From our Pantry: Iced Chai Tea Latte like Starbucks!

The following is a weekly feature brought to us by Sumiko from Near to Nothing.  I’ve asked her to share tips and tricks (and recipes!) that show us ways to replace the items we’d typically buy canned or frozen from scratch at home for less!  You’ll find a new From Our Pantry post each Monday.

Did you miss the free Starbucks last Friday?  No worries!  You can make Starbucks-like drinks at home for pennies!

Neither my husband nor I are coffee drinkers, but we love a lot of their coffee-free drinks.  Unfortunately, Starbucks doesn’t fit in our budget.  Fortunately, my husband’s students keep us well-stocked with Starbucks gift cards so we can treat ourselves every now and then.

Over the last couple years, I’ve set out on a mission to try to copy some of their drinks at home.  The results have been good so far.  Lately I’ve been drinking a lot of iced chai tea lattes.  I only ever bought one at Starbucks and will never buy another one again.  It was good, but definitely not worth the $2.95 they charge for a tall, especially considering it is mostly ice.

Starbucks iced chai tea latte

There are a lot of variables when making iced chai tea lattes at home, so you might need to experiment a little to figure out what you like:

• Tea–The brand and variety of tea you use will definitely affect the final outcome.
  

  Try different teas to find what you like best.

• Sweetener–Use whatever sweetener you choose.  The type of sweetener as well as personal preference will determine how much you need to add.
  

  I'm very excited about the honey, which my mom just brought me from Pennsylvania. It's from my Uncle Stu's hives! You can also add flavor with syrups.

• Milk–I use non-fat because that’s what we drink.  You can use whatever you have.
• Ice–Yes, the ice you use will affect the outcome.  Smaller ice cubes or crushed ice will melt into the latte faster than larger ice cubes.
• Ratios–You can change the ratios to fit your preferences.  Want more chai flavor, use more tea.  Want less, use more milk.

Iced Chai Tea Latte

1. 1/2 c. water (more or less)
2. 2 chai tea bags
3. Sweetener, to taste
4. 1/2 glass ice
5. Milk

Bring water to boiling on stove or in microwave.  If on stove, remove from heat.  Add tea bags and steep about 5 minutes.

I usually make the tea quadruple strength since it will be diluted by the milk and ice.

Remove bags and stir in desired sweetener.  Fill a large class half-way with ice.  Pour hot tea over ice.  Add milk to top off.

I estimate that it costs me well under $0.50 per glass.  That’s more than $2.45 savings over buying it at Starbucks, and I don’t even have to leave home or use a gift card.  I’d much rather use the gift cards for double chocolaty chip frappuccinos!

I usually make a double batch--one for me and one for my husband!

Don’t forget to prin this new $1/1 ANY Torani Flavored Syrup coupon!  Keep your eyes open for the smaller bottles, they are a lot more affordable.  Use zip code 77477 to find this coupon.

Torani Flavored Syrup – $3.98 at Walmart
$1/1 ANY Torani Flavored Syrup coupon - Use zip code 77477
Final Price: $2.98