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Say hello to the coziest cocktail, the Vanilla Chai Tea White Russian. My twist on the classic White Russian cocktail with vanilla chai tea syrup.
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Ingredients for Chai Spiced White Russians:
- Chai tea bags
- honey
- vanilla extract
- vodka
- kahlua
- chai tea syrup
- heavy cream
- cinnamon sticks
- star anise
It’s T-minus five days till Thanksgiving, and these warming, cozy drinks are totally going to be our after-dinner Turkey Day nightcaps. I am already excited.
Well, actually I’m excited about everything to do with Thanksgiving, but I’m pretty sure, that come the end of the night, this drink, with a side of my family, and a Christmas movie, will be what I desire most. Truly cannot wait! As I have hinted throughout the week, it’s just been so busy over here that even though I will be cooking all day on Thursday, I am happy to have a little mind break from all things work. That’s not to say I don’t love thinking about work, but sometimes it’s just nice to cook and not actually have to worry about testing or photographing a recipe.
Thankfully, all my Thanksgiving recipes are tested and ready to go. I just have to get them cooked on time, and not burn them…which yes, I have done many times before.
Anyway, I’m very excited for Thanksgiving, and this cozy little drink.
While working on my list of cocktails for Christmas Drink Saturday, I realized I wanted to do something with Chai. I’m currently having a Chai tea moment. I’m loving infusing my recipes with Chai spices – see these pumpkin chai cookies and this chai pumpkin pie. I loved the idea of a creamy chai cocktail with hints of coffee, so a White Russian-style drink was my obvious choice.
For those unfamiliar with a White Russian, it’s a vodka and coffee liquor-based cocktail, finished off with a little cream. It’s literally 1 part vodka, 1 part coffee liquor, and 1 part cream. It’s good, but in my personal opinion, it could use a little more flavor.
Enter the Vanilla Chai Tea simple syrup. YUM.
All I did was make a heavily concentrated chai tea. I then sweetened it with a little honey, and added a good amount of vanilla. Mix this up with vodka, coffee liquor (I use Kahlua), and cream and you’ll have a Vanilla Chai White Russian. The perfect holiday drink for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For whatever reason, I see this as more of an after-dinner kind of drink, but obviously, you can serve it any time of day. It would be a great brunch cocktail too. The chai syrup makes enough for about six or so cocktails. Perfect for entertaining or just sipping on with your family after Thursday’s feast.
Hey, it’s Thanksgiving, liquid courage can sometimes be needed.
PS. I don’t mean to skip over Thanksgiving, but my excitement for Christmas is beyond holding back at this point.
Vanilla Chai Tea White Russian
Ingredients
Chai Tea Simple Syrup
- 4 chai tea bags
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chai White Russian
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
- 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) Kahlua
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) chai tea syrup
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) heavy cream
- cinnamon sticks and star anise, for garnish
Instructions
Chai Tea Simple Syrup
- 1. In a medium pot, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the chai tea bags, cover and steep 10-15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the honey. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Chai White Russian
- 1. Fill a glass with ice. Add the vodka, Kahlua, and chai tea syrup. Stir gently. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Garnish with cinnamon and star anise, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Lastly, if you make this Vanilla Chai Tea White Russian, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
So, I plan on making a batch of the chai syrup — in this recipe it calls for honey, but in the old fashioned recipe, it calls for maple syrup…if I still wanted to have all of the available options for both, do I need to make different batches of chai syrup?
HI! I am confused what you are asking? Which drink are you trying to make? If both, you can use either honey or maple, whichever you prefer. Both drinks will taste great with either sweetener. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
Loved this. Perfectly balanced and yummy
Thank you Merry! xTieghan
Can this be served hot? And if so how would you go about it?
Hey Dylan! Sure! Just warm all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat until steaming, about 5-8 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I’d love to make this, but I don’t drink. Do you know how you would make a version of this without the alcohol?
Hey Bailee, you can simply just omit the vodka. The recipe is GREAT without it too! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Where do you find chai tea syrup?
The syrup recipe is included with the drink. It’s just above the drink ingredients. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This sounds fabulous! Favorite chai tea bags?
Hey Anne! Linked to the Chai I like to buy below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
https://rstyle.me/+8VbuucN3lNsv2PapMd7RSA
Hi there! Taking these as a Thanksgiving dessert cocktail tomorrow night and I’m wondering if before we leave to go to my family’s house we can mix the appropriate amounts of vodka, coffee liqueur, and chai syrup in a pitcher and then bring the heavy cream to add when pouring the cocktails.
Hey Jamie! Sorry I did not get to this in time. A pitcher of the mix then adding the cream will work great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you loved this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
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