Best Ever Vanilla Chai Mix – Sounds Southern if you say it right :)

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In the mood for more traditional Southern cooking? Click here to check out Crispy Breaded Pork Chops with MeMe’s Mashed Potatoes and Milk Gravy, or try some fried cabbage and Sweet and Sour Green Beans. For dessert, how about peanut butter  or  coconut pie? YUM! Now that we’ve done all that mental cooking, it’s time to sit down with a nice hot drink….

A few months back I met my friend Lisa in a local coffee shop for a little chat and when I got there she had ordered me their Spiced Vanilla Chai. I had never had this stuff before and one sip had me leaping over the moon, it was so good! I was really surprised that it wasn’t coffee because it has such body to it and depth of flavors. It was like a perfectly baked ginger cookie dipped into perfectly made coffee – I was in heaven. Lisa was quick to tell me that this Chai was exceptional and not to get it anywhere else expecting it to be this good. She told me not to even attempt to try it at Starbucks because theirs can’t come close. I took another sip as my eyes just about rolled back in my head it was so good!

However, I don’t drink sugar for a multitude of reasons so when the lady behind the counter told me she couldn’t make it sugar free, I was pretty disappointed. Good thing I don’t give up too easily!

Me and Kelly 🙂

I set about on a mission to recreate their recipe. Since they could only make it one particular way I assumed they were using a mix of some sort, and it had to be one they made themselves to boot. At first I started making tea and adding in little spices here and there, but then I tried out several recipes online and eventually found myself at my friend Kelly’s blog. Lo and behold, Kelly’s recipe turned out to be an exact flavor match.

The great thing about this recipe is that I could easily make it sugar free (or significantly lower in sugar) and that is what I’m bringing you today. If you’d like Kelly’s original recipe please click here to visit that and be sure and tell her I sent ya! I want to thank her for generously giving me permission to share her recipe with you today.

Update: Mama and I were out of town recently and I brought a little jar of this mix with me. Mama really doesn’t like hot tea at all. I know that seems odd to 90% of the world’s population but you’ve got to understand that where I’m from we only drink tea iced all our lives so the thought of suddenly drinking it hot really does strike us as odd, but like I said, this stuff tastes so much like coffee that I just knew she’d love it. So that morning I ran some hot water through the little coffee machine in our room and made her a cup. She took one sip and said “Are you serious? This is really tea?” Since then I’ve made her two batches of this mix. She and I have both got to drinking it more than we do coffee. I told her I was going to do this tutorial yesterday and she said “Well if you’re going to be making some more I’m down to only half a jar…”

You’ll need: Powdered milk, Ideal Sweetener*, Instant unsweetened tea, Sugar Free French Vanilla Creamer, and non dairy coffee creamer.

*You can use regular sugar or splenda in place of the Ideal Sweetener. I found Ideal at Krogers packaged under their own label, but with “Ideal” listed on the front.

You’re also gonna need a lot of spices, but they’re what MAKE this tea so stinking good.

Ginger, Allspice, Cloves, Nutmeg, White Pepper, Cinnamon, and Cardamom*.

Go for the cheap here wherever you can. I know some folks really get a thrill out of spending $20 plus on a little bottle of spices and if you’re in that camp, knock yourself out. I cruise the store brands and sale bins for mine. Nothing but the cheapest for my family! ~grins~

*Now this cardamom is going to cost a fortune. I spent around ten dollars for my bottle. However, you’ll have enough of it to make several batches. I have no idea how many times I’ve made this and I’m still using the same bottle.

 

 

Place all ingredients into a food processor.

Now this is where you decide if you like stronger or weaker beverages. If you prefer stronger flavors, use heaping measurements with your spices. I use heaping teaspoons, rather than teaspoons. If you prefer your flavors a little milder, use the exact measurements listed in the recipe.

 

Once you have all ingredients in your food processor, put the lid on that puppy and get ready to make some mix!

I’m using my workhorse Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Food Processor. They now have a deluxe version that is even less expensive than mine was (click here to see it).

I’ve had this for a few years now and really put it through the ringer and it’s held up like a champ.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can also use a blender but you may need to make it in smaller batches to have room. Just put your tea, spices, and powdered milk in first and mix those up really good, then you can stir the rest in by hand.

 

This is what it will look like when done.

Now, just store this in an airtight container to keep fresh.

I like to put mine in little 8 ounce canning jars so I can have one or two to give away to friends.

To make your chai, simply add two heaping tablespoons of mix to 8 ounces of hot water or milk and stir (I use hot water).

Vanilla Chai Mix

The great thing about this recipe is that I could easily make it sugar free (or significantly lower in sugar) and that is what I'm bringing you today. If you'd like Kelly's original recipe please click here to visit that and be sure and tell her I sent ya! I want to thank her for generously giving me permission to share her recipe with you today.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vanilla
Servings: 4
Calories: 100kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Non Fat Dry Milk Powder
  • 1 Cup Powdered Non Dairy Creamer Coffee Mate
  • 1 Cup Sugar Free French Vanilla Powdered Non Dairy Creamer
  • 2-1/2 Cups Ideal Sweetener Splenda, or Sugar
  • 1-1/2 Cups Unsweetened Instant Tea can use Decaf
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a food processor or large blender. Blend until it is a fine powder. Store in airtight container.
  • To make Vanilla Chai, add two to three tablespoons of mix to 8 ounces of hot water or milk (I use hot water).

Makes about 6 cups of mix. For more information about substitutions and ingredients, please see the recipe post.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 100kcal
    Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

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    240 Comments

    1. I’ve never tasted chai tea before, but I love giving drink mixes as gifts. This is one I’m definitely going to try! Do you think it would taste as good without the nutmeg? That’s one spice on my “don’t like” list.

      1. 5 stars
        I have loved this recipe for years! It has been the
        Christmas gift my friends ask for each year. They even bring back the jars to be refilled too!

        Problem is…..I cannot get the unsweetened instant tea anymore. It has not been available in Canada all along and I have purchased it when we visit the USA. Now I cannot find it in USA or on Amazon.(unless you want to pay $137.00 for one jar). Can anyone point me to a new source?

        1. Have you a Bulk Barn near you? They have it listed on their site as something they sell. They don’t list their prices online but they’re usually pretty reasonable. Bulk Barns are generally located near Wal-Marts, so they’re easy to find. Good luck!

    2. And…you should totally take a couple servings and the recipe back to that coffee shop and show them that it can be sugar free, ;o)

    3. Well…..I am also of the camp that says hot tea is GROSS and I will only drink it when I am sick.

      Gonna give this a chance. Mainly because the cold brewed coffee concentrate was so amazing, but also because I think I have everything on hand already except the vanilla creamer from making homemade hot cocoa mix to give as gifts at Christmas, ;o)

    4. This sounds great!! Now, I know you are all about making things your own (which is one of the MANY things I just love about you!), but I do have to say, I’m not a fan of Nutmeg… would it make a huge difference if I left it out?

      1. Hey Casey, I’m *really* *really* not a fan of nutmeg, which just makes us have even more in common! Usually, whenever a recipe calls for nutmeg I just double the cinnamon or replace it with cinnamon instead. However, in this, I use it because all of the spices are kinda strong and work together so the nutmeg doesn’t stand out. However, leave it out, or double the cinnamon if you like! I totally feel ya on that usually ucky spice, lol!

    5. May I just say that this is the 2nd thing to make my day today! I love Vanilla Chai…started drinking it at Dunkin Donuts when we did a stint in Boston but had to just really stop the sugary drinks as well (if only I could stop the sugary foods now!!). This is a perfect recipe and one I am going to have to do soon. Maybe today! Thanks for perserving until you figured it out. 🙂

      1. Just made this decaf and sugar free and I’m one happy mom – having a quiet refreshing moment. Thank you for this great recipe.

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