Last Updated on September 19, 2022 by laurenpacek

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This Dirty Chai Latte is sweet, spicy, and has a caffeinated kick! Rich espresso is added to a classic chai latte to create a super cozy treat.

Do you love coffee and tea? Have a hankering for warm, spicy chai, but also need more of a caffeine boost? Dirty Chai Lattes are truly the best of both worlds. They're perfect for enjoying while snuggled up under a blanket as well as for getting your day started.

Sure, you can pick up a Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte (or a Dirty Chai Tea Latte, as Sbux brands them... More on that later.), but those lattes add up ($$$)! This recipe is wayyy cheaper, so easy to make, and makes enough for 4 servings. So you can make 'em all at once, or save some for later in the day or week!

What is a Dirty Chai Latte?

A Dirty Chai Latte is a Chai Latte with an espresso shot (or two) added to it. It's the espresso that makes the drink "dirty."

But please don't call it a chai tea latte

First of all: It's a Chai Latte. A dirty one, in this case. Not a chai tea latte.

"Chai" means "tea." So, if you're saying "chai tea latte," what you're really saying is "tea tea latte." And that's redundant. And incorrect. And y'all are better than that.

Masala Chai vs. Chai Latte

Shweta from Masala and Chai has a really nice detailed description of what authentic Masala Chai is, as well as the history behind it (and a delicious authentic recipe). But, in short, "masala" means "spice" and "chai" means "tea." So, Masala Chai is tea with spices. And milk. It's extremely popular and enjoyed all over the Indian subcontinent.

Chai lattes, on the other hand, are a heavily Americanized version of Masala Chai. They're typically made of a sweet, black tea concentrate that has been simmered with chai spices (or some variation thereof) and combined with milk. The milk is usually steamed and frothy, and can either be heated and frothed separately or you can also heat the tea and milk up together and froth the whole thing.

You're probably familiar with the Chai Tea Lattes (I know, I know...) from Starbucks. They've been on the menu since, like, the 1990s, I'm pretty sure. You can also get a Dirty Chai (Tea) Latte from Starbucks. Just ask them to add a shot or two of espresso to the drink.

What's in a Dirty Chai Latte?

• Tea: The tea in a (dirty) chai latte is typically some kind of black tea. You can use loose leaf tea or tea bags, depending on your preference. Assam, Darjeeling, or English Breakfast are all good options. I went with English Breakfast tea bags, because that's what I usually have in my pantry. one word of advice: don't use anything that's flavored. So, stay away from teas like Earl Grey.
• Spices: Though spice blends can be quite varied depending on preference and location, chai spices often include things like cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and black peppercorns.
• Sweetener: You can use a number of different sweeteners, depending upon your preference. Various sugars (white, brown, demerara), honey, maple syrup, or even a simple syrup would work well. I used my brown sugar simple syrup to sweeten mine.
• Espresso: When making this recipe, ideally you'll use espresso made using an espresso machine. I have a Nespresso Vertuo, and absolutely love it. The next best option would be to use really strong coffee.
• Milk: You can use pretty much any type of milk that you prefer. I'm a big fan of oat milk, but have also used 2% cow's milk in a pinch.

How do you make it?

Let's walk through it!

How to make the tea

You'll start out by combining water and chai spices in a saucepan and bringing all of that to a boil, and then reducing the heat until it is at a simmer. After a bit, you'll kill the heat and add your tea, allowing it to steep for a bit.

After that, you'll strain everything out and either use the tea immediately or store the tea in an airtight container in the fridge!

I will also note that you can totally use a chai concentrate if you want to bypass the tea-making process.

How to make espresso with an espresso maker

If have an espresso maker, you should brew a double shot of espresso according to the manufacturer's directions for your particular espresso maker. Like I mentioned above, I have a Nespresso Vertuo machine. So I just pop in my favorite double espresso pod and let the machine do its thing. If you only have single espresso pods, just brew two!

One shot of espresso is approximately 1 fluid ounce, so a double shot would be about 2 fluid ounces.

How to make espresso without an espresso maker

Short of using freshly brewed espresso, your next best choice would be to brew some really strong coffee. It won't be exactly the same, but will work in a pinch.

You could also use instant espresso, if you so choose. I'd probably pick this option as a last resort, though.

How to froth the drink - with and without a milk frother

Last, you'll combine your espresso, warmed chai, and warmed milk, and then froth all of it. The easiest way to do that is with a milk frother. I really like my stick frother. Just submerge the end of the frother into the liquid and let 'er rip.

If you aren't the proud owner of some form of milk frother, you can still froth your dirty chai latte! A couple of options include using a French press or a whisk. Check out this post to learn more. The post is about frothing milk, but the techniques are the same.

How to assemble the drink

Start out by making a batch of chai (using a chai concentrate is fine, too) and combining it with your milk of choice. Heat everything up until the chai/milk is warmed to your liking.

Next, add your freshly brewed espresso to the chai and milk.

At this point, you'll want to froth everything. I used a stick milk frother. Just submerge the frother into the liquid and turn it on.

You want to create foam on top of the latte. Make sure to use a big enough container, because you can create a decent bit of foam, which will result in an increased volume of liquid in the container. I really should have used something larger than the glass jar in the photos, but alas. I was still able to create some foam!

Pour the frothed latte into a mug or whatever vessel you'll be drinking out of. Don't spill it all over the place like I did.

After that, all that's left is to garnish the latte (if you so choose) and drink!

Recommended tools

• An espresso maker: I love my Nespresso Vertuo
• A milk frother, like this stick milk frother
• Latte mugs

Other tea drinks

Looking for other tea-based drinks? Check out the links below.

• Vanilla Matcha Lattes from Sweet Tea and Thyme
• Iced Chai Lattes from A Nerd Cooks
• Golden Milk Latte Recipe from Sweetly Cakes
• Butterfly Pea Latte from Cookhouse Diary
• Iced London Fog Latte from The Healthful Ideas

FAQs/Tips and tricks

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