Best Iced Masala Chai Recipes

ICED MASALA CHAI

Steps:

• Bring the peppercorns, cardamom pods, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and 4 cups cold water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags and let steep 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags, strain the tea mixture into a large measuring cup and discard the spices. Let the tea mixture cool at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, then chill completely in the refrigerator, about 1 hour.
• To serve, fill 4 tall glasses with ice. Divide the chilled tea mixture among them. Whisk the sweetened condensed milk and milk together in a small bowl or large measuring cup until smooth, then pour 1/4 cup into each glass. Stir and serve immediately.

ICED CHAI

Steps:

• Add the water to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, add the tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes.
• Remove the tea bags and stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a pitcher and chill until cold. Serve over ice.

MASALA CHAI

Steps:

• Bring the water and milk to a boil in a saucepot. Add the remaining ingredients, except honey turn the heat down to a simmer, cover, and steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain*. Add honey and mix well. Store in refrigerator. Can be served hot or cold.
• *Note if using a glass pitcher, make sure to thoroughly warm the pitcher before adding hot chai.

EASY MASALA CHAI RECIPE

Steps:

• Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and cloves to the bowl of a mortar (or cutting board) and use pestle (or heavy pan) to slightly crush the spices. You aren't pulverizing into a powder, just slightly crushing into small pieces (see photo).
• To a medium saucepan add crushed spices, water, and grated (or sliced) ginger and bring to a boil over high heat. (Note: For a less gingery chai, reduce amount of ginger and slice rather than grating). Then reduce heat slightly to medium/medium-low and maintain a simmer for 15 minutes or until it reduces by about one-third.
• Add tea (loose leaf or bags) and dairy-free milk of choice (we love light canned coconut) and lower heat to low. Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Then turn off heat and let steep for 5 minutes more (covered) or longer for deeper flavor.
• Add sweetener of choice to taste (we prefer stevia or maple syrup, but sugar is more traditional). Strain through a fine mesh strainer before serving.
• Keep strained, cooled leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in a milk frother. Not freezer friendly.

ICED CHAI

Steps:

• Coarsely crush cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle, then partially grind seeds. Transfer to a plate. Grind peppercorns with mortar and pestle until about medium-coarse; transfer to same plate.
• Rinse a medium pot (about 9" diameter) with water (this helps keep the milk from scorching). Combine milk, cardamom pods and seeds, pepper, and ginger in pot and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, scraping sides and bottom of pot occasionally with a heatproof rubber spatula. When foam starts to rise, cook 20 seconds, scraping spices from sides of pot (some plant-based milks won't foam; simply cook 30 seconds from boiling). Reduce heat to low to allow foam to die down, then increase heat to medium-low and simmer, scraping bottom and sides of pot occasionally and adjusting heat as need to keep foam from rising, until milk is light tan in color from spices, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in tea and simmer, scraping pot occasionally and adjusting heat as needed, until milk is deep tan and reduced by one third, about 4 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring glass, pressing on solids with spatula. (Soak pot in hot water immediately to help with cleaning.) You should have 2 cups chai concentrate; return chai to pot and simmer another minute to reduce further if needed. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Place ice in a large heatproof bowl with a spout or a large heatproof pitcher. Immediately pour hot chai over ice. Stir until ice is almost completely melted (larger cubes may take longer), about 2 minutes. Taste chai and add up to 2 Tbsp. cold water or 1 Tbsp. simple syrup (dissolve 2-4 tsp. sugar in 2 tsp. warm water) if needed. Serve in glasses filled with fresh ice if desired.
• Do ahead: Chai can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.

MASALA CHAI

Steps:

• For the infusion, put the cardamom seeds in a pestle and mortar, along with the cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns, and bash to release the oils - you don't want to make a powder. Tip into a pan and stir in the ginger and black tea leaves.
• Pour in 400ml water and bring to a very gentle simmer over a low heat, to allow the tea to infuse before it starts to boil. Stir in the milk and sugar or syrup to taste, and remove from the heat. Leave to infuse for 2 mins before straining into mugs.