Iced Matcha Chai Latte

Name: Iced Matcha Chai Latte
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 15 cardamom pods (4g); 1 cinnamon stick (6g); 20 whole cloves; ½-1 tsp whole black peppercorns (25 peppercorns); 1 tsp fennel seeds; ½ tsp coriander seeds (40 seeds); 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced or chopped (see notes on how to peel); 1 ½ cup water; 1 cup maple syrup; 2 tsp vanilla extract; ½ oz vodka (optional as a preservative); ½ cup water; 1 tsp matcha powder; ½ cup almond milk; Ice cubes; 1-2 tbsp chai syrup

Why This Recipe Works

Chai and matcha are a match made in heaven - It might sound dramatic but it's one of my most favorite flavor combos EVER. It's so good! I was sold the first time I tried it at Starbucks. Definitely my favorite way to drink matcha!

It's delicious both hot and cold - I always make my matcha iced (same as coffee), even if it's freezing cold outside, but this drink is just as delicious made hot. Steam your milk or warm it up on the stove and froth, and pour your hot matcha and the syrup over it.

Better than Starbucks - I don't think many people know about this drink but it's one of my favorites to order whenever I go. It's not on their menu but it's fairly popular. What I order is a venti matcha latte with almond milk, no liquid cane sugar, three pumps of chai syrup, and two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup. It's really easy to make a homemade version and it comes out just as delicious as the Starbucks one!

You control how much sugar goes in - Making your coffee or matcha at home in the morning helps you control the amount of sweetener you add to your drink. The Starbucks matcha is a mix of green tea and sugar and most of their dairy-free milk alternatives have added sugar too. At home, you can control how much sugar you add and avoid sugars you don't even know about.

You can use the chai syrup in other recipes - I'll be sharing more drinks you can make with this syrup and will link them here as I do. You can make a double spiced chai latte (use both chai teabags and chai syrup), use the syrup on pancakes or waffles, add it to cocktails, or use it to sweeten your coffee. It's really good in a latte with espresso and oat milk!

Matcha latte in a tall glass with a glass straw on light beige background.

Ingredients Notes

Chai spices - To make the syrup you'll need whole spices so you can strain them out. You'll need cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander, fennel, and black pepper. You'll also need fresh ginger. I'm using fresh because dried ginger isn't very common and powder would stay in the syrup and make it more gingery as it sits.
Maple syrup - The syrup can be made with any kind of sugar but I like using maple syrup because I find it goes really well with the chai flavors. Honey, cane sugar, or coconut sugar also work. If you have a sugar alternative you like, for example, erythritol, you can use that too!
Vanilla extract - This is optional but highly recommended! Vanilla goes really well with all the spices and rounds out the flavors really well. I believe the Tazo chai concentrate that Starbucks uses for their lattes also has vanilla.
Matcha powder - There are a lot of brands out there, I haven't found my favorite one yet but a good rule to go by is that if it's too cheap, it's best avoided. Matcha can get expensive and cheaper brands are sometimes bitter and not as good or fresh.
Almond milk - I prefer almond milk with matcha but any milk works. I like frothing it to make it fancier. I like the Nespresso milk frother but you can use a handheld milk frother too, it's cheap and works great!

Ingredients for matcha latte and chai syrup laid out on a metal background.

Step-by-Step Instructions

First, you'll make the chai syrup. It's a super simple process. I like toasting the spices before simmering them with water and the sweetener to make the flavors stronger and slightly toasty but you can totally skip that step!

Whole chai spices on a baking sheet on the left and spices with maple syrup in a saucepan on the right.

Add the spices to a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350F (175C) for 5 minutes. This step is optional. Be careful not to burn them, it's better to not toast them at all than to burn them!

Transfer the toasted spices to a saucepan and add maple syrup and water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the vanilla about 5 minutes towards the end. The mixture will reduce and thicken slightly.

Chai syrup after cooking in a saucepan on the left and strained in a glass on the right.

You can let the syrup sit with the spices for extra 5 minutes off the heat to make the flavors stronger or you can strain it right away. Transfer the syrup into a glass jar, wait until it's completely cool before closing, and store in the fridge.

The syrup will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to be sure it doesn't go bad, you can add 1 oz vodka. It won't taste like alcohol or make you tipsy but it will help the syrup to stay fresh longer.

Chai syrup and matcha tea being poured into a tall glass with ice and milk.

FAQs

Can I use a sugar substitute?

Yes! You can use any sugar or syrup that can be used in a 1:1 ratio. Great alternatives are honey, coconut sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, date sugar, coconut nectar, agave, erythritol, or other sweeteners. If you want to use stevia, you'd have to add more water to make up for the amount of sweetener you're skipping and it will be very watery.

Can I use a Chai concentrate instead?

Yes, definitely. The Tazo Chai concentrate is a great option. That's what Starbucks uses but for this drink, they have chai syrup. The concentrate is already sweet but depending on your preference, you might have to add a bit of maple syrup or honey.

Does matcha have caffeine?

Yes. One teaspoon of matcha powder has approximately 65mg of caffeine. This will slightly vary based on the brand and source. Starbucks matcha has less caffeine per scoop because it's a mix of sugar and matcha.

Matcha latte in a tall glass with a glass straw,matcha is floating on top of the milk.

📖 Recipe

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