This Blood Orange Chai Tea Latte is the perfect drink for a cold day. It's full of warming spices that mix really well with the fresh orange flavor. Ready in 5 minutes.
I've wanted to share this Blood Orange Chai Tea Latte since last fall but it took me a while to get it just right. When I finally got it, though? Oh boy, it is GOOD.
You'll love this recipe. It takes regular Chai Tea Latte and makes it extra special.
I love the combination of all the Chai spices and orange here, it's such a great warming drink. AND it can be made in less than five minutes! It's creamy, comforting, and truly full of flavor.
Now, let's talk about Chai in general.
What is in a Chai tea?
Chai tea is made with black tea, spices, and usually milk.
You can either brew loose black tea separately and infuse it with whole spices yourself (which makes your house smell amazing) or you can buy Chai tea bags that contain both the black tea and the spices.
CHAI TEA SPICES: lots of cardamom usually blended with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, star anise, and black pepper.
Other less common spices you might find in Chai tea mix are orange zest, nutmeg, and fennel seeds. Each brand will have a slightly different mix of spices and no two will taste the exact same.
Chai tea has almost always some kind of milk added to it to balance the strong flavors. The ginger and black pepper can make the tea too spicy on its own and adding milk makes it milder.
You can use any kind of milk. I like adding cashew milk or almond milk to make vegan chai tea.
The secret ingredient for this particular recipe: Blood Orange Extract! It adds a great citrus flavor and makes a great fruity drink no matter the season.
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Substitutions & Variations
- Milk: You can use any milk you like in this recipe. I personally prefer cashew or almond milk.
- Chai tea: I used Black Tea Chai tea bags in this recipe. You can use Masala Chai, Green Tea Chai, or Rooibos Chai for a caffeine-free drink.
- Sweetener: You can use any liquid or dry sweetener here. My favorites include honey, maple syrup, agave, or Luo Han Guo (sugar-free sweetener). You can use regular cane sugar if you prefer or skip it altogether.
- Blood Orange extract: You can use any regular orange extract you have if you can't find blood orange. DO NOT use orange juice. Orange juice and milk do not mix well and the drink will curdle. The citrus increases the milk's acidity and it curdles. This happens faster when the milk is hot and applies to both dairy and vegan milk.
- Orange Blossom Water: this ingredient is totally optional and there unfortunately isn't any substitute. It just adds another layer of orange flavor but you can omit it and still have a delicious drink
What's the difference between orange blossom water and orange extract?
Orange extract is made from the whole orange fruit. Orange blossom water is made from the petals (blossoms) of the orange tree.
Chai Tea Q&A:
Is Chai tea high in Caffeine?
Chai Tea is made with black tea so it does contain caffeine. It has about ⅓ of the amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. If you're trying to avoid caffeine, try to find a Chai Tea made with Rooibos tea instead of Black tea for a caffeine-free drink.
Is Chai Tea healthy?
Yes, generally speaking. If you don't add too much sweetener, it is healthy. Of course, everything in moderation. Black tea contains antioxidants, may help reduce blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and improve gut health. The spices the the tea make it slightly healthier too. For example, cinnamon is said to lower blood sugar and ginger improves digestion and gut health.
What is Dirty Chai?
Dirty Chai is black tea with a shot (or two) of espresso, milk, and chai spices. You can read all about it in this blog post on The Spruce Eats. It's so informative!
More Chai recipes:
Print📖 Recipe
Blood Orange Chai Tea Latte
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 2 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A fancier version of your regular Chai Latte with the addition of blood orange and orange blossom water. Ready in 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 chai tea bag
- boiling water
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- ¼ blood orange extract
- ½ tsp orange blossom water (optional)
- ½ cashew milk (or sub almond milk)
- Ground cinnamon (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Start by boiling some water.
- Add the chai tea bag into a cup, pour the hot water over it about ¾ way up. Let steep for 5-7 mins.
- Pour the cashew milk into a small pot and bring to a soft simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer only for a few seconds to get it hot. Take off heat and use a handheld milk frother to froth the milk.
- Pull the teabag out of the cup, add the honey, orange extract, and orange blossom water if using into the cup and stir to combine.
- Pour the frothed milk over the tea, sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon if desired, and enjoy!
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Marie says
If you're going to be writing about chai, you should know that 'chai' literally means tea so every time you say 'chai tea' you are actually sayin 'tea tea'. Just call it 'chai' or even 'Masala Chai'.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yes. Forgot to mention that in the post. Chai tea is just a simpler term. One that my audience would most likely search for on Google and understand. Chai actually means tea in Czech too so when I'm back in the Czech Republic ordering a "Chai Tea", it's always funny because I'm saying "tea tea".
Bernice Hill says
What a great flavour spin on classic chai. Orange would really suit many of the spices present in chai and make this treat even more special. I am pinning for later!
Candice says
The orange extract in here is just wonderful! I made it without the orange blossom (my preference) and it's something I'm going to be making regularly. So warming and just the treat I needed. Thanks for the recipe!
Adriana says
A great chai tea idea. It would have never occurred to me to use citrus extract this way; I bet the tea is so comforting.
Marta says
This recipe was delicious! After having my teeth pulled, I needed something comforting. Your recipe delivered the right amount of flavor and warmth. Like a hug in a cup. Thank you!
Kathryn Donangelo says
Chai tea is my favorite and I loved the addition of blood orange! The combination really pairs well with each other and I'm so glad I tried this recipe. Thank you!
Beth says
This chai (notice I didn't say the word tea) looks warming and delicious. I was so curious to know how you kept the orange from curdling the milk - genius idea to use the extract.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
What an amazingly delicious spin on traditional chai tea! I’m so loving the blood orange in this! Absolutely love it!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
We grew up drinking tea in India and it is so interesting to see so many variations of chai. Love the citrusy twist to the chai and honey is the best with it.
Amanda Dixon says
This chai was so cozy and delicious! I love citrus with warm spices, so this was my perfect cup to start the day.