Homemade Chai Tea Blend (Bags or Loose Leaf)

4.53 from 23 votes

Give the gift of a hot cup of tea with this Homemade Chai Tea! Package it up in an easy (and affordable) gift set for the tea lovers in your life.

Prep Time5

Additional Time10

Total Time15

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: servings

Calories: 10kcal

Combine the cardamom pods, peppercorns, fennel seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a mortar and pestle and roughly crush. Alternatively, place spices in a gallon size zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Add the spice mixture to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Toast until the spices are fragrant, about five minutes.
In a bowl, combine the crushed spices with the dried or crystallized/candied ginger and black tea.
To fill tea bags: Place 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture into a fillable tea bag. Tie closed.

Brew the tea using the ratio of 1 ½ tablespoons of tea mixture per 8 ounces (1 cup) of boiling water. Brew by either using a tea bag, filling a tea ball, or using a tea pot. Steep for 7-8 minutes for caffeinated tea, and 10+ minutes for decaf tea.
Add ¼ cup milk (non-dairy is fine) and natural sweetener (maple syrup, honey, and coconut sugar are all good options) to taste. Top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

We have printable labels available for both the tea bags and loose leaf tea. They print on 2 ½” round labels—I used these Avery kraft paper labels. They fit perfectly on the top of a wide-mouth canning jar! I used wide-mouth pint mason jars to package the tea in these photos.
Decaf black tea tends to not be as strong as caffeinated tea. Feel free to add a touch more tea to the mixture (2-4 more tablespoons) and/or fill your tea bags and tea ball with more tea (2 full tablespoons).
In place of the dried cut and sifted ginger, you may use crystalized/candied ginger, roughly chopped.
Optional other spice additions: red peppercorns (for fun, festive color!), coriander seeds, allspice berries, and star anise. Have fun trying different combos!