This sweet and spiced chai is a cross between gingery masala chai and rich hot cocoa—truly the best of both cozy drink worlds. This recipe uses a blend of ginger, green cardamom, and cinnamon to invoke the classic flavors of masala chai but feel free to play with the spices to your liking. As always with chai, using a good quality black tea is imperative for a strongly steeped tea. We recommend PG Tips or Tetley British Blend tea bags. To bring out those floral chocolaty notes, we add vanilla extract for aroma and honey to sweeten.
What you’ll need
Mortar and Pestle
$24 At Amazon
Medium Saucepan
$50 $39 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$13 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
1
1
10
4
¼
2
2
¼
1½
Special equipment
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Crush one 2" piece ginger, scrubbed, one 3" cinnamon stick, and 10 green cardamom pods with mortar and pestle. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add 4 black tea bags (such as Tetley British Blend or PG Tips), ¼ cup honey, 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, ¼ tsp. kosher salt, and 4 cups water. Place saucepan over medium heat and bring liquid to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour in 1½ cups whole milk, stir to combine, and return to a boil.
Step 2
Immediately strain chai through a fine-mesh sieve into mugs; discard spices and tea bags.