The Ingredient That Makes Starbucks Chai Lattes Distinct

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If you're trying to cut back on your Starbucks spending but just can't seem to ditch your daily chai latte, there could be a good reason for it. It can be tough to get the same satisfaction from another brand or with your homemade chai, and that could be because Starbucks makes the drinks in a different way — but it's a way that you can replicate.

First, it's important to recognize that your coffee store chai latte is significantly different from traditional chai (or chai masala). The Indian drink is made by boiling black tea with spices, milk and sugar. For making chai at home, chai tea bags are a great shortcut, and it's probably what you'll be served at most cafes, including Tim Hortons. The bag contains black tea and spices and is brewed like regular tea that can be topped up with milk and sweetener.

What makes Starbucks chai drinks different is that the chain use a chai concentrate syrup as the base of its drinks, producing full flavored chai lattes at high speed. A chai latte is made simply with pumps of syrup to which hot water and steamed milk are added (though you can skip the water for a stronger latte). The bad news is that this concentrate is produced directly for Starbucks and is not available for sale. The good news? You can absolutely make your own concentrate at home.

While you might not be able to buy the Starbucks chai concentrate off the shelf, there's plenty of value in making your own concentrate at home. Setting aside the fact that it's cheaper than a daily Starbucks run, it will make your daily tea brewing a breeze as well as being completely customizable.

The easiest way to make chai concentrate is to start with chai tea bags, which already contain the spices you need. Don't have a favorite already? Tazo Organic and Twinings Chai are popular choices. To make it a concentrate rather than a regular tea, you'll reduce the amount of water to a ratio of 10-12 teabags to four cups of water. Boil together with ¼-½ cup of sugar for 10 minutes, and you'll be rewarded with a thick, flavorful syrup that will last for up to two weeks in the fridge.

If you're really into chai, making concentrate from scratch will allow you to play around with the spices and amp up the flavor. Instead of chai tea bags, start by boiling together whole chai spices, then add plain black tea and sweetener in the last 10 minutes. Starbucks lists all of the ingredients in its chai concentrate online, so you can even attempt a copycat recipe.