This Iced Ginger Chai drink is based on one of my favorite products, Bhakti Chai. My homemade chai recipe is heavy on the ginger, cardamom, and black pepper. I love a good cool, yet spicy drink in the summer.
While I love Bhakti Chai, it does not love me. There is way too much caffeine in regular chai for my body type, which is the vata dosha. Even the decaffeinated product contains small amounts of caffeine, which is too much for me. I use rooibos tea, which is herbal, as the base of my homemade chai recipe. This way I get the black tea flavor without any of the caffeine.
There are many ways that you could adapt this recipe, more spices, less spices, different spices, ground spices. Feel free to experiment with it and if you do, please let us know what changes you made and how well they worked.
Iced Ginger Chai
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh ginger, skin on
- 10 cardamom pods
- 5 whole cloves
- 10 whole peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ cup organic loose rooibos tea
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes
- Cool 3 hours
- Use a fine mesh strainer to transfer mixture into a one quart mason jar
- Fill each glass with ice, 1 cup chai mixture, and ¼ cup Almond Milk
- Serve
In my incredible cache of gluten-free recipes, I have a recipe for a hot chai which you’ll love. Chai, hot or cold, goes super well with any of my fan favorite paleo biscotti recipes below!
Erin says
Oh, that sounds delicious! I adore rooibos and chai, yum!
Elana says
Erin, thanks!
Charissa says
I starred this in my google reader because it sounded so amazing! Now I really need a cold drink!
Elana says
Thanks Charissa!
Jen @ keepitsimplefoods says
This looks so tasty! I love chai!
Elana says
Jen, thanks!
Sues says
There’s nothing more refreshing than an iced chai! And I love the addition of all the ginger :)
Elana says
Thanks!
Anne @ Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy says
Usually, I’m an iced coffee kind of girl, but that sounds so yummy right now!
Elana says
Thanks Anne!
Lisa says
Hi Elana!
Re: too much caffeine. Think I saw a decaf version of Bhakti Chai. Your version sounds even better with all the cardamom. Is there a good black tea to use if I like having the caffeine?
A hot cup sounds good on a rainy evening like tonight!
Lisa Elstun
Judy says
I like Darjeeling or Assam in my chai, basically a rich flavored black tea, just don’t use something like Earl Grey that has bergamot in it.
Heather J says
I have this steeping right now! I followed the recipe, using 4 black tea bags and added a cinnamon stick and 1/2 a star anise. Smells great! Will taste it tomorrow :)
Hannah Holistic says
Elana,
This sounds lovely. I liked Bhakti chai when it first came out but recently they did something to their formula and now it just tastes like pure ginger juice. Seriously weird. I will definitely try this, maybe go a touch lighter on the ginger. Thanks for the recipe. :)
Gracias,
Hannah
Elana says
Hannah, you’re welcome!
Lori @ Laurel of Leaves says
This sounds really delicious! I’ve become a recent addict to roiboos tea. I love the black tea flavor without the bitterness and the jitters from the caffeine.
Elana says
Thanks Lori!
Shirley @ gfe says
How lovely, Elana! I really like the sound of this tea. Cooling is needed here right now. ;-)
xo,
Shirley
Elana says
Shirley, thanks!