Winter is the perfect time for this creamy, dreamy homemade Chai Hot Cocoa. Warm almond milk (or any plant based milk of your choice) whisked with cocoa powder, maple syrup and a blend of chai spices makes the tastiest winter beverage. Whip up this Chai spiced hot chocolate in minutes!

Homemade Chai Hot Cocoa is a delicious winter treat!

I am a huge fan of Chai tea. There’s nothing better than a frothy, spicy Chai Latte. But, get this…when you mix tasty Chai spices with creamy hot chocolate you get an amazingly delicious drink. Why not splurge this holiday season and try out this decadent silky smooth vegan homemade Chai hot cocoa? You can make it with your favorite plant-based milk or even whole milk, if you aren’t avoiding dairy. Then choose your favorite natural sweetener such as maple syrup, honey, raw sugar or coconut sugar. If you are looking for low carb try using stevia.

What is Chai and where does it come from?

Chai is a spiced tea with milk from India that has grown in popularity throughout the world in the last decade. It is generally made of: black tea, creamy milk, spices and a sweetener.

The spices vary from region to region in India. Most commonly used spices are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper. Chai spices warm you up and soothe your soul.

Homemade Chai Spice Blend

This tasty warm beverage recipe starts with a quick and easy Chai spice blend. The blend I use for this recipe is made of the dried and ground versions of these spices:

Ginger
Cinnamon
Cloves
Nutmeg
Cardamom
Black Pepper

Mix up the spices in a small bowl. Then store the mix in an airtight jar for a few months or in the freezer for a really long time.

How to make homemade Chai Hot Cocoa

Whip up this naturally sweetened, creamy concoction in a just a few minutes! First mix up the spices. You will want to use the dried and ground versions of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper. Then warm up 4 cups of your favorite plant-based milk over medium-low heat. Whisk in cocoa powder, the Chai spices, vanilla extract and maple syrup (or your favorite sweetener). Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream, if desired. I like to top mine with a cinnamon stick or a star anise and then sprinkle with a little bit of pepper. You can totally leave out the black pepper, too.

Variety is the “spice” of life!

Feel free to play around with this recipe and tailor it to your liking. You can try adding less (or more) of the spices. Also, you could leave out any of the spices you might not like. For instance, for a while, I didn’t have any cardamom. This recipe still tasted great without it! Vary the type of milk and the toppings as well. If you want to booze up this recipe, you could always add a shot of bourbon or rum or vodka. I think it would make a delightful hot cocktail! Whatever you do, make sure to leave me a comment on how you enjoyed this tasty homemade Chai hot cocoa.

Print Recipe