Is chai tea latte gluten free? Usually yes, but there’s a lot more to this answer, so let’s take a deep dive.
First, What is Chai Tea Latte?
A chai tea latte is a combination of chai tea concentrate or chia tea, along with a milk of choice, a sweetener, and chai spices. If you’re concerned about ordering when out, you can make this at home.
How Gluten Can Come Into Contact with a Chai Tea Latte
For those who manage Celiac Disease, a wheat allergy, any type of gluten sensitivity, a strict gluten-free diet, or other dietary needs, you may need to ask about the safety of individual ingredients.
For example, a lot of dairy free milk options are made on shared equipment with wheat. I’ve found through my work that about 30% of people with food allergies can’t have food or beverages made on shared equipment with what they’re allergic to.
Now, if you plan to order this drink at somewhere like Starbucks, these types of establishments make no obvious claims that they’re safe. In fact, as I was looking through ingredients on the Starbuck’s website, it clearly states that there can be cross contact with allergens on site.
What this means for you: talk to the staff before placing an order. If necessary, also ask about ingredient sourcing. Should you move forward with an order, make sure they’ve washed their hands or changed gloves, etc.
Chai Tea Latte Ingredients & Chai Concentrate Ingredients
When it comes to knowing if these products are gluten free, here’s what I can tell you:
- Nowhere does Starbucks indicate these beverages are gluten free, and there’s a clear warning on the website about cross-contact with allergens.
- The Oregon Chai product label says it’s gluten free certified (by Oregon Tilth).
- Nowhere on the Tzao product label is gluten free indicated. Additionally, on their website, they say “Tea doesn’t naturally contain gluten, but we also do not perform testing to be able to claim gluten free on tea and herbals. Without specifically requesting and putting testing into place, we can’t guarantee gluten free from cross contamination.
I appreciate the transparency of all three of these brands, and hopefully, something here works for you.
Starbucks Hot Chai Tea Latte Ingredients
Milk, Water, Chai Tea Concentrate [An Infusion Of (Water, Black Tea, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Natural Flavors, Star Anise), Sugar, Honey, Ginger Juice, Natural Flavors, Vanilla, Citric Acid]
Starbucks Iced Chai Tea Latte Ingredients
Milk, Ice, Chai Tea Concentrate [An Infusion Of (Water, Black Tea, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Natural Flavors, Star Anise), Sugar, Honey, Ginger Juice, Natural Flavors, Vanilla, Citric Acid]
Oregon Chai Original Chi Concentrate Ingredients (32 fl oz, 946mL)
Water, Organic Dried Cane Sugar Syrup, Organic Black Tea, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Spice Extracts, Organic Honey, Citric Acid, And Natural Flavors.
Tazo Classic Chai Latte Black Tea Concentrate Ingredients (32 fl oz, 946mL)
An Infusion Of (Water, Black Tea, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Star Anise, Natural Flavors), Cane Sugar, Honey, Ginger Juice, Natural Flavors, Vanilla Extract, Citric Acid.
Making a Chai Latte at Home
It’s pretty easy to make a fresh cup of your favorite exotic tea at home. The basic instructions are:
- Mix equal parts of chai latte concentrate with mammal milk or any dairy free milk substitute.
- Heat on the stove or in the microwave, or pour over ice.
You can use hot water in place of the milk, but then you’re no longer making a latte. A key hallmark of a latte is the milk (or dairy free milk). Be sure to have fun with this process. In addition to making lattes, you can also make a blended drink such as a smoothie or something with chocolate, and include chai tea.
Getting The Best Price When Making Lattes at Home
There are so many reasons you may want to skip the coffee shop and make a chai tea latte at home. It can be the ongoing cost, or it can be the need for peace of mind (cross-contact, etc.). Some people make drinks at home because they know they can make good food and beverages at home, foods that are miles ahead of what’s sold in restaurants and coffee shops. No matter the reason, let’s look at how you can make affordable lattes at home.
For the best price on organic cane sugar, check Costco and other wholesale or bulk style stores. I get organic sugar at Costco and the price is crazy low… They also have light brown sugar there as well, in case you need that as well.
You can shop online for chai tea concentrate, or, you can make your own custom blend at home with whole spices (or a spice blend) along with chai tea bags. There are several recipe developers that share their recipe and method online. However, I want to encourage you, rather than try to make something that’s a copycat of Starbucks or other large chain coffee shop, focus on creating a delicious flavor, even if it’s a little different from what’s sold in stores.
I say all of that to say that the best way to save money on lattes is if you buy individual ground spices and make the blend yourself. Sure, you may not have super fact delivery time, but the wait will be worth it.
The upside to purchasing individual spices rather than big bag of spiced chai tea latte mix is that you can control the ratios, but then you can use the spices for other cooking and baking projects.
To save money on dairy free milk, if you purchase a shelf-stable milk, ask your grocery store about purchasing a case. This usually comes with a 10% discount. If you plan on using a lot of plant-based milk, you can also make milk at home. Depending on the type you make, it can take 15 – 30 minutes from start to finish, for a pretty high yield.
Answering Your Chai Latte Questions
Which dairy free milk works best in a chai tea latter?
When you’re getting ready to make a creamy chai tea latte at home, skip the regular soy milk, oat milk, or other dairy free milk you may normally use. Assuming you’re only dairy free and don’t need to avoid other ingredients including legumes (guar gum), specific pseudograins, and so on, get Barista Milk.
Several dairy free milk makers offer a barista version of their milk. These are manufactured to have a sturdier microfoam, and behave closer to a milk-based creamer. This is necessary because most vegan milk options don’t have the same fat, sugar, and protein content as cow’s milk, or other mammal milks.
I don’t have a specific brand to suggest, so I’d encourage you to try several before settling on an option. If possible, make a big batch of your chai tea latte, then do a side-by-side comparison of all the barista milks that are safe for you.
What’s the best creamer for dairy free coffee and tea?
There are a few brands that make milk alternatives who are now moving into the world of creamers. When choosing a dairy substitute for creamer, look for an unsweetened option if possible. This allows you to really control the end results and how your beverage tastes.
Personally, if I were to purchase one of these products, I’d start with the Forager brand. They’re my top pick because their ingredients are clean and organic, plus, the brand has a great track record.
After Forager, I’d look into Sown, Planet Oat, Silk, and Nut Pods. Each one has a different base ingredient, and some are a blend of main ingredient (think: oats + cashews). If possible, get an unsweetened creamer
