Dirty Chai Latte: How to Mix Chai and Espresso

A dirty chai latte is a chai latte with a shot of espresso poured in. You get the warm cardamom, ginger and cinnamon of masala chai, the creaminess of steamed milk, and a darker, roasty edge from the coffee. The “dirty” simply refers to the espresso muddying the pale chai.

Coffee shops usually make it from a sweet chai syrup. At home you can do better with loose-leaf masala chai simmered in milk, which tastes more like tea and less like candy. Here is how.

First, what is masala chai?

In Hindi, chai simply means tea; the word comes from the Chinese cha. Masala means a spice mix. Masala chai is black tea brewed with water and milk, sweetened and flavored with spices. Cardamom, ginger and cinnamon are the most common, and many families add cloves, black pepper or star anise.

Tea drinking spread across India in the early 20th century, helped by the Indian Tea Association, which promoted tea breaks in factories and mills and supported tea sellers at railway stations. The Association reportedly disapproved when vendors started stretching the tea with milk, sugar and spices, but spiced chai won, and the chaiwala with a steaming pot is now a fixture of Indian streets.

Adding espresso is a much newer, café-born twist. It is usually credited to Western coffee shops in recent decades, but no reliable record shows who made the first one, so treat any single origin story with caution.

Dirty chai latte recipe (1 large mug)

Steps

1. Bloom the tea. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan, add the chai and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. This releases the spices and gives the tea a strong base.
2. Add the milk. Pour in the milk and sweetener. Heat until it just starts to rise and foam at the edges, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Do not let it boil over.
3. Pull the espresso. While the chai simmers, brew your shot straight into a large mug.
4. Strain and combine. Pour the chai through a fine strainer into the mug over the espresso.
5. Froth (optional). For a café-style top, whisk the hot chai briskly or use a handheld frother before pouring, or pour from a height to create foam.
6. Finish. Dust with a pinch of cinnamon and serve.

Tips

• Use more tea than you would for plain chai. Espresso is bold, so a slightly stronger chai keeps the spices from disappearing.
• Choose a fruity or chocolatey espresso. Very smoky, dark roasts can clash with cardamom; a medium-dark blend with chocolate notes works best.
• Sweeten the chai, not the espresso. Sugar dissolves better in the hot milk and balances the spices.

Iced dirty chai

1. Simmer 2 heaped teaspoons (5 g) of chai in 1/2 cup (120 ml) water for 4 minutes to make a concentrate. Strain, stir in your sweetener, and let it cool.
2. Fill a tall glass with ice. Add the cooled chai concentrate and 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold milk.
3. Pour 1 shot of espresso over the top for a layered look, then stir before drinking.

Make a bigger batch of concentrate (multiply by four) and keep it in the fridge for a few days, so an iced dirty chai takes one minute on busy mornings.

Variations

• Double dirty: two shots of espresso for a stronger coffee hit.
• No espresso machine: use 1/4 cup (60 ml) of strong moka pot or French press coffee.
• Dairy-free: oat milk is the creamiest swap and heats well; almond and soy work too. Heat plant milks gently, as some separate if boiled hard.
• Lighter: skip the sweetener and let the cinnamon and cardamom carry the drink, or use half milk, half water.
• Vanilla dirty chai: add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract with the milk.

No masala chai? Make your own spice mix

Add these to plain black tea (about 2 teaspoons loose-leaf) when you simmer it in the water:

• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 3 thin slices of fresh ginger
• 2 cloves
• 2 or 3 black peppercorns

How much caffeine is in a dirty chai?

A dirty chai combines two caffeine sources: black tea and espresso. Using typical figures from the Mayo Clinic:

Actual amounts vary with the tea, the coffee and how long you brew. For comparison, the FDA cites up to 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults. If you are sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or drinking it late in the day, choose a single shot or use decaf espresso.

What to brew it with

Our Masala Chai loose-leaf tea is bold, spicy and full-bodied in the Indian tradition, and it is made to be simmered with milk. For the espresso, African Espresso blends Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ethiopian coffees in a medium-dark roast with red fruit and chocolate notes, a lovely match for cardamom and cinnamon. Prefer a softer evening version? Try Decaf Espresso, a water-process decaf dark roast. Explore more blends in our tea collection.

Dirty chai FAQ

Why is it called a dirty chai?

Because the espresso “dirties” the pale, milky chai, turning it a darker brown. The name refers to the color, not the flavor.

What is the difference between a chai latte and a dirty chai latte?

A chai latte is spiced tea with milk. A dirty chai latte is the same drink with one or more shots of espresso added.

Can I use chai tea bags?

Yes. Use two bags per mug and simmer them in the water before adding the milk, then squeeze them out gently.

Does a dirty chai have more caffeine than a latte?

Usually a little more, because it adds the caffeine from black tea to the espresso. A single-shot dirty chai often lands somewhere around 100 to 120 mg.

Sources

1. “Masala chai,” Wikipedia (etymology, spices, Indian Tea Association history). en.wikipedia.org
2. “Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more,” Mayo Clinic. mayoclinic.org
3. “Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?,” US Food and Drug Administration. fda.gov

Facts checked in October 2026.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask your doctor before changing your caffeine intake.

Keep reading: How to make espresso at home · Benefits of caffeine · Tea collection