If you’re looking for a cozy drink for Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, something that goes beyond your general hot chocolate, keep reading! This Dutch Bros. drinks knock-off Christmas Morning Chai will have you feeling warm and toasty from the inside out! The perfect addition to the holiday season!
Something New, Fresh, Delicious for Christmas Morning
If you love the coziness of the family gathered on Christmas morning and are looking for something to take it up a level or two, this is the tasty drink you need to try. Even if tea is not your cup of tea (sorry, y’all), this is such an easy peasy recipe that is a true crowd-pleaser.
Let me introduce you to Christmas Morning Chai.
Your family can drink this while opening presents, gathered around a fire, during Christmas morning breakfast or brunch, or just being lazy any time during the Christmas season.
It comes some of the warmest and best flavors of Christmas, and the first time it crosses your lips, your taste buds will thank you. As will everyone else in the house.
And, if you’ve been missing a Gingerbread Latte ever since Starbucks canceled it (yes, I’m still a little bitter), this Dutch Bros. copycat recipe should ease the pain a little.
What is Christmas Morning Chai?
If you’ve had chai drinks, you may be familiar with Christmas morning chai. If you’ve only had a cursory experience with chai but this just sounds delicious to you, let me break it down!
Let’s start with the basics first!
What is in Chai Tea?
Chai tea is a black tea from India with several different warm spices and a fabulous mix of your favorite flavors. Cardamom is typically the most common. Along with cardamom, you’ll find cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, star anise, fennel, coriander, and even pepper among the blend of spices. There’s often a sweet hint of vanilla as well.
There is really no wrong way to combine these spices – it’s mostly to your preference. Personally, I lean more toward cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. and cloves.
Bonus Fun Fact: According to Dr. Axe, there are many health benefits of chai tea, including treating inflammation and also nausea, plentiful antioxidants, and helping with digestion.
How is Christmas Morning Chai Different From a Chai Latte?
The basic difference between the two chai tea drinks is the type of dairy product that is used. In a latte, the coffee or tea is blended with whole milk – usually steamed milk.
Christmas Morning Chai is a chai breve – which uses steamed half-and-half rather than whole milk.
So, the milk is one factor that makes Christmas Morning Chai a little different than a traditional chai latte.
The piece that puts it over the top is the use of white chocolate syrup or sauce, which gives it that warm white color.
That, my friends, is a game changer.
Dutch Bros. Drinks, two Dutch American brothers who started this chain from a simple pushcart in Oregon which expanded to a coffee shop, put Christmas Morning Chai on the map.
This treat, now served in Dutch Bros. coffee houses in 11 states, can also be enjoyed hot or in an iced version, which is poured over ice cubes.
It is a perfect drink for the Christmas season.
What Kind of Chai Should I Use for a Christmas Morning Chai?
There are a few ways you can make this. Personally, I like to do what’s easiest, though you are certainly welcome to make your tea from scratch.
I’ll share with you several different ways you can make this delicious drink, and just choose the one that suits your preferences, needs, and skill set the best!
You can make your own tea (with your own spices or pre-made masala chai mixture), or you can use premade chai to speed up and simplify the process.
There are powder chai tea packets for individual servings. You can also use the liquid concentrate in a container, which can be used for individual cups as well as if you want to make Crockpot full for a crowd.
If you’re using a chai concentrate, it’s a 1:1 ratio, whether it’s an individual or bulk recipe.
For example, if you want 1 cup of Christmas Morning Chai, you’d use 1/2 cup of chai concentrate, 1/2 cup of half-and-half.
Whether you use the instant powder mix or a concentrate, both are amazing.
For packets or concentrate, my personal recommendation is Oregon Chai Latte; it’s generally the way to go.
So now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get to the recipes!
Individual Serving of Christmas Morning Dutch Bros. Chai Recipe
1/2 cup Oregon Chai Latte concentrate
1/2 cup half-and-half (full fat)
1 Tbsp white chocolate syrup
Whipped Cream and Cinnamon for the top
In a saucepan, combine Oregon Chai Latte concentrate and half-and-half on low heat. Heat until warm – about 5 minutes.
Add white chocolate syrup and stir fully.
If you’d like froth on top, pour into a blending bowl to whisk or use an immersion blender.
Pour chai into a cozy Christmas mug.
Add whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon!
**You can also make an individual serving with Oregon Chai Latte packets. Combine a packet with hot water and then add steamed or warmed half-and-half (1/3 cup). Then follow instructions as above!
1| In a saucepan, combine Oregon Chai Latte concentrate and half-and-half on low heat. Heat until warm - about 5 minutes. 2| Add white chocolate syrup and stir fully. 3| If you'd like froth on top, pour into a blending bowl to whisk or use an immersion blender. 4| Pour into a cozy Christmas mug. 5| Add whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon! **You can also make an individual serving with Oregon Chai Latte packets. Combine a packet with hot water and then add steamed or warmed half-and-half (1/3 cup). Then follow instructions as above!Individual Serving Christmas Morning Chai
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Christmas Morning Chai for a Crowd
1 32 oz. container of Oregon Chai Latte concentrate
4 cups half-and-half
3 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup white chocolate sauce (1/3 if you like it a little sweet)
Whipped Cream
Sprinkle of Cinnamon and/or nutmeg
You can do this either in a crockpot or over the stove. If you are tight on time, you can create the tea on the stove and transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm.
Pour full container of Oregon Chai Latte (32 oz) into Crockpot or saucepan.
Place cinnamon sticks in liquid.
Add in half and half and blend fully.
Stir in white chocolate sauce.
If using a crockpot, keep on low setting for 3-4 hours. If making on stovetop, heat up tea on medium heat until simmering, then place in the Crockpot on low.
When ready to serve, pour in mugs, add whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg!
1| Pour full container of Oregon Chai Latte (32 oz) into Crockpot or saucepan. 2| Place cinnamon sticks in liquid. 3| Add in half and half and blend fully. 4| Stir in white chocolate sauce. 5| If using a crockpot, keep on low setting for 3-4 hours. If making on stovetop, heat up tea on medium heat until simmering, then place in the Crockpot on low. 6| When ready to serve, pour in mugs, add whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg! Christmas Morning Chai for a Crowd
Ingredients
Instructions
Christmas Morning Chai with Your Own Chai Recipe
You also can make your own version of chai tea (adapted from Taste of Home) with whole spices.
4 whole cloves
2 whole pepper corns (can sub 1/8 tsp black pepper)
3-6 cardamom pods (or 1/2-1 tsp ground cardamom)
1/4 tsp ground fresh ginger
1 – 3″ cinnamon stick
(If you don’t want to blend your own spices, you can also purchase a pre-made masala chai spice mix!)
4 black tea bags (or 4 Tbs of loose black tea leaves if you create your own tea bag!)
4 tsp sugar
Grind and crush cloves, pepper corns, and cardamom pods with the end of a wooden spoon in a small bowl, until the scents are released. Add all ingredients to 2.5 cups of boiling water in a small saucepan. Cover and steep for 6 minutes. Strain, and discard tea bags and spices.
For Christmas Morning Chai Latte, you’ll need an additional:
2.5 Tbsp of white chocolate syrup
1 cup half-and-half
Sprinkle of cinnamon to taste.
Once your tea is made, add in 2.5 Tbs of white chocolate syrup and stir well. Then, pour in 1 cup of warmed or steamed half-and-half (you can also return tea, half-and-half, and syrup to a saucepan to warm together).
Blend well. If you’d like foam, you can use a whisk or immersion blender.
Top with whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon on top!
1| Grind and crush cloves, pepper corns, and cardamom pods with the end of a wooden spoon in a small bowl, until the scents are released. 2| Add all ingredients to 2.5 cups of boiling water in a small saucepan. 3| Cover and steep for 6 minutes. 4| Strain, and discard tea bags and spices. 5| Once your tea is made, add in 2.5 Tbs of white chocolate syrup and stir well. 6| Then, pour in 1 cup of warmed or steamed half-and-half (you can also return tea, half-and-half, and syrup to a saucepan to warm together). 7| Blend well. If you'd like foam, you can use a whisk or immersion blender. 8| Pour into a cozy Christmas mug. 9| Top with whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon on top!Christmas Morning Chai with Your Own Chai Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Other Ways to Enjoy Christmas Morning Chai Latte
Serve with fun snowflake marshmallows.
For a little extra sweetness, add a splash of vanilla syrup (not vanilla extract)!
For a cold drink, allow chai to cool and pour over ice (this cold brew would also be a wonderful decadent treat for those hot summer days!).
Serve with other cozy foods like cinnamon rolls, fresh muffins, or fresh fruit for Christmas breakfast.
Indulge in chai latte at any time during the holiday season with a piece of dark chocolate or biscotti.
This probably isn’t the recipe if you’re counting calories, but it’s an amazing drink to treat yo’self for Christmas!
More Christmas Treats and Goodies
Below, I have some more Christmas treats for the season! I’ve got options that are indulgent as well as if you are looking to rein in indulgences and not get out of control.
Easy Gingerbread Latte Cake Mix Christmas Cookie
North Pole Cake Mix Christmas Cookie
35 Healthy and Delicious Holiday Dessert Recipes {All Clean or Paleo}
30 Best Whole 30 Christmas Cookies: Clean | Paleo | GF
If you try this drink or any of these recipes, I’d love to see them! Please tag me on Instagram @100affections or leave a comment on Pinterest!
Other thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!
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