It’s not really cold in Los Angeles right now but it will be colder soon. While everyone is craving pumpkin spice everything, I crave stovetop masala chai. Many tea lovers will cringe if you say “masala chai tea” because “chai” means “tea”, so you’re basically saying “masala tea tea”. Ahaha. No disrespect, but who cares? Call it whatever you want, what matters is whether your “masala tea tea” is good good, meh meh or crappy crappy, right? Insert “Masala chai à la Tea Squirrel” and never look back, it’s that good! But first, let me explain how it all came together.

What is masala chai?

It’s a traditional spiced milk tea from India.

How many masala chai variations are there?

I have tried to keep track of the many different variations I’ve come across, including spice mixes and base tea. The “traditional” base seems to be Indian black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. Then you have a million variations, +allspice, +star anise, +fennel seeds, +bay leaves, +nutmeg, +cumin, +coriander, +vanilla, +cacao nibs, +black pepper. I have even come across recipes calling for white (?!) pepper. What about milk? Dairy or plant-based? I’m team plant-based but you do you.

Steeped chai or stovetop chai?

It’s impossible to beat a stovetop chai, the complexity of flavor that develops while simmering on the stove. The OG chai is simmered for hours but you can achieve pretty tasty results in just 20 minutes of simmering or so, I promise.

What’s the best masala chai recipe?

I might be biased but mine below is perfection. I even went above and beyond for you and developed a caffeine-free herbal option. A note on the black tea I used. I don’t use CTC tea (mass produced tea), I don’t use tea bags. I was out of Assam tea, which is usually my go-to. So I made my own black tea blend from odds and ends I had in my tea cabinet. All premium, single-origin, loose-leaf teas. Overkill? Maybe, but the end result was mind blowing. Here it is: Hawaiian black tea (6 gr), Korean black tea (2 gr), Nepali black tea (2 gr) and second flush Darjeeling black tea (17 gr).

Masala chai à la Tea Squirrel

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon black peppercorns
6 cloves
3 allspice berries
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (the little dark ones inside the green pods)
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced or grated
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bay leaf 
2 ½ cups (600 ml) water 
3 teaspoons loose leaf black tea (preferably Assam, but I used my own custom black tea blend, see above)
1 cup light coconut milk from a can
Vanilla extract
Honey to taste, I used California avocado honey

Method:

Toast the spices except for ginger and bay leaf in the oven at 350 F for 5-6 minutes. I used a ceramic baking dish for this, no greasing necessary. When fragrant, turn off the oven and take the spices out. Let cool for a few minutes. Coarsely grind spices in a mortar and pestle. To a pot add water and spices including ginger and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add tea leaves, and steep covered for 10 minutes. Turn the heat on, add coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few more minutes. Turn off the heat, and add vanilla extract to taste. Strain, add honey and serve immediately.

Rooibos masala chai à la Tea Squirrel (caffeine free)

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon black peppercorns
6 cloves
4 allspice berries
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (the little ones inside the pods)
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced or grated
1 cinnamon stick
3 large strips orange zest
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
2 ½ cups (600 ml) water 
3 teaspoons rooibos
1 cup light coconut milk from a can
Honey to taste, I used California avocado honey

Method:

Toast the spices except for ginger, orange zest and nutmeg in the oven at 350 F for 5-6 minutes. I used a ceramic baking dish for this, no greasing necessary. When fragrant, turn off the oven and take the spices out. Let cool for a few minutes. Coarsely grind spices in a mortar and pestle. To a pot add water and spices including ginger and orange zest. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add rooibos leaves, and steep covered for 10 minutes. Turn the heat on, add coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few more minutes. Turn off the heat, strain into cups, add honey and grate nutmeg on top. Enjoy!

What is your absolute favorite spice combination for masala chai?

Craving more chai goodness? Check out my recipes below:

Tea memories from India: homemade Masala Chai

Iced Cocoa Nib Chai Latte

Homemade Chai Ice Cream