You can learn how to make your own healthy lattes by substituting healthy ingredients for the not so healthy.
- Use raw milk, almond or coconut milk instead of soy and pasteurized milk
- Use honey, date or coconut sap sugar instead of white refined sugar
- You can also buy tea in bulk instead of tea bags to save money and get fresher tea
- Make your own whipped cream from heavy cream instead of using processed substitutes
CHAI TEA: Nothing tastes better on a cold wintery day than a cup of hot chai tea. Chai tea originated in India and is made from a blend of spices: cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, boiled with tea and milk.
Hot Chai Tea
2 cups water
2 regular tea bags-black tea, orange pekoe etc
1/8-1/4 teaspoon EACH of ground ginger and cardamom
1 whole clove
1 cinnamon stick
¼ cup date or coconut sugar or honey to taste
2 ½ cups milk
Add water, spices and tea bags to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. This mixture will darken as it boils. Don’t worry if a tea bag breaks, you’ll be straining this later anyway. Add the sugar or honey. As you make this recipe each time use a little less sweetener and you will get used to the less-sweet taste. Next, add the milk and bring back just to a boil. Be careful it doesn’t boil over. Tip: To keep the chai from boiling over, run a stick of butter around the rim of the pan when it’s hot. Strain the chai tea into your cup and enjoy!
Easy Iced Chai Tea Latte
2 chai tea bags, there are several brands to choose from
1 cup raw milk, almond or coconut milk
1 cup hot water
Ice Cubes
Put the 2 tea bags in a cup and pour 1 cup boiling water over. Steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and gently squeeze out all the liquid. If you need it sweetened, add a bit of honey and dissolve while it is warm. Stir in the milk and serve over ice. You can also put the mixture in the blender and blend with ice to make it slushy.
Chai Green Tea Latte
For a variation, add in 2 green tea bags to the above recipe to get all the amazing health benefits of green tea.
Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte
Japanese Matcha green tea powder is renowned for its superb taste, health benefits plus it’s an invigorating drink.
1 cup raw milk, almond or coconut milk
1 cup ice
1 Tbsp warm water
1 Tbsp raw honey
1-2 drops vanilla extract
1 tsp Matcha powdered green tea
*Optional: Light rum (to taste)
First, you will need to make a paste with the Matcha green tea powder, honey and the warm water. Put the powder and honey into a small bowl, add the warm water and use a small whisk or spoon to blend it into a smooth paste.
Put the Matcha paste and the rest of the ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth for about 1 minute. If the Matcha paste sticks to the side of the blender, stop the blender and scrape the paste down into the milk, and resume blending. Serve over ice.
