starbucks uses). I did not test any nut milks or soy milk. If using milk alternative, I recommend plain unsweetened for best results. I don’t recommend using skim dairy milk.
Want to make a dirty gingerbread chai? Add 1 shot of espresso to each serving.
Want to make an iced gingerbread chai? Prepare the recipe as instructed, but don’t heat the mixture up again after adding the milk. Let it cool slightly, then pour over ice and top with frothed milk and a dusting of gingerbread spice.
Make ahead instructions: You can make a large batch and store in a glass jug for use throughout the week. Then all you have to do is heat up a mug and froth some milk for on top of each serving. Each serving takes ⅓ cup of milk for frothing.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 180mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 0gSugar: 33gProtein: 7g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Try Making a Gingerbread Chai Tea Latte at Home!
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