What is your favorite afternoon pick-me-up drink? This non-caffeinated herbal chai recipe is so delicious and so good for you. It is my favorite afternoon treat, uh, I mean healthy drink.
I love that you can whip up a big batch of herbal chai in advance and just make a cup of instant chai whenever you want.
This chai is a great traveling companion too. I carry a little bottle of this chai honey concentrate with me when I travel and just stir it into hot water for a cup of yummy, comforting chai.
The herbs and spices in your cabinet are so valuable when it comes to upping the health factor in your home. Let’s take a look at the spices in this herbal chai recipe.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon increases warmth and circulation and supports efficient digestion of fats and cold foods. It helps counteract the congestion that can accompany dairy foods. If you are suffering from a cough, cold, or sore throat, consider using cinnamon to quicken your healing process. Cinnamon will dissolve mucus and help resolve irritating coughs and bronchial congestion.
Coriander
Coriander relieves intestinal cramps and spasms, helps with anxiety and nervous tension, and can help regulate an overheated digestive system. This is yet another herb that is superb in helping with all things digestive. It has an anti-inflammatory effect throughout the body and is rich in potassium and other nutrients that inflammation pilfers from healthy tissue.
Clove
The rich, warm taste and aroma of this spice has people wanting to hang around the kitchen. The scent of clove elicits homey feelings of satisfaction and contentment. This richly pungent and energizing dried flower bud has been used in healing acne, colds, constipation, coughs, dyspepsia, indigestion, intestinal parasites, muscle spasms, nausea, skin ulcers, sores, and toothaches.
Ginger
Ginger helps with colds, flu, and coughs. It relieves nausea, motion sickness, seasickness, and sore throats. Ginger increases circulation, gets rid of mucus congestion, settles an upset stomach, dispels gas, relieves aches and pains, reduces inflammation and menstrual cramps, supports the pancreas, and stimulates digestion. Ginger root is truly the universal medicine.
Black Pepper
Black pepper is the emperor of digestive aids. As one of nature’s strongest digestive stimulants, pepper bolsters the healing process in a number of belly complaints from bloating to constipation and indigestion. Pepper’s pungent and heating nature facilitates the dispersal of nutrients throughout the body. It also dissolves mucus, drains chronic sinus congestion, and helps you to digest and absorb what you consume.
So, open up that spice cabinet of yours and get mixing to make this herbal chai recipe!
I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment and let me know how you like this herbal chai recipe.
Herbal Chai
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp powdered cinnamon
- 2 tbsp powdered coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp powdered clove
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 tsp powdered black pepper
- 2 cups honey
Instructions
- Combine all the powdered spices.
- Add to the honey and mix well.
- To make a cup of chai, add 1 tablespoon of chai honey to 1 cup hot water (or 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup raw milk or almond milk).
Looking for more herbal chai recipes? Check out this Ashwagandha Rose Evening Chai.
This stuff is amazing, thank you. I made a smaller batch of it as didn’t have enough honey but loved it anyway! Am I right in thinking you are left with a herb mud in the bottom of your cup at the end?
Does it store at room temperature? Is a plastic container okay?
Room temperature is fine, glass is best.
You mentioned catdamom at the beginning of the video, but none is listed in the ingredients. I have another chai recipe that calls to cardamom as well, and I love it, but the length of time it takes to make tests my patience!
Hi Pam, the recipe is on page 162 in The Herbal Kitchen and includes 1.5 teaspoons cardamom.
I loved learning about making Herbal Chai Honey.
Thank you, tried this today with an bit of milk and it was a real treat!
Is there a printable for this? Thanks!
Sorry, no printable for this recipe online. It is in my book, The Herbal Kitchen, though: https://kamimcbride.com/theherbalkitchen/ I hope you enjoy trying it!
Can’t wait to try the Chai tea. I purchased your healing herbs class and have really learned to appreciate your accumulation of knowledge and experience that you share with your lessons. Recipes are easy to find, but the knowledge and experience are what make the modules so worth the investment. Thank you.
Wow! Divine ~ enjoying my first cup, thanks Kami! I was wondering….has anyone tried adding coconut milk powder to this recipe? I feel like that would make it even more creamy delightful!
This looks and sounds yummy. I love chi tea Thank you for sharing.
This looks delicious, thank you! I think I will make some for some belated holiday gifts.
This looks delicious, thanks so much! It would make a perfect gift.
Bought your book earlier this year, and the chai recipe is a favorite. It is so good after dinner or as a mid-afternoon treat. Can’t break the black tea and milk habit though so this recipe serves as the “sugar” portion of my drink. At any rate it is a staple in our house especially during the fall and winter months! Looking forward to trying it in cocoa and coffee though.
I made this herbal chai about a month ago and it’s all gone. I’m making it again without the local raw honey, until I can source another one at this time. I’ve added homemade cashew milk to my herbal chai, or drank it in different blends of caffeinated teas in the morning. So delicious every time!!! Btw, I heard you speak about herbs 25 or so years ago at Morningsun Herb Farm. It think it was Mother’s Day weekend; Glad I found you again, online. And, I just bought the digital version of your Herbal Kitchen book a few minutes… Read more »
Hey Tina! Glad the herbs have been inspiring you all these years! i know, the chai recipe is awesome!
This is amazing! My new favorite drink. I did add 1 teaspoon of cardamom in addition to the rest but now I can’t imagine what else could be missing. It’s terrific.
Found you on Mountain Rose and can’t wait to read your book.
I’ve been making a dry version (without honey) of this for a few years. I do add the turmeric and cardamom. I will recommend purchasing already ground cloves, because grinding them in either my coffee grinder or Vitamix really scratched up the plastic cover and base! Anyway, I use about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per serving of a 16 ounce container of my coffee. I make two “to go” containers when I leave in the morning because I have to wait an hour after taking my morning medicines. I also add about the same amount when I make a cup… Read more »
This is so good for people who work with the public, than you for your story and the reminder!
Do you think I could add some dried little mandarin peel? I know the flavors would be good, I just wondered if it would affect its shelf life
oh yes, dried citrus peel is a great anti viral addition and has such a good flavor and no, it doesn’t change the shelf life
I made some this morning!!! Delicious! Even my coffee (with too much flavored cream) loving husband says, wow, I could drink this everyday! He..he…win! Thanks again Kami.
I know, i love this recipe~
The Easiest Chai Recipe in the World
I prepared it in my home what recipes is given in the blog it’s so delicious and awesome. I have a restaurant which I prepare many dishes recipes and chai for my resturant. Now I will also include this delicious recipe in my restaurant dishes. Because I have research on it mostly people like it and giving positive response.
Hi Kami. If i just make the powder mix how much do i add to my cup of water. 1-2 tsp?
Yep, exactly, mostly to taste. Start wtih 1 teaspoon and see how you like that
Thanks Kami
Is there a recipe without any sweeteners? I am totally “sugar free” including honey, agave, & artificial sweeteners. I find most chai teas a bit bitter.
HI Karen,
just skip the sweetener!
You can use Stevia leaves and just brew them in the filter with water in the coffee maker and use the water from that for your tea. We order ours from a herbal company in San Francisco. 🙂
This sounds delicious and I love the idea of taking it along when traveling. This I will be doing on our next long drive to Texas. How about adding astragalus? I’m currently making a Chai that requires 20 minutes simmering time that has astragalus in it.
Yep, astragalus would be nice!
I just made a half-batch of this, as I didn’t want to end up with 2 cups if I turned out not to like it. It’s delicious! The smell reminds me of wassail, since both of them are nice and spicy. I made a few changes to the recipe: forgot to halve the amount of cloves, omitted the coriander as none was on hand, used the cardamom, and used extra cinnamon as that spice is a family favorite. Even with those changes, it’s a delicious tea: I might /keep/ using double the amount of cloves in the future. 😉 So… Read more »
Oh, I sooooo love the Chai! Can’t wait to taste some of the others!
I have a B&B and like to serve most foods as naturally as possible and this will be a good start.
tygermeadow.com
Kami, this sounds so very yummy, I can’t wait to try it. As always you bring us something lovely to try.
I’ve never had chai, but I’m very excited to try it! Any reason not to add some tumeric for even more benefits?
Go for it, i love turmeric in my chai…..
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I’d love to try this herbal tea some time – I used to buy an overly processed and high sugar brand at Costco but gave that up.
I know, all of the boxed chai’s have lots of sugar in them. This chai is healthier and less expensive!
Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays Kami! We are currently hosting a MAKE YOUR OWN SEASONING AND SPICE MIX link up. If you have anything to add from your archives in that area, I would love for you to share!
Hi Kami,
I tried the chai tea with the boiling water yesterday, it was delicious. Today I tried it with 1 cup of one of Silks new milks (Almond/Coconut unsweetened) I warmed it up with 1 Tablespoons of the Chai Honey Mix in the microwave. It is the BEST chai latte ever.
I downloaded your Lavender Home Remedies and tried the lavender tea, it was very good with a little honey added. However the Lavender lemon aid is the BEST ever. I have made this about 6 times already.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Sincerely,
Linda
Awwww, Thanks you! I love that kind of feedback! You are VERY welcome.
I was always told not to put honey into very hot water, it destroys the medicinal/health benefits. Your thoughts on that, please.
HI Gina,
Ayurveda teaches that you don’t cook or boil honey for any period of time. Adding honey to hot water that is not on the stove is fine. Enjoy your chai!
Sounds very tasty! Was there also cardamom in the mix…thought it appeared on the label?
HI Deborah,
You can definitely add 1 teaspoon of cardamom to this mix. There are so many recipes for chai. Cardamom is also really good in this recipe. Enjoy!