Masala Chai Milkshake

Name: Masala Chai Milkshake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup (120 ml) water; ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk; 1½ tbsp (4 g) loose-leaf black tea (Assam or CTC), or 2 black tea bags; 4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 3 whole (0.3 g) whole cloves, lightly crushed; 1 2-inch (5 cm) piece (3 g) cinnamon stick, broken in half; 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, unpeeled, finely grated; 3 whole (0.2 g) black peppercorns, lightly crushed; 1 tbsp (13 g) light brown sugar; 3 cups (420 g) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, about 6 large scoops; ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, cold; ⅛ tsp (0.3 g) ground cinnamon, for dusting on top (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A thick, creamy milkshake built on a concentrated, freshly simmered masala chai with cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper, blended with vanilla ice cream for a cold, spiced treat.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 6 min
Wait: 40 min
Total: 56 min
Makes: 2 milkshakes (about 12 oz / 360 ml each)

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Ingredients

2 servings

For the chai concentrate
½ cup (120 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
1½ tbsp (4 g) loose-leaf black tea (Assam or CTC), or 2 black tea bags
4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
3 whole (0.3 g) whole cloves, lightly crushed
1 2-inch (5 cm) piece (3 g) cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, unpeeled, finely grated
3 whole (0.2 g) black peppercorns, lightly crushed
1 tbsp (13 g) light brown sugar
For the milkshake
3 cups (420 g) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, about 6 large scoops
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, cold
⅛ tsp (0.3 g) ground cinnamon, for dusting on top (optional)

Equipment (7)

Small saucepan (1.5-quart / 1.5 L)
Fine-mesh strainer
Blender (standard or high-speed)
Ice cream scoop
Measuring cups and spoons
2 tall glasses (about 14 oz / 400 ml)
Heatproof measuring jug or bowl

Steps

Before you start

The chai concentrate must be completely cold before blending, or it will melt the ice cream and make a thin shake. Allow about 40 minutes of cooling and chilling.
Chill your serving glasses in the freezer while the chai cools.
Take the ice cream out of the freezer about 5 minutes before blending so it scoops easily but is still firm.
Lightly crush the cardamom pods, cloves and peppercorns with the flat of a knife or a mortar and pestle so they release flavor.

1
Crush the spices
- Place the cardamom pods, cloves and peppercorns on a cutting board and press down with the flat side of a knife, or crush in a mortar, until the pods split open and the cloves crack.
- Break the cinnamon stick in half.
- Finely grate the ginger, skin on.
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Ready when: Pods are split and the spices smell fragrant
Tip: Crushing exposes the seeds and oils; uncrushed spices give a much weaker chai.
2
Simmer the spices
- In a small saucepan combine the water, ¼ cup (60 ml) milk, crushed spices, cinnamon and grated ginger.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes.
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Ready when: The liquid is light tan and smells strongly of ginger and cardamom
Tip: Watch the pan; milk foams up and boils over quickly.
3
Steep the tea
- Add the black tea and brown sugar.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is deep amber-brown.
- Remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Liquid is deep amber-brown and the sugar has fully dissolved
Tip: Don't simmer longer than 3 minutes or the tea turns bitter.
4
Strain the concentrate
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof jug, pressing the solids with a spoon to extract all the liquid.
- You should have about ½ cup (110–120 ml) of concentrate.
- Discard the solids.
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Ready when: About ½ cup (110–120 ml) of clear, dark liquid
Tip: If you have noticeably less, top up with a splash of cold milk before chilling.
5
Chill completely
- Let the concentrate cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or freeze for 15–20 minutes).
- Chill your glasses in the freezer at the same time.
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Ready when: Concentrate feels cold to the touch, with no warmth at all
Tip: Even slightly warm chai will turn the shake thin and foamy.
6
Blend the shake
- Add the ¼ cup (60 ml) cold milk, chilled chai concentrate and vanilla ice cream to the blender, in that order.
- Blend on low for 10 seconds, then on high for 20–30 seconds, until smooth and thick with no ice cream chunks.
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Ready when: Thick, pourable, uniformly light caramel color, with no lumps
Tip: Don't over-blend; it warms and thins the shake. For a thicker shake, add one more scoop of ice cream.
7
Serve right away
- Pour into the chilled glasses and dust the tops with the ground cinnamon, if using.
- Serve immediately with wide straws or long spoons.
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Ready when: Shake holds a soft, thick swirl in the glass

Good to know

Tips

Make the chai concentrate stronger than you'd drink it; the ice cream dilutes and mutes the spice flavors.
For a thicker shake, freeze the cooled chai concentrate in an ice cube tray for 2 hours and blend the cubes in with the milk and ice cream.
Use whole spices rather than pre-ground for a brighter, cleaner flavor.
Taste before serving; if you want it sweeter, blend in 1 tsp honey.

Make ahead

Make the chai concentrate up to 3 days ahead and keep it in a covered jar in the refrigerator. Blend the shake just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Best served immediately. Leftover blended shake can be frozen in a covered container for up to 1 week; let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes and re-blend with a splash of milk to restore the texture. Chai concentrate keeps 3 days in the fridge in a sealed jar. Do not leave the shake at room temperature.

Substitutions

vanilla ice cream → dairy-free vanilla ice cream (oat or coconut). Use oat or almond milk for the milk too; coconut-based versions taste slightly more tropical.
loose-leaf black tea (Assam or CTC) → 1½ tbsp (4 g) decaffeinated black tea. Gives the same flavor with less caffeine.
light brown sugar → honey or maple syrup. Use 1 tbsp (15 ml) and stir in after removing from the heat.
green cardamom pods → ⅛ tsp ground cardamom. Use in place of the pods and add with the tea; the concentrate may be slightly cloudy.