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Author:
Franco Salzillo
I don’t take the word ‘ultimate’ lightly, but this is really the ultimate dirty chai latte recipe on the web. It’s not me, and I’ll prove it.
If you’re here, it means that you’ve probably browsed a few dirty chai latte recipes, and you must have found out precisely what motivated me to make my own. Everyone uses ready-made chai mix, instant chai latte spices, or something like that.
Can’t you make your own chai spice mix? You can. And that’s what makes this recipe the ultimate version; one recipe to rule them all.
If you’re unsure about what a dirty chai latte is, think of a chai late on steroids—a regular chai latte with a mean shot of espresso to kick it up a notch.
We’ll be using coffee in this one, and because we want all its caffeine, but we don’t want it to overpower the chai spices, I recommend using an Arabica light roast coffee, it adds lovely fruit and nut aromas and not that many charred flavors. Lightly roasted coffee also has more caffeine than dark roasts.
For the dairy, if you know me, you know I love using frothy half and half instead of whole milk. It’s creamier and has much more weight to it. And a creamy latte is one of those pleasures in life you don’t want to miss.
Then the star of the show, your very own chai spice powder. Make a large batch of it and make all kinds of chai teas and lattes for your friends and family. There’s no right or wrong chai spice recipe. After a few tries, I make mine with equal parts cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and powdered ginger.
Since we all like some spices more than others, I recommend you start like me, with equal parts of all spices, and then tweak your spice mix to your liking. Perhaps a little more cinnamon will work for you, maybe a little less ginger. Make your chai spice mix genuinely yours.
Now we’re ready to make the ultimate caffeine-packed chai latte. So, let’s get started!
Mix your spices, that’s your chai spice powder.
Brew your espresso and add it to a blender.
Warm-up your half and half, pour into the blender
Add one tbsp of chai mix and blend until fully incorporated and frothy.
Pour into your glass.
