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!
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).
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
Train up a child in the way that they should go –
and make sure you go that way, too!
Saw on Facebook courtesy of Janie Upchurch. Thanks Janie!
This is absolutely delicious! Just made it and my husband came walking by and asked what I was drinking as he picked up my cup to take a sip. His eyes lit up and said, “That is really good!” He immediately went and made himself a cup! Thank you SO much for this recipe! Oh yes, the Cranberry Banana Bread is a HUGE hit in this house! Last Christmas we made two loaves daily while my daughter and son-in-law were here from LA! DELICIOUS!
Oh WOW!! I am so glad to hear you are enjoying the tea, it is one of my very favorites!!
Can’t wait to try this – looks yummy! Loved meeting you this evening in Chattanooga, Christy – thank you for coming, and for being so welcoming!!!
It was so great meeting you Joy!!!!!
I could not find a way to make a comment on this recipe so hope this works. I just got this recipe last week. I went and purchased the things and mixed them. The thing is it is so sweet it sort of makes my teeth ache. I am used to using honey as my sweetener, but you can’t put a liquid in the mix. I wonder if I cut way back on the sugar if it would work. Or maybe make another batch without sugar and mix them. Any thoughts? Thanks
Hey Konnie,
Sorry you had issues with it! There is actually no sugar in this recipe so please make sure you’re using the recipe above. Maybe you commented on the wrong page? I’m not sure. Either way, you can definitely cut back on the sweetener as much as you like. I would suggest (if you are talking about the chai mix) that you make another batch and don’t add sweetener, then mix it with the batch you have already made. That will cut the sweetness in half. Note to anyone reading this: I don’t like sweet sweet drinks and this recipe, as it is written, is just right to my tastebuds – but it’s all relative! 🙂
It says 2 1/2 cups sugar or splenda
I’m sorry, I’m thinking of how I make it 🙂 I’ve never made it with actual sugar. I still think the idea of mixing one batch with no sweetener with the one you have could save the day 🙂
Thanks for that. I will try it. I believe that I will really like it without the sweet.
I ONLY USE LESS THAT 1 CUP OF SPLENDA AND IT’S JUST RIGHT FOR ME.
I love it so much that I made a double batch!
I am going to make this, I love Chai and the brand I usually by is $9.99 for an 8 oz container… I have use that brand mixing about 4 tablespoons into a conatiner of thawled cool whip for a yummy frosting.
I know the chai tea is a new phenomenon to you guys, I am a transplanted Yankee and introduced my own southern ladies to hot tea. But are you aware that they have always made chai tea bags?? All you have to do is make a hot cup of chai tea and sweeten and add a dollop of milk. That is it. It solves the dilemma of coffee creamers not being truly sugar free. I recommend Stash Tea brand Chai. Very flavorful. I hope this helps, and I still plan on making some of this one for gifts. 🙂
My dream retirement involves traveling domestically and internationally to function on environmental causes.
I have never had artificial sweeteners and have too much mistrust to start using it. So I will probably use sugar. But I much prefer eating dark sugar rather than white sugar. I wonder how this recipe will taste using dark sugar. Really dark sugar is totally incomparable in taste to white sugar. I just don’t think I can put 2.5 cups of that insipid white stuff in the mix and expect to like it. So my first batch I will be using dark sugar.
I have been looking at webpages at vanilla chai recipes and am very interested in your recipe. I realized it was the vanilla-type chai that has me hooked, from testing the Arkadia brand from the supermarket. It is a lovely taste, the taste that first got me onto chai many years ago but I am looking at the ingredients and there is hardly one ingredient that I recognize. They are not names of spices that are known but a string of ghastly ingredients that any health-conscious person naturally avoids. I feel like throwing out the jar despite it being tasty. I must get onto your recipe. I have just thought – making a batch of your chai sounds like a great gift for someone! Thankyou for your recipe.