This Chai Smoothie is creamy, flavorful, and perfect for anyone who loves chai lattes! You only need a few ingredients it comes together in just 5 minutes. Add a shot of espresso for a dirty chai latte smoothie!
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Chai is a type of tea that originated in India. It's made by brewing black tea leaves with various spices. The spices tend to vary based on where the tea is from or what brand you buy. You can either buy it as a loose tea or as tea bags. The most common spices in chai are cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Chai latte in a smoothie form - This smoothie tastes just like your favorite latte but in a smoothie form! It has all the classics - chai concentrate (or strongly brewed chai), almond milk, and with added frozen fruit to make it into a smoothie!
Easy and quick - Once you have everything ready, this smoothie can be ready to enjoy in just a couple of minutes! You can make your own Chai Simple Syrup or you can add maple syrup or a few Medjool dates instead to speed things up even more.
Afternoon pick-me-up - It's a great post-workout smoothie or a delicious afternoon snack when you need a little boost of energy. Chai is made with black tea and spices. Black tea has caffeine in it so it may give you a little boost of energy but not as strong as a coffee would which makes this great for an afternoon pick-me-up snack.
Ingredients
- Chai - You can steep your own chai with just chai teabags and water or use chai concentrate. Keep in mind chai concentrate often contains a lot of sugar so adjust the amount of sweetener you add accordingly.
- Banana - Frozen banana is necessary in this smoothie to cool it and thicken it. It makes the smoothie extra creamy as well so I highly recommend not skipping it.
- Apple - This is optional but when you don't have enough frozen banana or you want to add more frozen fruits to thicken up the smoothie without adding ice (which would eventually water it down), add some frozen diced apple! It doesn't change the flavor much but it helps thicken up the smoothie.
- Almond milk - To make the smothie a little creamier, I add some milk along with the chai. You can use any milk you prefer. Boxed coconut milk or whole milk are great options as well.
- Protein powder - To make the smoothie more filling, I usually add some protein powder. Unflavored or vanilla protein powder are great options here. I like using Sprout Living protein.
- Healthy fats - You can add almond butter, cashew butter, coconut butter, any nut butter, or hemp seeds. This is optional.
- Sweetener - If you're using chai tea bags, not a chai concentrate, the smoothie won't be very sweet. I like adding Medjool dates, some maple syrup, honey, or agave. You can even make some homemade Chai Syrup!
- Ground flax - This is optional but it's a great and easy way to add some extra fiber and healthy fats in your diet.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla rounds out all the flavors, I highly recommend adding a little bit. You can also use vanilla paste or vanilla powder if you prefer.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chai spice - This is optional but if your chai isn't very strong and you want to add more chai flavor to your smoothie, you can add some homemade Chai Spice Mix!
- Chai simple syrup - If you want to up the chai flavor even more, you can sweeten the smoothie with homemade Chai Simple Syrup!
- Coffee - Add a shot of espresso for a dirty chai latte smoothie similar to this Iced Dirty Chai Latte. Coffee and chai go really great together and it adds a boost of caffeine for busy mornings!
- Ice - You can add a few ice cubes to cool the smoothie if you don't have enough frozen fruit but ice might water down the smoothie and separate as it sits and it won't make it creamy the same way frozen banana does.
- Yogurt - Add full-fat Greek yogurt or thick vegan coconut yogurt to make the smoothie extra creamy or use it as a substitute for milk if you don't have any.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add everything to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth.
- You can make the smoothie thicker or thinner by adding more frozen bananas, frozen apples, milk, or chai.
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- Serve in a tall glass or in a bowl topped with your favorite toppings.
Serving Suggestions
If you're serving it in a glass and want to make it more fancy, add some whipped cream on top with coarse sugar like turbinado sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon or even some homemade chai spice!
Storing and Make Ahead Options
Storing: Just like any smoothie, this chai smoothie is best enjoyed right away. If necessary, you can store it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours but I don't recommend it.
Chai tea: If you're brewing your own chai instead of using chai concentrate, I highly recommend doing that the night before or at least an hour or two before you make the smoothie. This way the chai is cool and won't melt the banana and apples too much.
Chai syrup: If you're making your own chai syrup, I do highly recommend making it ahead of time! You can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and it's freezer-friendly as well.
FAQs
Protein powder, hemp seeds, almond butter, full-fat yogurt, or flax seeds are a few things you can add to make the smoothie more filling.
I don't recommend refreezing previously frozen fruit but if necessary you can freeze this smoothie in an ice cube tray and use it within 1-2 weeks. Just blend the smoothie cubes with some almond milk.
You can add homemade chai spice or a good strong chai concentrate instead of brewed chai.
Similar Smoothie Recipes
If you're looking for other smoothies with warming spices or something a little more decadent, try the three smoothies below! The mocha one is my all-time favorite! The chocolate and coffee combo is amazing! To see all the latest ones, head over to Smoothies & Juices.
📖 Recipe
Chai Smoothie
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 1x
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blender
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Chai Smoothie is creamy, flavorful, and perfect for anyone who loves chai lattes! Add a shot of espresso for a dirty chai latte smoothie!
Ingredients
- ½ cup strong chai tea (chilled) or ¼ cup chai concentrate*
- ½-1 cup almond milk
- 1-2 frozen bananas
- ½ cup frozen diced apple
- 1 serving protein powder (plain or vanilla, I use Sprout Living protein powder)
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (or 1-2 Medjool dates)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp almond butter (sub any nut butter or hemp seeds)
- 1 tsp ground flax seeds (optional)
- ¼ tsp chai spice (optional)
Instructions
- Add everything to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth.
- You can make the smoothie thicker or thinner by adding more frozen bananas, frozen apples, milk, or chai.
- Serve in a tall glass or in a bowl topped with your favorite toppings.
Equipment
Notes
Chai concentrate: Keep in mind that chai concentrate usually contains sugar so you may need less sweetener to the smoothie. If you steep your own chai using tea bags, you may need to add more sweetener.
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The smoothie is best consumed right away.
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Veronika Sykorova says
Such a delicious fall smoothie, I highly recommend making your own chai spice too either for this smoothie or other chai recipes!