Hi, guys! I hope you’re having a great new year! I’m sharing one of my favorite cozy go-to winter lattes today which is completely DIY, healthy and guilt-free! I love to whip this up on a Saturday morning to replace coffee with a milder caffeine kick from the black tea, but still enough to wake me up! It’s especially nice to cozy up with this warm latte with comforting spices with this FREEZING whether we have in the northeast, but it’s looking like it’s going to warm up to the mid-30s and 40s!! Feels like summer compared to what it’s been!
One of my January intentions was to get out in nature more, and I’m excited to get back outside as the weather warms up (slightly)! A DIY latte like this one takes under 10 minutes to make, and it’s also a good accompaniment to a brisk walk or my new consistent meditation practice, which I can say is going great since January 2nd! Even if it’s only 5 minutes, I take time for myself to be aware of my breath and my thoughts and let them “float by”, either alone or with a meditation app (one of my favorites is Stop, Breathe, Think)! There is a lot of emerging evidence on the benefits of meditation such as reduction in blood pressure, reduced stress, increased gray matter in the brain, and more – I’ll save that for another blog post!
In this Vanilla Chai latte I use cashew milk which gives a delicious and creamy texture, but feel free to use any milk you’d like. This latte is also not vegan as I used raw honey and collagen powder, but simply replace with pure maple syrup and omit the collagen to make a vegan latte if you choose.
- 2 cups of cashew milk
- 2 chai tea bags or 3 tbsp. loose chai tea
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 3/4 tsp. cinnamon)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract (alcohol free)
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- dash of sea salt
- 2 tsp. raw honey, or more to taste
- 1 scoop collagen protein powder or plant based protein (optional)
- Heat cashew milk on medium-high heat, just before boiling. Turn down to medium heat.
- Add chai tea bags (or loose tea) and cinnamon stick. If you're using ground cinnamon, blend it with the tea at the end.
- Simmer the milk, tea, and cinnamon stick on medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend the flavors.
- Remove the tea bags and cinnamon stick and take the milk off heat. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the rest of the ingredients to a blender. Pour the chai cashew milk in last and blend for about 1 minute until smooth.
- Pour into two mugs and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!
- The froth is mostly due to the collagen powder, so if you'd like to omit it, add some milk to a brother to get the same effect! I like to add sea salt to bring out the sweetness and enhance the flavors!
Comment below and rate this recipe if you’ve tried it! Getting your feedback helps me create better recipes and blog posts for YOU!
Looking for more accountability this month? Contact me today to join in on the Dietitian Guided New Year Challenge – it’s not too late to join for the month, and you’ll be entered to win weekly giveaways when you complete each weekly challenge!
Have a Happy and Healthy New Year,
xo Samantha
