Christmas morning chai recipe
Christmas morning chai recipe
If you are a fan of chai tea lattes like I am, then you are going to enjoy this Christmas morning chai recipe like what they serve in coffee houses. I am a big fan of flavored whipped cream and this version will not disappoint. With the sweet taste of cinnamon sticks, chai tea is always an early morning favorite for christmas morning breakfast and this copycat recipe for dutch bros christmas morning latte is the perfect, tasty drink.
What is dutch bros. anyway?
They were founded in 1992 by two brothers and have currently expanded to over 400 stores. They have an amazing menu ranging from hot coffee, cold brew, and tea to milkshakes called a “dutch frost” and I can’t wait to try the white chocolate frost as well as the birthday cake frost. The “caramelizer” is espresso and chocolate milk, mixed with caramel sauce and whipped cream, enjoy this one hot or iced. They also have energy drinks like electric berry and shark attack, flavored with blue raspberry and coconut lime.
So what is christmas morning chai recipe exactly?
It starts with black tea leaves and from there it’s loaded with spices like ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and cloves. The same spices found in ginger snap cookies are also found in chai, it’s no wonder this drink tastes like Christmas morning. With the added health benefits of sweet honey and fresh vanilla bean, chai is a sweet and soothing tea blend, this cozy drink is perfect to serve during the holiday season.
Ingredients needed to make this drink:
- White chocolate syrup
- Chai tea bags
- Whipped cream
- Cinnamon
You can make your own chai concentrate and that’s exactly what I did to make this recipe, the dutch brothers version is full of flavor and dense with cinnamon, honey, and vanilla. Personally, I think chai tea brewed at home can feel a little watered down, but if you steep the tea with the add ins that I use, I think you will come out with a more flavorful chai tea, and therefore a more robust chai latte, perfect for a cozy Christmas eve at home. Most people don’t steep more than one chai tea packets per one cup of water, but for this recipe I prefer two tea packets per one cup of tea. Remember, this is my own version of chai tea, I use fresh ingredients where dutch bros. uses an instant powder mix, Oregon chai tea mix, with powdered milk and spices. The powdered mix is amazing, don’t get me wrong, it tastes just like the coffee shop, but it is a processed, powdered mix. According to the back of the powdered mix it contains: Sugar, dried whole milk, dried non fat milk, dried honey, tapoica maltodrextin, instant black tea, maltodextrin, salt, natural flavor. They also use a breve style of making the christmas morning chai, they use half and half instead of milk, giving it a thick, creamier, rich flavor, than other chai drinks. I think one reason this drink is called christmas morning is because of it’s white color, yet full of whole spices, and perfect to serve for Christmas breakfast, it really is one of the best flavors.
To begin making our chai tea latte, let’s bring 8 oz of water to a boil in a small saucepan, and then add two chai tea bags to the hot water, remove the pot from heat, and let them steep for 10 minutes. While the tea bags are steeping I add, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, fresh ginger, cardamom pods, and cloves. You can mix these spices together in a small bowl or just measure them place directly in the pan. Once the tea has steeped, pour into a mug and add half and half, top with whipped cream, a dash of cinnamon and drizzle with white chocolate sauce and let your taste buds enjoy this delicious drink.
Can I try this iced?
Yes! If you prefer a cold drink, pour over ice and enjoy the iced version. I would pour the tea mixture up and let it cool in the fridge before i mix it with half and half and pour over ice cubes. Perfect if you want that taste of christmas during hot summer days.
What can I use in place of vanilla bean?
You can use vanilla syrup or vanilla extract, just add it to the tea while it’s steeping, easy peasy.
Can I make other flavor variations for the holidays?
Absolutely! I think a lot of people like to serve this with cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning or Christmas eve with warm cookies, but you can serve this drink anytime and play around with flavor combos. If you were out of half and half you could try chocolate milk, I know dutch bros. uses chocolate milk in a lot of their recipes. You could also try topping with a dark chocolate syrup and a caramel drizzle instead of adding white chocolate syrup, especially if you like spicy chocolate drinks.
Can I make this christmas morning dutch bros into one of my favorite christmas cocktails?
Sure, just add a little vanilla vodka and enjoy this drink hot or cold.
Christmas morning chai recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz Water
- 2 Chai tea bags
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Clove
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp of Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cardamom pods
- Whipped cream
- White chocolate sauce
- 1 cup Half and half
Instructions
- To begin making our chai tea latte, let's bring 8 oz of water to a boil in a small saucepan, and then add two chai tea bags to the hot water, remove the pot from heat, and let them steep for 10 minutes.
- While the tea bags are steeping I add, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, fresh ginger, cardamom pods, and cloves. You can mix these spices together in a small bowl or just measure them place directly in the pan.
- Once the tea has steeped, pour into a mug and add half and half, top with whipped cream, a dash of cinnamon and drizzle with white chocolate sauce and let your taste buds enjoy this delicious drink.
Note: This flavor is part of the dutch bros. secret menu, so be sure to ask for it if you ever get the chance to visit a location for the first time.
If you enjoy drinks like this one be sure to check out our other drink recipes like chai nog, white coffee cookie, almond roca, gingerbread latte, pumpkin spice, and caramel nog.
