Easy, Lower-Calorie, Vegan, Make-at-Home Chai Tea Latte Recipe

I had a hard time getting going this morning. I was supposed to get up when my husband left for work, take a shower, and then get an hour of React studying in before starting my remote job at 9 AM (I am in the Central timezone but work in Mountain time). But I couldn't seem to get myself out of bed. So I decided to treat myself to some Chai Tea Latte.

Back when I worked on-site, they had a Starbuck's in the cafeteria where I could grab myself a chai tea latte on mornings like this. If I came to work groggy or with a headache or with just no motivation, I would treat myself, and that treat would do wonders for me, physically and emotionally. It was like a hug in a mug!

But now that I work remotely, I would have to actually get dressed and into my car (gasp!) and fight traffic to get to Starbuck's. The tall chai tea latte I would get also runs about 200 calories, and is loaded with sugar.

I made myself this chai tea latte with almond milk instead of whole milk, and honey instead of sugar. It's also not as sweet as the Starbuck's chai tea latte, but I find that the spices add enough extra flavor that loading up on sugar is not necessary. Honey also has a lower glycemic index than sugar, so it is better at keeping insulin levels more regular. Though honey may be a little healthier than refined sugar, it is not a huge difference and honey is still sugar, so I'm not about to make these lattes a regular morning ritual.

The entire treat came out to 94 calories. You could also substitute almond milk with your milk of choice, just be aware that they may affect the number of calories, as will changing the amount of sweetness.

Easy, Lower-Calorie, Vegan Chai Tea Latte Recipe

Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, vegan

• Servings: 1
• Calories: 94 kcal
• Carbs: 18.5g
• Fat: 2.5g
• Protein: 1.1g

Ingredients

• Chai-spiced black tea bag
• 1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspon ground ginger
• dash of ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. Steep chai tea in about 1/3 cup of water brought to a boil
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the almond milk, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and honey. Whisk together, stirring regularly until the mixture is piping hot. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
3. (Optional) Use a Cuisinart Smart Stick or equivalent tool to froth the milk mixture.
4. Pour the milk mixture into the cup of tea. Serve immediately.