A Lavender Chai Tea Latte made at home is honestly so much better than anything you will find at the drive-thru. You control the sweetness, the strength of the chai, and the floral flavor, and the whole thing comes together in about 5 minutes. It tastes cozy and comforting, looks beautiful, and uses simple wholesome ingredients you can feel good about.
I have made so many versions of chai lattes at home since giving up my daily coffee, and this lavender version is one of my absolute favorites. The spiced chai tea bags do all the heavy lifting for flavor, and a good lavender syrup pulls everything together with those floral notes that make this drink feel a little extra. My whole morning routine feels like a cozy cafe moment now, and I think yours will too! I also love my Hot Matcha Chai Latte Tea Recipe ~ Tried and True on days when I want something a little different.
Why This Recipe Works
Floral Meets Spiced: The combination of bold chai spices and floral lavender syrup is so unexpected and so good. It is one of those flavor pairings that just works, and once you try it you will want it every morning. It reminds me of my Easy Vanilla Chai Latte ~ Perfect Recipe with Tea bags but with a gorgeous floral upgrade that feels so special.
Skip the Coffee Shop: This lavender chai latte recipe saves you money and comes together in 5 minutes at home. No line, no drive-thru, and you control exactly how sweet it is!
Beautiful and Cozy: The optional natural purple color makes this drink feel extra special, whether you are making it just for yourself or serving it to guests. It looks like something straight off a cafe menu!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Hot Water: You can boil the water in a mug in the microwave or use a tea kettle.
- Chai Tea: Use spiced chai black tea bags for the best chai flavor without any hassle. You can find these at most grocery stores!
- Hot Milk: For a rich and creamy lavender chai tea latte, I recommend whole milk. You can also use almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk! I would avoid rice or soy milk as they don't froth as easily, and that foamy texture is what we are going for.
- Natural Food Coloring: This step is completely optional, but if you want that pretty purple color using natural ingredients, you can add a few drops of natural food coloring. I love the Watkins natural food coloring, which you can find at Target or most grocery stores!
- Lavender Syrup: Using a good lavender syrup makes this lavender chai latte recipe so quick and easy. I love syrups that are organic with lower sugar, and I get mine from Portland Syrups online.
- Vanilla Extract: Look for pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the best vanilla flavor.
- Dried Lavender Buds: Completely optional as a garnish, but I love the extra floral notes they add!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Start by steeping your chai tea bags and hot water in your preferred mug for about 3-5 minutes. The longer you steep the chai, the richer the flavor will develop.
Step 2: While the chai steeps, heat the milk. If you have an electric milk frother and steamer, add the milk and 1 teaspoon of lavender syrup. If you are using natural food coloring, add 6 drops of red and 6 drops of blue to the milk. Then froth and steam to heat, creating that perfect foamy texture.
Step 3: If you do not have an electric frother and steamer, heat the milk and 1 teaspoon of lavender syrup in the microwave or over the stovetop in a small pot.
Step 4: Once the milk and lavender syrup mixture is heated, use an electric handheld frother for about a minute to froth the milk.
Step 5: Once the tea is steeped and the milk is frothed, remove the tea bags and add 2 tablespoons of lavender simple syrup and a dash of vanilla to your mug.
Step 6: When pouring the frothed milk into the mug, use a spoon to hold back the foam until the end. Pour all of the hot milk in with the chai tea first, then pour the foam layer on top at the end.
Step 7: Garnish with a little dried lavender as desired. Enjoy!
Quick Tip
Chai flavors vary a lot depending on the brand of tea you are using. Flavors like black tea, ginger, cardamom, and allspice can be bold or light depending on your brand!
For this lavender chai latte recipe, I have found that if I am using Trader Joe's chai tea, I prefer just one tea bag since the flavors are on the bolder side and I don't want them to compete with the lavender. If I am using Tazo or another brand, I usually use two tea bags for the same amount of water for a stronger flavor.
Whole milk gives you the creamiest, frothiest result, but I have made this lavender chai tea latte with oat milk many times and it is a great dairy-free option that still froths up nicely! My Almond Olive Oil Cake is proof that simple, quality ingredients always make the best difference, and the same goes here, a good quality lavender syrup really does make this drink shine.
Equipment
Electric Frother and Steamer: An electric frother and steamer works best for this recipe to both heat and froth your milk at the same time. An electric handheld milk frother is a great option if you don't have the combo appliance.
Tea Kettle: Use a tea kettle to heat your water, or a microwave works just fine too!
Storage
This lavender chai tea latte is best enjoyed fresh right after making it! If you have leftover lavender syrup, store it in a sealed jar in the fridge. Homemade lavender syrup stays fresh and ready to use all week long, making your morning routine even quicker.
FAQ
Yes! Simply combine ½ cup of water, ½ cup of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of dried lavender. Bring to a boil in a small saucepan and reduce to a simmer for 5-7 minutes until thickened. Strain out the dried lavender and store in a jar in the fridge until you are ready to use. It keeps really well and you can use it in so many drinks!
You can find dried lavender online or at most grocery stores in the spice section. I love getting mine from Sprouts in their bulk seasoning section, you only have to buy the amount you need, which is great for beverages!
Yes! Simply heat 4 oz of your favorite chai tea concentrate, Tazo chai concentrate works great. Then add the milk and lavender foam on top.
Most chai concentrates are already sweetened, so I would only add a small dash of lavender syrup for the floral flavor and skip the extra syrup to keep it from getting overly sweet.
Absolutely! Follow the recipe as written, but only froth half of the milk. Combine the steeped tea, vanilla, lavender simple syrup and the other half of the cold milk and pour over ice. Add the frothed milk on top for that perfect foam layer. One tip - the hotter the tea, the faster it melts the ice. If you can make the tea mixture ahead of time and chill it in the fridge first, you will get much better results! It is so refreshing for warmer months!
Lavender Chai Tea Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 oz boiling hot water
- 2 chai tea bags
- 5 oz hot whole milk
- 2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lavender simple syrup
- dash of vanilla extract
- sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
- Start by steeping your chai tea bags and hot water in your preferred mug of choice for about 3-5 minutes. The longer you steep the chai, the richer the flavor will develop.
- While the chai tea steeps, heat the milk. If you have an electric milk frother and steamer, add the milk and 1 teaspoon of lavender syrup. If you are using the natural food coloring, add 6 drops of red and 6 drops of blue to the milk. Then froth and steam to heat, creating the perfect foamy texture.
- If you do not have an electric milk frother and steamer, heat the milk and 1 teaspoon of lavender syrup either in the microwave or over the stove top in a small pot.
- Once the milk and lavender syrup mixture is heated, use an electric hand held frother for about a minute to froth the milk.
- Once the tea is steeped and the milk is frothed, remove the tea bags and add 2 tablespoon of lavender simple syrup and dash of vanilla to your mug.
- When pouring the frothed milk into the mug, use a spoon to hold back the foam until the end. Pour all of the hot milk in with the chai tea and then pour the foam layer on top at the end.
- Garnish with a little lavender as desired.
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Pairing
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