Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte
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A cup filled with fragrant spices, some espresso, and steamed milk foam, there’s a reason why the Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte is so popular! Make it yourself at home to get both the coffee and tea goodness in one!
What is a Dirty Chai Latte?
Let’s first begin with what’s a latte? It’s a drink that’s made with espresso or strong brewed coffee, steamed milk, and milk foam. You can have either a hot or iced latte. While cappuccinos have the same three components, a latte will blend the milk into the coffee and have a thin milk foam layer. In contrast, a cappuccino has an equal ratio of the layers, thus giving a stronger coffee flavour.
A chai latte is simply a latte that’s made with chai instead of coffee. Chai is Indian-spiced milk tea. Chai actually grew popular in India because we mimicked the British in terms of their love for tea! Chai is typically made with a blend of whole spices that are roasted to create an unbelievable aroma, combined with black tea leaves boiled in water. With the spices, milk is added along with some sweetener. Although I was born and raised in New Delhi, I never had the experience of enjoying street-side chai. Why? My parents just didn’t allow my sister and I to for some reason!
So now we’re left with the question, what is dirty chai? Well, the “dirty” comes from the fusion of the black tea with some espresso!
Where Does Dirty Chai Come from?
I have to admit I’ve never heard of this until last year when I got requested to make one on YouTube (heh, sorry for being late, but better late than never! Please send me your recipe requests and I will get around to it eventually!). Turns out that a dirty chai originated purely by mistake. In the 1990s in England, an American tourist had ordered a chai latte at Convent Garden. However, the barista accidentally added a shot of espresso to the beverage, but the customer agreed to give it a go and it was a hit! Now the Dirty Chai Latte is popular all over American coffee shops!
As I mentioned, this recipe was a request that I’m finally going to check off my bucket list! If you’ve always wanted to make your own Dirty Chai Latte, then be sure to check it off your bucket list too as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started for free by signing up to my newsletter, plus all of my new recipes will be delivered right to your inbox so you never miss out!
To see how to make this coffee shop favourite, check out the video at the bottom of this post! If you’re not already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t forget to hit the bell button to be notified when all of my videos go live! I love sharing the videos to go hand in hand with the written recipes! Let’s get brewing!
Why Is A Dirty Chai Latte Called “Dirty”?
A Dirty Chai Latte is coined “dirty” because adding espresso with the chai changes the chai’s colour. Chai is normally a light pale brown, but then the espresso or coffee makes it a dark muddy brown. No negative connotation against coffee here!
What is In the Starbucks Dirty CHai Latte?
There’s no official listing for the ingredient list of a Dirty Chai Latte at Starbucks since it’s a secret menu item. However, this is how you order it on the Starbucks app: You choose a typical chai tea latte which by default is made with the following:
Milk
Milk foam
Chai syrup/concentrate
Water
If we go into the ingredient list of the standard chai latte, this is what we have:
MILK, WATER, CHAI TEA CONCENTRATE [AN INFUSION OF (WATER, BLACK TEA, CARDAMOM, BLACK PEPPER, GINGER, CINNAMON, CLOVES, NATURAL FLAVORS, STAR ANISE), SUGAR, HONEY, GINGER JUICE, NATURAL FLAVORS, VANILLA, CITRIC ACID]
Source: Starbucks.com
So the chai flavouring comes from that chai concentrate, which contains tea, aromatic spices, sweetener, ginger juice, and vanilla.
Then, when you customize your latte, simply add a shot of espresso. I actually did this to test out the drink and I chose the blonde espresso since it has a subtle sweetness, and it really complemented the chai flavour. If you want a “double dirty” chai, you add two shots of espresso.
To order a Dirty Chai Latte inside Starbucks, you can ask the barista for “dirty chai latte” or “double dirty chai latte” - he or she will know what you mean!
Turns out, however, if you want to save some bucks, you should actually order a standard latte and then add your desired number of chai syrup pumps. It seems this hack is only available in the US, as I (among others) don’t have the option to add chai syrup into a caffe latte.
What Does a Dirty CHai Latte Taste Like?
It’s a bit difficult to describe, but I find a Dirty Chai Latte extremely fragrant and warm! You’ve got the best of both worlds - a smooth espresso combined with the warm Indian spices all melded together with rich milk and that amazing milk foam. If you’ve never tried it, I really recommend you do! Perhaps it’ll be your new favourite latte!
Is There a Lot of Caffeine IN a Dirty Chai Latte?
I wouldn’t recommend having a Dirty Chai Latte too close to bedtime for sure. Black tea contains caffeine, with a cup of chai containing about 50 mg of caffeine. Actually, according to Starbucks’ nutrition information for their chai tea latte, a grande (16 fl oz) contains 95 mg of caffeine. Depending on the strength of your espresso, a shot can contain 29-100 mg of caffeine. At Starbucks, a single shot of espresso is 75 mg of caffeine. The recommended limit of caffeine per day is 400 mg, so we’re looking at close to half of that in a Dirty Chai Latte if your espresso is on the stronger side. Depending on your tolerance, maybe this is the only caffeinated drink you want to enjoy today, especially if you’re going to go for a double dirty chai latte!
What Tea Do I Use For Dirty Chai Latte?
To make our Dirty Chai Latte, I’ll use black tea leaves. Black tea leaves are authentically used when making chai. However, if you already have some tea bags on hand, then feel free to use those. I give more details in my Make Cooking Fun! free guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, you should have an awareness of what’s in your pantry and finish those ingredients before going out of your way to get new things! Feel free to use your tea bags for this recipe if you already have them, but if you’re working with an empty pantry and need to go grocery shopping for this recipe, then I recommend the tea leaves.
What Milk Do I Use For Dirty Chai Latte?
As I always do with my latte recipes, I’m going to be using whole milk. Whole milk will give a very creamy and rich base and will get you an incredible milk foam. You can use lower fat milk if you want, but I’ve really mastered my hot drinks by using whole milk. It does make the difference!
For plant-based milk alternatives, my recommendations are coconut milk and soy milk. These milks are on the creamier side and will give you a consistency that’s similar to that of full fat cow’s milk. You can substitute with almond milk or oat milk if that’s what you have and want to use, but because they are lower in fat, your latte will be thinner. Additionally, I really don’t like oat milk that much because the strong “oat” taste is distracting from the wonderful ginger and spices going on in our chai!
Tips for a Satisfying Dirty Chai Latte
For a more intense flavour in the tea, boil the ginger for longer.
Smashing the ginger will allow all of its juices to release into the tea.
If you boil the tea for too long, it will become bitter. I recommend 2-3 minutes
The milk only needs to come up to a simmer and not a boil. Keep stirring to ensure it doesn’t burn and keep a close eye to ensure it does not boil over.
You can microwave the milk if you don’t have a fancy milk frother.
Take your time frothing so it doubles in size.
When you pour the milk foam into your glass, ensure you pour slowly to get that amazing layered effect!
Double walled cups or a teapot can be helpful to keep the tea hot for a long time - especially if you drink slow.
How Do I Froth the Milk For a Dirty Chai Latte?
You can use a handheld frother to make the milk foam in your Dirty Chai Latte, but you don’t need it! Of course, if you have an espresso machine that will froth milk, then lucky you! However, here are some alternative options:
French Press: Add steamed milk to a French press and simply pump the plunger up and down a couple of times to froth up the milk. You can pick one up for as little $10.
Electric frother: Handheld frothers, the kind I have, can go for as cheap as $10. On the other hand, electric frothers can go up to $100.
Whisk: Some elbow grease and a good whisk can really be all you need to make great frothed milk. The cheapest alternative, you can find one for as little as $5.
Steam Wand: This is the ultimate investment if you are really serious about your coffee. These can range from $100 to $1000 depending on the features of the model.
Without a fancy frother, you can heat the milk in a saucepan or in the microwave. I heated my milk directly in my measuring cup, and frothed the milk with a handheld frother directly in the cup.
Equipment for Dirty Chai Latte
Ingredients for Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte
The FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with complete ingredient measurements is at the bottom of this post. You can also press the “Jump to Recipe” button to save it for later. Additionally, you can scale the recipe based on how many cups of Dirty Chai Latte you want to make. By default, this will serve 2 grande (16 fl oz) cups.
For the dirty chai latte
Water: To boil the whole spices and the tea.
Milk: I’m using full fat dairy milk. Feel free to use the milk of your choice, but results will vary.
Ground coffee or espresso: Make espresso if you have the machine, but brewing coffee in a French press will yield the closest results if you don’t have an espresso machine.
Black tea leaves: If you don’t have tea leaves, you can use black tea bags.
Ginger: A small piece of whole ginger that’s smashed.
Vanilla extract: Some vanilla is in the Starbucks’ chai concentrate, so we’ll add a bit here. Vanilla always brings out the other favours going on in a latte!
Whole spices: Cinnamon stick, green cardamom pods, black peppercorns, cloves, and star anise. Star anise will be boiled in the tea and used for garnish.
Sweetener: As we saw earlier, the chai concentrate that Starbucks uses for its Dirty Chai Latte (or even its regular Chai Latte) contains honey. Feel free to use that, but I’m going with brown sugar because I find it gives a great flavour and will complement the spices well. If you don’t feel like use brown sugar, granulated sugar will be fine too, but I recommend you add more to achieve the same sweetness.
Ground cinnamon: For garnish.
How To Make A Better Than Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte
Smash the ginger root pieces in a mortar and pestle or with the side of your chef’s knife.
Then, add the ginger to a saucepan with water and the whole spices and bring it to a boil. Boil for 4-5 minutes or until the water changes colour with a tinge of yellow.
In the meanwhile prepare the espresso or prepare the coffee in a French press.
Add the tea leaves and boil for 2-3 minutes. Pour the espresso/coffee in the saucepan.
Add the vanilla and brown sugar and stir.
Keep this mixture warm as you steam the milk over the stovetop or a microwave. Then, pour the tea through a fine mesh sieve into your teapot or cups.
Froth the milk using an electric frother or whisk and the gently pour the frothed milk into the cups.
Garnish with cinnamon powder and a star anise in each cup.
Serve hot and enjoy!
How to Make Iced Dirty Chai Latte
It’s really easy to enjoy an Iced Dirty Chai Latte! Simply follow the recipe as directed for the tea and coffee. When those elements are ready, place ice cubes into a shaker and pour your brewed coffee, chai, and milk and shake it up! Froth your milk separately. Pour the coffee, chai and milk mixture into your serving glass, followed by the milk foam. Enjoy!
More Starbucks at Home Recipes
More Chai Recipes
Watch How to Make Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte here:
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Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups water, divided (1 cup for the coffee, 1 1/2 cups for the chai)
- 3 Tbsp ground coffee or 2 servings of espresso
- 2-3 Tbsp black tea leaves
- 1 Tbsp ginger, smashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 8-10 black peppercorns
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 3 star anise, separated (1 in the chai, 2 for garnish in each cup)
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 Cups whole milk
- ground cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
- Smash the ginger root pieces in a mortar and pestle or with the side of your chef’s knife. Then, add the ginger to a saucepan with water and the whole spices and bring it to a boil. Boil for 4-5 minutes or until the water changes colour with a tinge of yellow.
- In the meanwhile prepare the espresso or prepare the coffee in a French press.
- Add the tea leaves and boil for 2-3 minutes. Pour the espresso/coffee in the saucepan.
- Add the vanilla and brown sugar and stir.
- Keep this mixture warm as you steam the milk over the stovetop or a microwave. Then, pour the tea through a fine mesh sieve into your teapot or cups.
- Froth the milk using an electric frother or whisk and the gently pour the frothed milk into the cups. Garnish with cinnamon powder and a star anise in each cup.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
114.21Fat (grams)
1.51 gSat. Fat (grams)
0.61 gCarbs (grams)
24.36 gFiber (grams)
2.03 gNet carbs
22.32 gSugar (grams)
19.81 gProtein (grams)
1.69 gSodium (milligrams)
29.19 mgCholesterol (grams)
3.66 mg
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Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
