Chai Latte with Donkey Milk: Recipe with Homemade Spice Blend

Contents

1. Ingredients for 1 large mug
2. Preparation
3. Chai syrup for stocking up
4. Iced chai in summer
5. Tips
6. Chai, golden milk and cocoa
7. Frequently asked questions

To make a chai latte with donkey milk, boil black tea with spices in water and add the donkey milk only at the end – gently heated. This allows the spices to fully develop their flavor while the donkey milk retains its mild, slightly sweet note. Its natural sweetness pleasantly rounds off the cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.

Ingredients for 1 large mug

• 150 ml water
• 1 tsp strong black tea (e.g. Assam) or 1 tea bag
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 2 thin slices of fresh ginger
• 3 black peppercorns
• 150 ml donkey milk (thawed)
• 1–2 tsp honey, maple syrup or brown sugar

Preparation

1. Toast the spices: Heat the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise and pepper in a small pot without fat for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Bring to a boil: Add the water and ginger, bring to a boil and let simmer gently for 5 minutes.
3. Steep the tea: Remove the pot from the heat, add the tea and let steep for 3–4 minutes.
4. Add the donkey milk: Stir in the donkey milk and gently heat over low heat until everything is nicely warmed. Do not let it boil.
5. Strain and sweeten: Pour through a fine sieve into the mug and sweeten to taste.
6. Top: Optionally serve with a little frothed donkey milk and a pinch of cinnamon.

Chai syrup for stocking up

If you drink chai often, prepare a syrup:

1. Simmer 500 ml water with 4 cinnamon sticks, 10 cardamom pods, 8 cloves, 3 star anise, a thumb-sized piece of ginger and 10 peppercorns for 15 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat, add 4 tsp black tea, let steep for 5 minutes and strain.
3. Dissolve 150 g brown sugar in it, pour into a clean bottle and store in the refrigerator.
4. For one mug: mix 50–70 ml syrup with 200 ml gently heated donkey milk.

Iced chai in summer

Mix chai syrup with cold donkey milk and ice cubes – ready. Because the donkey milk is not heated at all, its flavor remains completely unchanged.

Tips

• Whole spices provide more flavor than ground spices and are easy to strain.
• Sweeten less: Donkey milk already has a slight sweetness due to its lactose.
• Froth: Donkey milk is low in fat, so its froth collapses more quickly. Only froth it directly before serving. More on donkey milk in coffee.
• Dirty chai: Add an espresso to turn the chai into a dirty chai.
• With powder: Dissolve 15 g donkey milk powder in 135 ml warm water and use instead of fresh donkey milk.

Chai, golden milk and cocoa

Do you like spicy warm drinks? Then also try turmeric latte with donkey milk and hot chocolate with donkey milk. More about milk in tea in milk in tea.

Frequently asked questions

Why should the donkey milk not be boiled with the tea?

Gently heating it preserves its mild flavor best. The spices already develop their flavor in the water.

Which tea is best suited?

A strong black tea like Assam, which can stand up to the spices.

Can I make caffeine-free chai?

Yes, with rooibos instead of black tea.

How long does chai syrup last?

Refrigerated in a clean bottle, about one to two weeks.

Note: Donkey milk contains milk protein and lactose. Honey is not suitable for children under one year.