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Start your day with a naturally sweet and creamy Chai Smoothie. You only need four ingredients, and no super sweet concentrates or powdered mixes in this banana smoothie recipe with the perfect hint of vanilla and warm spices you love in a Chai tea latte. But now you can enjoy it as a frosty breakfast, snack, or even dessert.
I love tea, but when the temperature goes up, my cravings for a mug of my favorite hot drink definitely go away for a while. But one day, despite the steamy weather, I was craving the flavors of a Chai tea latte.
It was then that I saw this Vanilla Chai Breakfast Shake from Chocolate-Covered Katie. It sounded fabulous, but I was feeling a bit lazy didn’t want to deal with getting a pinch each spice and ending up with a bit too much cardamom or pepper. Plus I wanted to taste, you know, the actual tea.
So I took Katie’s suggestion and simply used a Chai tea bag. This does require a bit of planning. You’ll have to prepare your Chai-infused milk in advance. But if you know you’ll want to make one in the morning, just prep it in the evening when you toss a banana in the freezer.
The next morning you’ll be ready to enjoy a creamy and delicious and refreshing banana smoothie with the perfect hint of vanilla and warm spices.
It’s also perfect if you love a Starbucks Chai Frappuccino, but want to save on calories, sugar, AND money. This version is easy, cheap, and healthy! You can even make it vegan!
Chai Tea Smoothie
You only need four ingredients, a few minutes of advance prep work, and a quick spin in the blender to enjoy a cool and creamy version of your favorite Chai latte. It’s also a healthy copycat of the Starbucks Chai Creme Smoothie.
Made with actual tea brewed in milk so it doesn’t get watered down. And there are no super sugary concentrates or powdered mixes, with the natural sweetness coming from banana. And you don’t have to worry about pulling a bunch of spices out of your cabinet.
Ingredients
- Milk – you can use unsweetened almondmilk or cashewmilk to save calories and make it dairy-free. Or use dairy milk or sot milk if you want to add some protein.
- Chai tea bag – you can use your favorite, and have the choice to make it with caffeine or decaffeinated
- Banana – the more ripe your banana, the sweeter your smoothie will be without adding any sugar. It will need to be frozen, and will freeze faster if you cut it into chunks before you freeze it. But you can also just break apart a whole frozen banana.
- Vanilla extract – this is optional, but it adds to that rich, creamy flavor.
How to make a Chai smoothie
Several hours or the night before you want to enjoy your chai tea smoothie:
- Place a banana in the freezer, already cut into chunks if you want it to freeze faster.
- Heat the milk in a small pot on the stove or for a minute or two in the microwave until it is hot and just starts to steam.
- Add the teabag, let cool slightly, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
When you want to drink your chai tea smoothie:
- Add the Chai-infused milk, banana, and vanilla to your blender and blend until smooth.
- Enjoy immediately.
You can also garnish with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or some banana slices.
Recipes for tea-lovers
- Chai Tea White Chocolate Puppy Chow
- Chai Sugar Cookies
- Swirled Strawberry Banana Matcha Smoothie
- Boba Thai Iced Tea Popsicles from Pineapple and Coconut
More favorite smoothie recipes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
- Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie
- Creamsicle Orange Smoothie
- Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
- Coconut Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Chai Tea Smoothie Recipe
Chai Tea Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetenend almondmilk or your choice of dairy or non-dairy milk
- 1 Chai tea bag (regular or decaffeinated)
- 1 very ripe frozen banana, cut into chunks
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat your milk in a small saucepan on the stove for a minute or two in the microwave, just until it is hot and starting to steam.
- Put the tea bag in the milk and place in the refrigerator until chilled.
- Combine the tea-infused milk, banana, and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth.
Notes
Did you make this?
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Enjoy!
This was absolutely amazing and super easy to make!
Brianne, this recipe looks so yummy! I’m definitely going to try this one!
I hope you have a chance to try the chai tea smoothie recipe, Ashley!
I just found this recipe on Pinterest, but had to leave a comment. It looks so yummy. I love chai. But get tired of drinking the same version. I am going to try this one.
This sounds so great. But I have a banana allergy. Any suggestions as to what to use instead??
Hmmm, I use banana for natural sweetness and a creamy texture. I’ve heard of people using avocado or tofu in smoothies for that creaminess, but then you would definitely need to add something to sweeten it up.
oh my goodness…… i am an avid tea drinker AND a banana lover….. how have i not tried this? thanks for sharing!
This looks yummy! I’ll be making this once the weather warms up!
I just stumbled upon your blog and I LOVE all of your recipes! I look forward to following it!
This sounds so refreshing! Thank you for sharing on Fit and Fabulous Fridays!!
Thanks Amee!