Last updated on April 6th, 2020
Cozy up with this Sugar Free Spiked Chai Tea this fall. Warm spices likes cardamom and cinnamon combined with chai tea, bourbon and cream make for a delightful cup, and only 1 net carb per serving!
Here’s What You Need For Sugar Free Spiked Chai Tea:
Ingredients:
- 2 star anise + more for garnish
- 4 or more cinnamon sticks
- 4 cardamom pods
- 6 whole cloves
- 4-8 chai tea bags or, instant chai tea (your choice)
- 16 ounces of water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar Swerve (or sweetener of choice)
- 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 3-4 ounces bourbon whisky of choice (we used Maker’s Mark)
- 3 dashes (about 1/4 tsp) cardamom bitters* (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or imitation vanilla
- 2 ounces half and half or heavy whipping cream
- Pinch ground cinnamon for garnish (optional)
Recipe Notes:
If you have vanilla extract to use, that works best. However, lately we’ve been noticing the prices of vanilla extract have been very high, so we have been using imitation vanilla instead! Either works and will give you a delicious vanilla flavor. They measure the same.
Sweeteners: We advise sweetening this to taste! We also think you should use Brown Sugar Swerve for this recipe, if you have it! It adds such a nice caramel like flavor to this drink. You can use any sweetener you want tho. We do think Swerve Brown Sugar is slightly less sweet than regular brown sugar, so you might want to adjust accordingly. Since Swerve is sweetened with erythritol, we don’t add it to our nutritional facts, as erythritol is not known to spike blood sugar. If you are using other sweeteners, please keep this in mind. We are definitely not experts and everyone is a little different.
Spices: The whole spices in this recipe really add for a beautiful flavor, as well as look and texture of the drink. We have tried using dried ground spices for this, but found they just sort of coagulated at the bottom of our glasses and got slimy, so the last sip of drink was kind of gross going down.
Tea: For this recipe you need a strongly brewed chai tea. For us, that meant using double the amount of bags of tea that a typical cup of tea called for. You could use instant chai, or really any chai concentrate. Just make sure to always follow the brewing instructions so that your tea doesn’t become bitter!
Affiliate Partnerships: A Full Living is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate program, an affiliate advertising program designed to promote a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking products to amazon.com. We only share products we use and love. It doesn’t cost you anything extra to shop using our links, but we earn a small commission that helps us keep this site going!
Tools:
- Steel mesh tea ball (if using whole tea leaves)
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
- Jigger (for measuring alcohol)
- Sauce pan
Need supplies for this recipe? We’ve linked our favorites above and right here in our Amazon Store! You don’t pay anything extra if you shop using our link, but we get a small percentage of the sale.
Lets Make It!
Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add your cardamom, star anise, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Toast in the pan until the spices are fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning. After toasted, remove from the pan and set aside.
Add your water to the sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and steep your chai tea according to the directions on the package. Once steeped for the appropriate amount of time, remove tea bags and discard. Allow tea to simmer on low heat.
Next, add your sweetener and salt. Stir to dissolve.
Add your whisky, bitters (if using), and toasted spices to the pan. Stir to warm and infuse the tea.
Finally, add in your half and half and vanilla extract. Stir frequently and simmer until tea is warm.
You may want to strain the spices from the tea before adding them to the cup, as they get heavy with liquid and may sink to the bottom. If you want to garnish your drinks, add in fresh star anise and cinnamon sticks so that they will float.
Dust with more ground cinnamon if you wish.
Serve warm and enjoy! These pair beautifully with these Low Carb Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Please let us know if you guys give this recipe a try. Be sure to tag us @afullliving in your photos on Instagram so we can see your creations and share them! If you’re feeling fall, check out this delicious low carb pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, or how about this keto friendly creamy pumpkin rosemary sauce with turkey for a savory dish!
Until next time,
Briana & Chamere
Cozy up with this Sugar Free Spiked Chai Tea this fall. Warm spices likes cardamom and cinnamon combined with chai tea, bourbon and cream make for a delightful cup, and only 1 net carb per serving!
- 2 whole star anise (plus more for garnish)
- 4 whole cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cardamom pods
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 whole chai tea bags (or instant chai, needs to be brewed strong)
- 16 ounces water
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar Swerve (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 4 ounces bourbon whiskey (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp cardamom bitters (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or imitation vanilla
- 2 ounces nut milk, half and half or heavy whipping cream (your choice)
- pinch of ground cinnamon (for garnish)
Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add your cardamom, star anise, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Toast in the pan until the spices are fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning. After toasted, remove from the pan and set aside.
Add your water to the sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and steep your chai tea according to the directions on the package. Once steeped for the appropriate amount of time, remove tea bags and discard. Allow tea to simmer on low heat.
Next, add your sweetener and salt. Stir to dissolve.
Add your whisky, bitters (if using), and toasted spices to the pan. Stir to warm and infuse the tea.
Finally, add in your half and half and vanilla extract. Stir frequently and simmer until tea is warm.
You may want to strain the spices from the tea before adding them to the cup, as they get heavy with liquid and may sink to the bottom. If you want to garnish your drinks, add in fresh star anise and cinnamon sticks so that they will float.
Dust with more ground cinnamon if you wish.
Serve warm and enjoy! These pair beautifully with these Low Carb Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
If you have vanilla extract to use, that works best. However, lately we’ve been noticing the prices of vanilla extract have been very high, so we have been using imitation vanilla instead! Either works and will give you a delicious vanilla flavor. They measure the same.
Macros: Makes 2 servings, 141 calories per serving, 3 grams of fat, 1 net carb, 1 gram of protein. These macros are provided as a courtesy and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of them. Macros vary depend on ingredients and brands used. We offered ideas for substitutes, which would certainly affect the macros. Please calculate your own macros.
Sweeteners: We advise sweetening this to taste! We also think you should use Brown Sugar Swerve for this recipe, if you have it! It adds such a nice caramel like flavor to this drink. You can use any sweetener you want tho. We do think Swerve Brown Sugar is slightly less sweet than regular brown sugar, so you might want to adjust accordingly. Since Swerve is sweetened with erythritol, we don’t add it to our nutritional facts, as erythritol is not known to spike blood sugar. If you are using other sweeteners, please keep this in mind. We are definitely not experts and everyone is a little different.
Spices: The whole spices in this recipe really add for a beautiful flavor, as well as look and texture of the drink. We have tried using dried ground spices for this, but found they just sort of coagulated at the bottom of our glasses and got slimy, so the last sip of drink was kind of gross going down.
Tea: For this recipe you need a strongly brewed chai tea. For us, that meant using double the amount of bags of tea that a typical cup of tea called for. You could use instant chai, or really any chai concentrate. Just make sure to always follow the brewing instructions so that your tea doesn’t become bitter!
Affiliate Partnerships: A Full Living is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking products to amazon.com. We only share products we personally love. It doesn’t cost you any extra to shop using our link, but we get a small commission.
