Reviewed: Dec. 10, 2008

What a wonderful recipe. I did add all the spices in that were mentioned. I only made one modification (from other's reviews) I cut the sugar down to 2 cups.

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WIBaker13

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Reviewed: Dec. 10, 2008

I have made this a few times now and it's excellent but I have taken the comments from other reviews and used them. Firstly 2 1/2 cups of sugar is way too much, cut that in half. Do not use the Vanilla creamer, do as they suggest with the vanilla extract and pour onto the sugar, make sure you let it dry it takes a while. Also use a good vanilla extract, one without alcohol. The cardamons are also a must however they are very strong in flavor and if you don't use the vanilla creamer they can over power the flavor. Without the vanilla creamer use only half the cardamons it calls for, you can also cut down on the cloves. I added the nutmeg (ground from whole) and allspice however I keep forgetting to get while pepper, when I do I will add it, these extra spices are a must. Finally, for taste I use three generous teaspoons when I make a cup and I will only use milk, just not the same with water.

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olaybolx

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Reviewed: Dec. 7, 2008

My DD has decided she likes chai tea. She gave this 5 stars and thumbs up. Cardamon is crazy expensive.... but I thought this would probably still be cheaper (and better)than a store bought mix.

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MELODY0112

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Royal City, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 7, 2008

Nice hot treat for cold days! This is great, but I recommend mixing it with milk instead of water.

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stacey

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Reviewed: Dec. 7, 2008

I made this with my sister to give as Christmas gifts. We tweaked it a little to make it to our tastes, but it turned out amazing. We made it in the food processor as others suggested to cut down on the grit and are glad we did. Right from the start we left out the ginger (allergies) and cut the sugar in half. Even for those who like sweet drinks, I would recommend starting with half the sugar. You can always add more in if you want it sweeter. We both like our teas and coffees really sweet, but we agreed that half the sugar tasted just right. We made a cup with water and decided it wasn't quite perfect. We added another 1/2 cup of the vanilla creamer and another 1/2 cup of tea to the mix. The second time around we also prepared it using half milk and half water with the new mix and decided it made it perfect. Our only experience with Chai prior to this was Starbucks, so we had some big shoes to fill, but I think we succeeded. So long $4 lattes!

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Carrie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Houston, Texas, USA

Living In: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 5, 2008

A AROMATIC PLEASURE. This is a amazing tea. The blend of spices gives it a wonderful scent and taste. I did however use only 1.5 cup of sugar and found the sweetness just right. I did not use the instant tea, just brewed black tea and added 2 teaspoons of the mix to the cup(it just seem more authentic) . W

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Julie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Warren, Michigan, USA

Living In: Lakeshore, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: Dec. 5, 2008

O.K.! Wow this is better than Starbucks!!! So good and very easy to make. I used the blender method and it worked just fine. Did not make any changes to the original recipe and its perfect.

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lil creamy

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Battle Creek, Michigan, USA

Living In: Tampa, Florida, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 4, 2008

Although I have been an Allrecipes member for quite awhile this is my first review! I just had to rave about this recipe. I have made it for the past few years around the holidays to give as gifts and it always turns out great. The only change I make is to leave out the Cardamom only because it is on the pricey side and I do not feel the tea is missing anything without it. I was not planning on making it this year but my friend who I usually give some to asked me if I was going to make some this year....so I think I will! It makes a large amount which makes it perfect for gift giving. I even made this to give as favors at my sister-in-laws baby shower a few years ago. Packaged in cellophane bags which were super cheap to buy online and added a pretty ribbon and tag. Make this tea you will not be sorry!

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MICHEL7624

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Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2008

Everyone who has a cup really enjoys it -much more inexpensive than buying the mixes. Now I always keep some on hand!

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MbSjFulcher

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Reviewed: Dec. 1, 2008

Definitely a hit with everyone! Very authentic and not "powdered-milky" tasting like others I've had. I bagged it up in little cups and packaged it up with homemade cinnamon rolls as a Christmas Breakfast present for my friends!

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Emmy

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Fullerton, California, USA

Living In: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 26, 2008

This is awesome! It makes a large batch...great for a gift, but I used most of it for myself! I followed the recipe exactly, but used cardamon seeds that I ground on my own. Next time I will use ground cardamon from the store because it left a funky residue in the bottom of the mug...other than that, FANTASTIC! Thank for the recipe!

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BERTSWERT

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Kearney, Nebraska, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2008

LOVE IT! I will definitely make more of this. The only ingredient I left out was the cardamom because I couldn't find it in the store, it's still wonderful without it. Great recipe!

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Erica Stark

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Reviewed: Nov. 15, 2008

This recipe is a 5 as is. Here's how I do it. I only add a couple of things. I mix all the spices (including the extra) in a coffee grinder. Then I mix everything in the food processor. Here's another option: Instead of using all sugar I make a mixture of 2 cups total of sugar, pwd sugar and brown sugar. I like the added dimension it gives. I use both water and milk to make it. then I strain it through cheesecloth to get out all the chunks. Even though I process the spices to pieces They still don't disolve. I also use the spice mix and put it in biscotti for a chai biscotti.

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Beth McMillion

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Rockford, Illinois, USA

Living In: Wapella, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 14, 2008

This is delicious! I used the extra spices and I followed the recipe exactly. I did not use the cardamom however because you can't get it in my little town and I was to impatient to wait for it to be shipped to me (via online)!! But I will be getting some for my next batch. This does make a lot, but thats good because I like to enjoy 1-2 cups of this a day, mixed with hot milk. I am planning on making more to give as christmas gifts too! Do make sure that if you use a blender, to mix it really well. I spent a long time mixing it, so it got nice and fine, and it dissolves nicely and is not gritty.

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April M

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Merritt Island, Florida, USA

Living In: Fort Stockton, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2008

I used the Splenda/Sugar blend, and reduced the amount of sugar to a 1/4 of the original amount.

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im2bz

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Reviewed: Nov. 12, 2008

This is the best homemade Chai Tea I've ever made. I too used the additional spices. One note about the sugar, I used 1.5 cups of Splenda and 1 cup granulated sugar. It's very sweet. When I make it again, I'm going to cut back to 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup Splenda. This rivals the best of the best Chai Teas I've ever tried, including the mixes from Pampered Chef and Tastefully Simple. This one's a keeper and you won't know who to share this with first! Enjoy and thanks to the person who shared this originally!!!

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jo

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Reviewed: Nov. 11, 2008

I got a bag of this mix from a friend for Christmas and loved it so I had to have the recipe. We of course are Starbucks loving folks, but this is just about as good. I used my coffee grinder (grinding a cup of white rice before and after to clean the grinder!!) to try to grind the spices finer to avoid the "sediment" at the bottom of the cup, but it didn't make much of a diff. Only used 1 C. sugar and it is still sweet enough. Made with hot water and added a splash of F-F Half &Half and it's awesome! We love it and share with everyone!!! Thanks for a fantastic recipe.

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LHUEZO

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 4, 2008

I really enjoyed this mixed with warm milk. I did as the author suggested and added the nutmeg and allspice. I plan to add the white pepper when I buy some. Only down side is that this made a ton and now I have leftover instant tea and dry milk that I'm not sure what to do with.

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RINI723

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Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2008

Very good. I live in a country without instant tea, so i just add regular tea leaves after I blend the other ingredients. When I make it, I just strain the leaves out with a tea strainer. It's a little more trouble, but well worth it. The upside is that cardamom is much cheaper and easier to come by here. Very delicious!

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Tami

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Reviewed: Oct. 28, 2008

This is so comfy cozy good. Perfect for a cold winters day. The first time I made it I didnt add the extra spices listed in the headline and it was lovely. This time I added the extra spices and it just gives it a more umph. I like it both ways. Will keep this on hand all year round, living in Alaska you need a good cup of something soothing and hot. Thanks so much for the recipe!!

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