Vegan Chai Latte - you make from Scratch!

One of my goals to getting healthy was to cut out caffeine! HOLD UP, NOW! I know some of you are saying, "Wait a minute, didn't they just tell us that coffee is now good for us?"

In small, occasional cups there is possibly a case to be made for some benefits to coffee. If it’s fresh, high-quality and ideally organic (regular coffee is one of the most pesticide-intensive crops in the world) then studies have shown that it can improve alertness and long term it may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, and even kidney stones for heavy drinkers. On the other hand, it has also been associated with an increased risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
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I'm not going to debate these issues with you. I know for me personally, caffeine is not my friend. It makes me anxious and jittery if I have too much of it and I don't sleep at night. For me, it's just not worth it. And, my doc has told me to cut back. 

Though I haven't cut it out completely, I have been able to cut back to one cup of really good organic coffee in the morning. For me, an avid coffee drinker, I think this is quite the achievement. Seeing how at one point I was at 3 - 4 cups (That's an average of 500 mg of caffeine a day - give or take) a day.

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What I have tried lately is switching to tea in the afternoons. Though still caffeine, tea has only about 25 - 30 mg (half that of coffee) of caffeine. Baby steps, people. Baby steps. 

In the beginning, I started ordering these out and about at either Starbucks or a local coffee shop in town. I noticed they were TOO sweet for me. I also noticed they were using a premixed coffee liquid. I get it, it makes life easier. You can even save time and buy these in Target and other stores (TJ MAXX has an organic blend) and cut down the time it takes to make one old school. But I will tell you, there's nothing like the taste you get when you make it from scratch!

I researched high and lo and probably combined a few recipes until I got it to where I really liked it. Now, it's one of my favorite things to make at home. It makes me feel like I'm spoiling myself. It does take a little time to prepare, a few key spices but the great thing is you can make a batch that will last an entire week in the fridge and YOU control how much of what goes in. That's always the great thing about making things in your own kitchen. 

I choose to use coconut milk or almond milk because I'm trying to reduce the dairy in my life. If you are still having dairy, feel free to use regular milk, by all means. 

​For the Tea you will need:

• Loose Black or Chai Tea
• Ground Chai Spices (see below)
• Sweetener of choice (maple syrup, stevia)
• Vanilla Extract
• Dairy-free Milk of choice (almond is best) or your regular milk
• Small strainer 

Chai Spice Blend: 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp each black peppercorns, ground cloves + cardamom (a few sprinkles). You can use whole cardamom if you have it. Mix these spices together and then add according to desired spiciness.

​Instructions:

1. Add water, tea and spices to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to fully steep.
2. Remove from heat and add almond milk and sweetener of choice and stir. Warm for 2-3 minutes off the heat, and then pour over 2 serving mugs using a fine mesh strainer.
3. Take almond milk (or milk of choice) and either use an emulsion blender to froth or you can put in a small mason jar and shake to froth. Use a spoon and add to tea. 

I hope you'll try it. I think once you do, you'll never want to have another relaxing afternoon without it!

​This post was written by Susan Avello, Personal Chef at Lean Bean Chef Personal Chef Services in Dothan Alabama - offering Healthy Meal Prep, Meal Planning, Private Cooking Classes, Private Dinner Parties and Education on Healthy Eating.