This chai simple syrup recipe is infused with the warm and cozy flavors of chai tea and cinnamon. Use this chai simple syrup to sweeten an iced chai tea or a variety of cocktails!
Simple syrup is a liquefied form of sugar that is often used to sweeten cocktails, teas, coffees, and other cold beverages (no grainy sugar in your drinks). A traditional simple syrup is made with equal parts sugar to water.
Flavored simple syrups, like this chai simple syrup, are a fun way to add pops of flavor to your drinks. This chai tea simple syrup recipe is infused with the warm and cozy flavors of chai tea and cinnamon. My primary use of this chai simple syrup has been for my Chai Bourbon Cocktail (our favorite winter cocktail recipe!), but has a lot of potential for other mixed drinks! I’ve also used it to sweeten at-home chai lattes, and would like to add it to homemade whipped cream…it’s on the to-do list.
Why You’ll Love this Chai Simple Recipe
So easy to make! If you can boil water, you can make this chai simple syrup.
Bold Chai Flavor. This homemade syrup has a very strong and sweet chai tea flavor.
Perfect for hot or cold beverages. If you’re looking to add chai flavor to any beverage, this syrup is just what you need!
Ingredients Needed
Granulated Sugar: sugar is a necessary ingredient for simple syrups, with granulated sugar being the most common type used for homemade syrups. You can also use raw sugars (like turbinado) for a different variation (my cousin, who is an award-winning mixologist, uses this for her cocktails!) .
Water: water is needed in equal parts to your sugar to make homemade simple syrup.
Cinnamon Sticks: I like to use 2, 3” cinnamon sticks (the smaller sized ones I can get from my local grocery store) in this chai simple syrup recipe. It adds a nice cinnamon-y warmth without being too overpowering.
Chai Tea: use a good chai tea for your simple syrup as this is the predominant flavor! I use decaffeinated chai tea when making this syrup.
How to Make Chai Syrup
- Place ingredients in a small saucepan: unwrap tea bags, measure out your ingredients, and go!
- Cook ingredients: bring your liquid to a low boil and stir occasionally until your sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook until your mixture has thickened (approximately 10 minutes).
- Cool your simple syrup: remove your chai simple syrup from the heat and allow to cool.
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge: homemade simple syrup can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of tea should I use? Use a good quality chai tea bag for this simple syrup recipe. I prefer to use decaffeinated chai tea when I make this simple syrup.
What can I make with chai simple syrup? Chai simple syrup is one of the main ingredients in my Chai Bourbon Cocktail and has a lot of potential for other mixed drinks! This simple syrup recipe is also great to sweeten homemade chai lattes as it enhances the chai flavor.
Love This Chai Simple Syrup Recipe? Check Out These Homemade Syrup Recipes Too!
Chai Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1 C water
- 2, 3 ” cinnamon sticks
- 5, decaffeinated chai tea bags
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat
- Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and mixture has thickened (~10mins)
- Transfer syrup to a heat-proof, air-tight storage container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
Ken Gurvin says
Would Monk Fruit work in place of sugar? I have 100%pure Monk fruit extract. My scoop = 1 tsp of sugar. I want to have a reasonable chance for success if I am using expensive Monk Fruit and expensive Chai tea bags.
Thank you!
Ken
Meredith says
Hi Ken, this is a great question! I have never tried to make a simple syrup with monk fruit sweetener… but doing a little quick research, it seems like it can be successful however it’s recommended to use a monk fruit that’s formulated with allulose (it would appear pure monk fruit tends to crystallize). I’m also seeing a lot of sources recommending a 1/2 : 1 ratio of monk fruit to water when doing this. Please let me know if you try this and how it goes! Thanks ~ Meredith
Kellie says
just to be clear…you add the tea bags themselves to the entire mix? or you make the chai tea with the water then remove the bags and make the syrup?
would this be shelf stable for a few days to ship in the mail do you think? I would hate to have to pay for icepacks and overnighting just for a cool gift! 🙂
Meredith says
Hi Kellie, yes, you make your simple syrup / have it on the stove with the tea bags in it! Doing a little googling, homemade simple syrup *should* be shelf stable for a couple of days… be sure to tell your friend/family member that you’re sending it to to place in in the fridge ASAP once it arrives.
Lynn says
Do you take the tea bags and cinnamon sticks out when done with the cooking portion of the recipe?
ourlovelanguageisfood says
Hi Lynn, yes! When you’re all done cooking the syrup, remove the tea bags and cinnamon sticks before storing (be careful, they’ll be hot! I use a couple of spoons to pull mine out). Excited to hear how this turns out for you!
Maren says
So easy to make and so delicious. If I can make this, you can too!
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad you enjoy it! And yes, easy-peasy, no need to be hesitant on making this chai simple syrup! Thanks for making my recipe!
Rosie says
Very simple to make, great instructions. I added a few pods of cardamom and brown sugar instead of white because I love them and it worked so well!
And absolutely delicious! Will be adding this recipe to my regular cooking list. Will definitely make this over and over again!
Love it! Thank you for the recipe Meredith.
ourlovelanguageisfood says
Rosie, I’m so glad to hear you loved it! Great additions with the cardamom pods and the swap to brown sugar too. Thanks for making my recipe!