Golden Chai Mix for Turmeric Chai Latte. Golden Milk Mix + Chai Spice is a perfect start to the morning. This mix is caffeine-free, great for gifting, and use in curries, dals, stews, with veggies. Vegan Glutenfree Soyfree Nutfree Recipe. Jump to Recipe
I’ve been trying to change up my morning Chai to be caffeine free. Don’t ask me how that is going (it is hard!). I’ve been reducing the masala Chai and subbing a portion of it other options. This cup of this Turmeric Chai works the best. The warm spiced drink feels cozy and the refreshing spices remind me of the brewed spiced masala chai. Success!
My favorite Indian Chai spice mix gets a makeover with the addition of Turmeric and some optional saffron. This potent and flavorful mix makes amazing golden chai latte, minus the chai(tea, caffeine). Mix up this golden chai mix, change up the amounts of spices to preference. Boil in a small amount of non dairy milk then add some frothed non dairy milk and done!
You can add a tea bag to it for tea, serve it cold over ice or make a golden ice cream shake or smoothie! You can also use this mix in dals, veggie stir and curries! Try it in my peanut butter chickpea curry, lentil soup, and aloo gobi. Lets make some!
Ingredients for Golden Chai Mix
- Turmeric: Turmeric in large amounts (3 tbsp here compared to less amounts of other spices)will have a strong flavor. The type/ brand of turmeric matters. Some brands have a more bitter flavor. Some are finer grind, some are coarse. Some are not pure turmeric. Some make me feel reflux-y, while others help me feel better after a heavy meal. Some are a bit spicy. Try different brands to find the one that works the best for you. Use 2 tbsp for less turmeric in the mix.
- Cardamom: Unlike generic chai spice mixes and blends, cardamom is the bigger flavor in authentic Indian Chai spice, compared to cinnamon. It adds a citrusy, flowery aroma and flavor to the mix. Adjust it to preference. Cardamom also can add a bitter r stale flavor depending on brand. A good one is a brighter fresher flavor that will make this mix magical!
- Cinnamon balances out the mix with its sweeter, aromatic flavor and aroma and is so soothing.
- black pepper and cloves add the spice(heat) in the mix.
- ginger adds a refreshing, sweet, warm balance.
- Saffron is a small amount to enhance the flowery notes, reduce bitter and make it a richer flavor. It is optional, but do try if you have some.
Note: Turmeric in small amounts is generally ok for everyone. However, turmeric can cause slower blood clotting. If in doubt, please consult your doc about the amounts and frequency that is ok for you.
Step Photos
Measure out the ingredients and add to a jar. Mix well and store in a dry, cool place.
More Drinks from the blog
More Drinks from the blogTry this Shikanji – spiced India Lemonade/Limeade! Some Chaas- Indian Vegan Buttermilk, spiced and chilled for a delicious after meal drink.
Some Turmeric Iced Spiced Tea, because hey iced tea! Lassi! Mango Lassi Or Turmeric Lassi. Mango Panna is a spiced mango drink usually made with raw mangoes. Sour, tangy, sweet! Also very popular in Summer.
This Cookie Dough Blizzard. Need I say more.
Make the hot Turmeric Chai Latte by boiling some of the golden chai mix with non daiy milk. then adding the remaining milk, sweetener and bring to a gentle boil. Strain and serve!
How to use Golden Chai Mix
- Make Golden Chai Latte, chilled golden chai, or golden chai ice cream shake or smoothie! For any of these, heat the turmeric chai mix in some non dairy milk or water until boiling and then use it however you like. Boiling the mix allows for the flavors to meld, turmeric to be more effective and also mellows the bitter flavors. Depending on the spices used you can strain the mixture to use.
- Add to Curries or Dals. Try it in my peanut butter chickpea curry, lentil soup, and aloo gobi
- Add to curry fried rice. Toss with Veggies and roast.
Golden Chai Mix for Turmeric Chai Latte
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp powdered turmeric preferably organic
- 2.5 to 3 tsp ground cardamom , to flavor preference
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) saffron (6 strands) , optional
To make Turmeric Chai latte
- 1 1/2 cup (354.88 ml) non dairy milk , divided
- 2 tsp sugar or sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Add the turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, clove and ginger to a bowl or container and mix. Powder the saffron strands between your fingers and mix in. Store in airtight container in a dry, cool, dark storage for upto 3 months
To make Golden Chai latte:
- Heat 1/4 cup non dairy milk with 1 tsp golden chai mix and 2 tsp sweetener of choice, until boiling. Pour in 1.25 cup as is or frothed non dairy milk. Pour gently in as some non dairy milks tend to separate if suddenly heated.
- Bring to just about a boil. (You can add in some loose tea leaves or a black tea bag for a chai as well). Pour into cups( strain if needed). Serve as is or topped with whipped coconut cream.
To make chilled Golden Chai/Turmeric Iced Tea:
- Heat 1/4 cup non dairy milk with 1 tsp mix and 2 tsp sweetener of choice, until boiling. Mix or blend with 1 to 1.5 cups cold non dairy milk and ice.
To make Golden Chai Shake:
- Heat 1/4 cup non dairy milk with 1 tsp mix and 2 tsp sweetener of choice, until boiling. Blend with vanilla ice cream or frozen banana + non dairy milk as needed depending on consistency preference.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Shefali says
May 10, 2019 at 5:45 amHi Richa! I love all your recipes! I haven’t tried this one with saffron yet but it sounds like a great addition! I had to cut out caffeine a couple years ago and I switched to loose leaf rooibos to make chai. It is a beautiful red color and tastes great with almond milk creamer and chai masala. Have you tried it yet?
Richa says
May 10, 2019 at 10:41 amoh its been a few years since i tried rooibos. At that time i hadnt particularly liked it then, i should check out some other brands as the flavor definitely varies.
Maria says
May 12, 2019 at 8:08 amJust made this for my Mother’s Day breakfast. Really good! I love chai tea and I’m loving turmeric too.
Richa says
May 12, 2019 at 9:37 amawesome! Happy mothers day!
Emily says
May 12, 2019 at 9:40 amOMG this is the drink of my dreams. It tastes exactly like the Chai from Indian restaurants that I like. Those usually though have too much tea in them, so this is just perfect! I used 2 tbsp turmeric and that balance was amazing!
Richa says
May 12, 2019 at 11:30 amawesome!
Jenah says
May 13, 2019 at 3:25 pmHi, what kind of non dairy milk do you use? I boiled Almond Milk and it completely separated and didnt taste good.
Richa says
May 13, 2019 at 7:20 pmi used almond milk in the video.It depends on the brands. You also want to pour non dairy milks in slowly, so that the temperature of the milk doesnt suddenly change from cold to very hot. It also works with light coconut milk, soy milk, cashew milk
Annette says
May 13, 2019 at 8:10 pmI look so forward to your recipes! Are you putting out a new cookbook soon by any chance??🤗🤗
Richa says
May 13, 2019 at 11:38 pmYes, eventually. It takes a lot of work to write up a book and i am pretty overworked with the blog:)
MerPozo says
May 19, 2019 at 9:05 pmWhich brands of Turmeric do you recommend? Thanks!
Richa says
May 19, 2019 at 11:58 pmI get organic turmeric brands from the Indian store or organic turmeric capsules. I currently like diaspora and jiva brands for the powder and dr daniels capsules, but i plan to find cheaper alternatives.
Lee Anne says
May 19, 2019 at 9:38 pmHow do we know what brands of Cardamom to buy? I get the turmeric from Trader Joe’s, but I bought the ground Cardamom in the bulk aisle of either Central Market or Fred Meyers. You said “Cardamom also can add a bitter or stale flavor depending on brand. A good one is a brighter fresher flavor that will make this mix magical!” How do I know what to get??? I’m so confused!!! Help!
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!!
Richa says
May 19, 2019 at 11:53 pmI usually get cardamom from the indian store or middle eastern store or a specialty world spice store. You can kind of tell the staleness from the look and aroma. Even if the bottle is sealed, the cardamom aroma will leak out. It might not really be a bother for most people, i am just attuned to the flavors a lot 🙂 . You can also buy cardamom seeds(black seeds), those will stay fresher and you can grind them as needed. or use cardamom pods(the green whole pods). You can grind the entire pod and use too. The green skin does add a slight fibrous feel which you may have to strain out. I think you probably should be fine getting some from any local grocery store that carries it too. If the flavor is too bitter, use less or use cardamom in curries and stuff instead of this mix. hope this helps!
Janaki says
July 17, 2019 at 4:01 amHow about nutmeg in list ?.
Richa says
July 17, 2019 at 9:52 amyou can add some if you like, an 1/8 to 1/4 tsp in the mix
Chris says
July 21, 2019 at 3:00 pmJust made it! Yum! I’ve been wanting to add more turmeric to my diet and this is perfect.
Richa says
July 22, 2019 at 10:50 amThanks!
Helga Kenseth says
September 5, 2019 at 5:31 pmHi Richa , thanks for this recipe.I had been buying a commercial chai mix for about 16 dollars. Yours is much better at a fraction of the cost and made fresh too! Delicious on cold nights here in the northeast. Love all of your recipes and you make creating the great spice and flavors easy 🤗
Helga Kenseth says
September 5, 2019 at 5:33 pmoops I really meant to give Five Stars!
Richa says
September 5, 2019 at 7:43 pmThanks!
Mare says
December 14, 2019 at 4:08 pmThis was *exactly* what I was looking for. I have never actually had a golden milk latte, but saw a picture in the store today and it was so appealing I thought, “my body needs that”. So I looked at the basic ingredients (on one of the $20 jars) and just bought the same basic spices in from the bulk section of the coop. But I wasn’t sure of the ratios. So when I got home I reviewed some recipes and this one was exactly what I was hoping for. So helpful! The only change I made was a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger in the pan (instead of dried ginger in the blend) and a dash of salt. I used both oat milk and coconut milk and it turned out GREAT. 100% the thing my body was craving. Thank you so much!
Richa says
December 14, 2019 at 5:30 pmawesome!
SusanL says
February 25, 2020 at 7:02 amI’ve never had Chai, so I have no comparisons but this is delicious. What I did – soak 1/2 cup cashews for about 30 minutes, drained, rinsed and added to Vitamix with 1 cup water and a Medjool date. Blended for about a minute. Removed 1/2 cup and added 1 tsp. golden chai mix and heated to boiling in microwave. Returned to blender and ran until it was hot enough for me. SO good!!!
Richa says
February 25, 2020 at 2:19 pmawesome
Angelina says
December 1, 2020 at 5:23 pmThis will be another one I add to my favorites list! I just made this tonight. I didn’t have ground cardamom so I used whole green cardamom pods I had on hand. I crushed them and put the seeds in the mix. The flavor is great amazing!
Watch out sweet potato cinnamon rolls you can competition!
Vegan Richa Support says
December 1, 2020 at 6:57 pmYay haha ! Yummy cardamon
Keren Paquette says
December 10, 2020 at 8:01 amThis is absolutely delicious! I have been trying to find a golden milk mix that I like but they all tasted so bitter. Following your advice, I bought some turmeric powder at the Indian grocery store and it makes such a difference! Thank you!
Richa says
December 10, 2020 at 8:05 amAweskme! Turmeric brands vary a lot. Also it is an acquired taste. So def try brands and start with lower amounts.