• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Venison for Dinner
  • Homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Shop
  • Become an Insider
  • Insider Exclusive Content
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Shop
  • Become an Insider
  • Insider Exclusive Content
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Most Recently Added » Drinks

    Rooibos Chai Concentrate with Maple Syrup

    Published: Mar 16, 2023 by kateschat · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you love the flavors of chai but are looking to avoid excess caffeine and refined sugar, this rooibos chai concentrate is just the thing you need on chilly days.

    Closeup of a woman's hands wrapped around a stoneware mug.

    My mom doesn't consume any caffeine but what's in chocolate, so years ago we started making chai with rooibos. It really fits the flavour profile and it's a great way to make this an herbal tea. I have an original black tea, sugar sweetened version as well. This recipe is for those wanting a gentler, naturally sweetened chai latte.

    I buy spices in bulk from Organic Matters (Canada) or Essential Organics (US). To buy these things in the store is quite expensive but when buying from an online spice retailer it's much more reasonable! Mountain Rose Herbs should also have all of the ingredients, but the duty was too much for me to import to Canada so I no longer order there.

    Why You Need This Recipe

    • A concentrate means you have a LOT of tea ready to go in the fridge without taking up a lot of space.
    • Chai is traditionally caffeinated but you can use whatever tea you'd like here.
    • Use the leftover spent spices as a simmer pot on the stove to add humidity and a lovely smell to your house!
    • If its too much for you to use, waterbath can it!

    Key Ingredients

    Whole spices - No need to use a grinder here - because we are simmering the spices in the water we definitely get all the flavour we want!

    Rooibos tea -Loose leaf is always more cost-effective, and allows me to make huge batches at once.

    Maple syrup - I love to use maple syrup as a sweetener. It's natural, adds a great flavour, and can be customized to taste.

    Whole spices for chai in a stainless pot.

    How to Make Chai Concentrate

    Step 1

    Add all seasonings to the water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about an hour.

    A scoop of loose rooibos tea over a pot of spices.

    Step 2

    Add tea and simmer five minutes longer, or however long your tea says to steep. Carefully strain this into a large bowl or jar.

    Pouring a pot of chai tea concentrate through a tea towel into a large jar.

    Step 3

    Add maple syrup to taste, while the tea is still warm.

    Pouring maple syrup from a small jar into a large jar of chai concentrate.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Strain using a lint-free tea towel for the easiest way to do the whole pot at once. You can tuck a little of the towel into the mouth of the jar to help hold the spices.
    • Make yourself a mug right away to check sweetness so you can adjust the concentrate as a whole if you'd like. You can also sweeten each mug if everyone likes it a little different.
    • I like to split this into quart jars so we can keep one in the fridge and the rest either canned or frozen for longer-term.
    • Serving this in stoneware or pottery mugs really adds to the cozy feeling.

    Substitutions

    Use black tea, rooibos, or whatever you enjoy. Make sure and select one that will let the spices play a main role in your cup.

    FAQs

    Can I use tea bags?

    Absolutely - but I find it to be much more expensive because you are paying for the convenience of the tea bags to make individual mugs. My best guess is anywhere from 12 to 24 tea bags, because it depends on how much tea they have inside.

    How do I drink this tea concentrate?

    I like to do 1 part concentrate to 3-4 parts milk, and steam it on the stove into a frothy latte!

    Variations and Storage

    Dont want to use Maple Syrup?

    Thats okay, swap for equal amount of sugar or a reduced amount of honey (honey is sweeter by volume!)

    Instant Pot

    Add your water and spices to the Instant Pot and set it to cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. Let it sit for 30 minutes before releasing the pressure, if any. If it is still simmering you can add your tea, otherwise turn it to sauté for a bit to steep. Then stir in your maple syrup and strain.

    Canning

    Use proper canning procedures to sterilize your equipment and use new lids. I then do a water bath for quart jars for 15 minutes. Let rest for 24 hours before checking seals and storing.

    Freezing

    Re-use store-bought yogurt quart containers or find some on Amazon. You can also use jars, but you are risking them cracking - use straight side jars and leave plenty of room for expansion. Let the concentrate cool in the fridge for 24 hours before putting in the freezer.

    More Concentrated Recipes

    • Bailey's Irish Cream Copycat
    • Elderberry Syrup
    • Black Tea Chai Concentrate
    • DIY Raspberry Hibiscus Tea Blend

    Hey friends, don't forget to follow me over on Instagram, cause if you like me here, I post there a LOT! I'm also on YouTube with tutorials and Facebook for all sorts of things.

    If you like this recipe, I’d love if you reviewed it so others can find it easier. Sharing this recipe on Facebook or Pinterest is another way you can help us out at no cost to you. Thanks, xo Kate

    Hand holding a mug of chai latte made from concentrate.

    Maple Rooibos Chai Concentrate

    Kate Schat
    If you love the flavors of chai but are avoiding caffeine, this rooibos chai concentrate is just the thing you need on chilly days.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 quarts
    Calories 304 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 litres water 1 gallon
    • 4 cinnamon sticks
    • 10 whole cloves
    • 30 whole peppercorns
    • ⅓ cup green cardamom pods
    • ⅔ cup fresh ginger or ⅓ c chopped dried ginger I buy “tea cut”
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup loose leaf rooibos tea
    • 1 - 1 ½ cups maple syrup

    Instructions
     

    • Bring water, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, ginger and salt to a boil. Turn down and let gently simmer for an hour.
    • Add rooibos tea and set timer for 5 min, then strain the whole mixture with a thin tea towel over a strainer, over another pot.
    • Add maple syrup, 1 cup if you want it only gently sweet, 1 ½ cups if you enjoy mildly sweet. If you were wanting a really sweet drink, I suppose you could add more.

    Notes

    • Following good canning practices, this can be water bathed for 15 minutes in quart jars.
    • You can freeze this concentrate as well - use common sense when freezing, such as using straight-sided jars and leaving space for expansion.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1quartCalories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gTrans Fat: 0.003gSodium: 66mgPotassium: 509mgFiber: 8gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 237mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Hand holding a mug of chai latte made from concentrate.

    More Drink Recipes

    • Top view of a mug of warm vanilla bean black tea.
      Simple Vanilla Bean Loose Leaf Black Tea Blend
    • Small pile of dried raspberries, hibiscus, and green tea leaves.
      DIY Loose Leaf Raspberry Hibiscus Green Tea Blend
    • Mug of tea made with homemade chai syrup.
      Simple Concentrated Chai Syrup Recipe
    • Rhubarb Mint Syrup+Cocktail Recipe

    Share this with your friends!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Hi, I'm Kate! Thank you for joining us on this crazy journey! Our family lives on a 34 acre homestead in northern BC, Canda and get a kick out of things like raising our own meat, dairy and vegetables.

    We’re a homeschooling family who believes life is the best teacher but we do hit the books in winter. I’m so glad you’re here, I hope you stick around!

    More about me

    Popular

    • A loaf of sourdough bread with slices on a wooden cutting board.
      Kate's Soft Sourdough Master Recipe
    • Seedy Whole-Wheaty Sourdough Sandwich Bread
      Seedy Whole-Wheaty Sourdough Sandwich Bread
    • Sourdough Tortillas
      Sourdough Tortillas
    • Grilled venison steaks in a glass baking dish.
      How to Grill a Venison Steak

    Summer Favs

    • Best Iced Coffee Recipe
    • raw milk ice cream raw cream no eggs wooden table waffle cone

    Footer

    back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter Signup

    Venison for Dinner email newsletter sign up

    Please wait...

    Thank you for signing up for the Venison for Dinner newsletter!

    Contact

    [email protected]


    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 VENISON FOR DINNER ON THE FOODIE PRO THEME