slow cooker chai concentrate

you're gonna wanna save this one

I started making this because I got tired of paying 7+ dollars for a chai latte that mostly tasted like sugar. Real chai, the kind with actual cloves and cracked peppercorns and a cinnamon stick steeping for half a day, is a completely different drink. Warmer. Sharper in a good way. The kind of thing that makes the whole house smell like something is happening even when the something is just a slow cooker sitting quietly on the counter overnight.

This makes a big batch of concentrate, which is the whole point. You do the work once, over eight or twelve slow hours while you're asleep or out running errands, and then for the next three weeks you've got real chai on demand. Equal parts concentrate and milk, heated up, and you're done.

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A few notes before you make it:

Let the slow cooker do the real work. This isn't a stovetop simmer you have to babysit. Everything but the tea bags goes in on low for eight to twelve hours, or overnight, which is what I usually do. Stir it once after the first hour or so just to help the honey or sugar dissolve, then walk away!

Choose your sweetener based on what you're going for. Honey gives it a rounder, slightly floral sweetness. Maple syrup leans a little more toward that fall flavor. Brown sugar is the deepest and most straightforward. I've made it all three ways and none of them are wrong, it just depends on the mood. Also this concentrate is not super sweet -- you can play around with adding more sweetness either to the slow cooker or to the concentrate after it's done. I personally like to add a bit of maple syrup as I am making a chai latte because I can adjust the sweetness per drink!

Star anise is optional for a reason. It's traditional in a lot of chai blends, but it has a strong licorice note that not everyone loves. I leave mine out most of the time. If you're not sure, start without it. You can always add it next time!

Straining is where the texture gets decided. A cheesecloth or a nut bag gets you the cleanest concentrate with almost no sediment. A fine metal strainer works too, but some of that spice powder will slip through, which isn't a problem, it just means a slightly grittier cup. Decide how precious you want to be about it!

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Homemade Chai Concentrate

What you need:

• 8 cups water

• 1/2 cup honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar

• 15 whole cloves

• 10 whole black peppercorns

• 2 star anise 🔗 (optional — I leave mine out)

• 2 cinnamon sticks 🔗

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste 🔗

• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 6 black tea bags 🔗 (chai spiced or plain black, your call)

  
  

How to make it:

1. Place all the ingredients except the tea bags into a slow cooker.

2. Turn it on low for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. After the first hour or so, give it a stir to help dissolve the honey or sugar.

3. Add the tea bags and let them steep for another 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Strain out the spices and tea bags through a cheesecloth, a nut bag, or a colander lined with a clean tea towel set over a large bowl. A fine metal strainer works in a pinch, but expect a bit of spice sediment to slip through.

5. Store the concentrate in the fridge and use within 3 weeks.

6. To make a latte, combine equal parts concentrate and milk of your choice, dairy or non-dairy. I like mine stronger, so I go closer to a 2:1 ratio of concentrate to milk. Heat on the stove or in the microwave.

This is one of those things that feels fancy and really isn't. Once it's strained and in the fridge, making a chai latte takes about the same effort as making a cup of instant coffee!

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QUICK LINKS:

Label Maker

Tried & True Slow Cooker

Alternative Non-Toxic Slow Cooker (on my wish list 😍)

P.S. you can also use your Instant Pot as a slow cooker!

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