This Chai Smoothie tastes like a frozen chai latte from your favorite coffee shop! It has the perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors, with plenty of filling fiber in each sip.
Why You’ll Love It
It’s naturally sweetened. You can make this smoothie with dates or a frozen banana, both of which add fiber and nutrients. I prefer the caramel-like taste of the dates, but you can use whichever you happen to have on hand.
It’s filling. This recipe calls for ground flax seeds, which add fiber and healthy fats, along with hemp hearts, which are a complete source of plant based protein. That means they contain all the essential amino acids your body needs! Together, these two additions will help keep you feeling full for hours.
It’s allergy friendly. This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free as written. It makes a great treat for those following a special diet.
It’s flexible. If you don’t keep hemp hearts or ground flax seed on hand, it’s easy to swap those for a spoonful of almond butter. It will add creaminess and fiber, too!
You get to control the caffeine level. When you make this with traditional black tea, the smoothie will have some caffeine inside. However, you can also make this with decaf tea, instead, or just use your favorite milk, instead. Either way, the spicy flavor will come through.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in a chai smoothie?
- Dates
- Ground Flax seeds
- Hemp hearts (which are hulled hemp seeds)
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Vanilla extract
- Brewed tea
- Ice
Using dates will give you the most neutral-flavored sweetness, but using a frozen banana works, too. If you need a sweeter drink, you can always add a splash of maple syrup or honey, too.
Want to add more protein? You can add a scoop of your favorite protein powder, or even a scoop of collagen, if you don’t need a vegan recipe.
How to Make a Chai Smoothie
1. Brew the tea.
Pour 3/4 cup of boiling water into a mug with your favorite tea, and let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes. It’s best if you can do this in advance, so the tea can cool completely before you use it.
Hot tea will melt the ice, so your smoothie won’t have as much of a thick & slushy texture if you use it while the tea is still warm. Feel free to brew a big batch of black tea and keep it stored in the fridge for a few days, if you’d like to make this smoothie on a regular basis.
Alternatively, you can skip the tea and use unsweetened almond milk or oat milk for a caffeine-free drink.
Pro Tip: If you are using dates that are not already soft and squishy (they should be very easy to split apart with your fingers to remove the pit), you can add them into the tea cup as it brews, so they will soften from the hot water at the same time!
2. Blend the base.
Add the pitted dates, flaxseed, hemp hearts, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to a high-speed blender.
Pour in the brewed tea (as cool as possible) and blend until very smooth, at least 60 seconds. You can taste the smoothie at this point, but keep in mind that the flavor will be diluted when you add the ice in the next step.
3. Add the ice.
Once the base is totally smooth, add in the ice cubes and blend again. This will give the smoothie a slushy texture.
Be sure to use the measured amount of ice cubes, when possible, so the flavor doesn’t get too diluted. If you add too much ice, the flavor will become much more mellow, and not quite as sweet and spicy.
Once the smoothie has a slushy texture, with the consistency of a milkshake, it’s ready to serve right away.
Tip: Leftover smoothie can be poured into an ice pop mold for a frozen treat later!
Substitutions & Common Questions
Which tea works best? Just like making an iced chai latte, I recommend using plain black tea for this recipe, like an English breakfast tea, rather than a chai tea bag. If you already have chai tea on hand, you will probably want to cut-back on the spice in this recipe, or your drink will be too spicy in flavor.
Can I use a frozen banana? When making a banana smoothie, keep in mind that the banana flavor will come through, along with the chai spices. In this case, you won’t need to use as much ice, since the frozen banana will also contribute a slushy texture. I recommend adding only a small handful of ice in that case.
Looking for more smoothie recipes? Be sure to try my Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie, Coffee Smoothie, and Apple Smoothie.
Chai Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 black tea bag (like English Breakfast tea)
- ¾ cup boiled water
- 3 Medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of ground cloves
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup ice cubes
Instructions
- To prepare the tea, add the tea bag to a mug and pour the boiling water over it. Let the tea steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag, and let the tea cool. (You can do this in advance, and start with 3/4 cup of cooled tea.) Alternatively, you can skip this step and use milk instead of tea, for a caffeine-free drink.
- Add the dates, hemp hearts, flax, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, cloves, and a pinch of salt to a blender. Add the cooled tea, and blend until very smooth, about 60 seconds, making sure there are no more visible pieces of dates.
- Add in the ice and blend again until a slushy texture is achieved. Serve right away for a milkshake-like texture. Leftovers won't have the same texture, but you can store them in an ice pop mold in the freezer for a frozen treat later.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this chai smoothie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
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OH MY GOODNESS!! I got so excited when I saw this recipe, as I am 1) lactose-intolerant 2) a big fan of chai 3) living the summer heat. Can’t wait to try this recipe out with my friend!
That sounds delicious and healthy! Thank you Megan 🙂
Totally going to make one of these right NOW ! Perfect pre barre workout snack:) thanks Megan!
Chai is my favorite. I cannot wait to try this. I love that you explain all the benefits along the way too.
I love Chai Frappachinos but am lactose intolorant . Can you find a recipe for this that doesn’t use milk?
That’s what I was going for with this recipe– it’s very much like a frappuccino! I hope you’ll enjoy it as a dairy-free option.
Was so glad that I had all the ingredients for this. I just made it , it was so good !!!
Thanks
Read the recipe again – there is no milk in the recipe. It’s vegan.
Chai is my favorite drink. I will add cardamom.
Mmmm, sounds so good! I love chai drinks. 🙂
Megan,
I am new to your site and so far love your recipes! I love that they are simple and satisfying and that the ingredients are not only whole foods based but also the normal things I usually have on hand. Nothing weird or too hard to find. And as a mom on a budget, I very much appreciate that your recipes are pretty easy to fit into a small grocery allowance, and I like that your approach isn’t all or nothing.There’s one blogging mom out there who just comes off as pretentious and lacking mindfulness about those of us who have to consider cost! Wellness is important but so is paying the electric bill and putting shoes on my kids every couple of months, so thanks for being so realistic! I love chai lattes…the first time I had one was a few years ago on my way to work. After the first sip, I stuck it in the fridge and took it home to enjoy after dinner. It was simply too deliciously decadent to have at work! I can’t wait to try this recipe but as I just embarked on your 21- day Kickstart Challenge, I’m not sure where I might fit it in. Any suggestions?
Thanks for the kind words! Living in Los Angeles, my family has to keep budget in mind, too– it’s already way too expensive to live here as it is! In regards to this shake fitting into the meal plan, you could add some spinach to it and call it breakfast (maybe add an extra spoonful of hemp hearts to make it more filling) or enjoy it as a snack between lunch and dinner. Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for the tip, Megan. I think I might try this today between lunch and dinner! We live in the Midwest, where the cost of living is supposedly more affordable but food is still the most expensive thing we pay for each month. After my second child was born, I came out of the work force and now stay home full time, so we had to make some adjustments in the way we were spending. Healthful eating is a top priority, so we sack rice othe niceties, like dining out. I love to cook at home, so it’s even more fun trying new recipes. Thanks for the help!
Milissa
That should read sacrifice other niceties!
Oh my gosh thus is delicious! I love your shakes, they are a fantastic alternative to fruit/veggie smoothies in the morning which I find hard on my tummy.
I just made this for breakfast– and topped it with a big handful of blueberries. It is so delicious. The hemp really does add more creaminess than I thought it would– and only 1 tablespoon. This recipe is a keeper 🙂 I see a lot more of these in my summer-future.
I love following you and trying all your new recipes! This looks so yummy and I’d love to have it for breakfast, but I don’t have the hemp hearts, could I add more chia or maybe soaked cashews? Any suggestions?
I am drinking this right now and it is quite good. Great for a mid-morning snack. Thanks for sharing.
This was great! The first thing my toddler said was, “oohhh, yummy!”
What are hemp hearts?
Thanks
Viva la chai…I love it’s flavors. Cheers.
In a word…YUM!
Hi Megan…I love Chai anything!! Can’t wait to try this one! I noticed that you use medjool dates in several of your recipes as a sweetener. How different is it from dates I buy at the supermarket near the raisins? It doesn’t say medjool on the packaging. Can I use them?
Thanks for everything you do!! I love your recipes!
Sorry…follow up question…can I replace the date with another sweetener? Honey or raw maple syrup?
Thanks!!
Yes, I think either one would work. I’d probably start with a tablespoon and add more if needed to taste. Honey will have a stronger flavor than maple syrup, and you might also need less water without the dates.
Yes, I think any dates will work– some are smaller than Medjool dates, so you might need to use an extra one or two if they are very small. Luckily, it’s hard to mess up a smoothie! 🙂
Megan – YOU DID IT AGAIN!!!! Thank you! Read your email this morning and whipped up a wonderful glass. Just like your Hemp Seed Ranch Dressing, this will be a regular recipe in our home. I’m going to make a big batch of this chai latte and freeze in silicone muffin cups, pop the chai pucks in the microwave when ready for a cozy fall beverage. Thanks for your suggestion to add spinach to make it a meal. Frozen chai green smoothie.
DetoxiLICIOUS!!!! thank you for this recipe!
I usually go for chocolate as well, but I made this as a preworkout drink yesterday and it really hit the spot. I accidentally added more ginger than the recipe called for, so it had quite a kick to it. I’ll have to make it again with a tad bit less. Lol
I just made this and it was delicious!! Mine did not come out as creamy looking as your did in the picture, but it was very good! 🙂
I look forward to making this delicious drink! If I can make a suggestion…being that the ice cubes may dilute the flavor, freeze almond milk or coconut milk in an ice cube tray and use those cubes instead! Or perhaps use almond milk in place of water and still use ice cubes since those are always available.
Thanks for the super yummy dairy-free, caffiene-free chai drink!! Surprisingly, my two year old thought it was great too!
So very good! Thank you for the recipe!
I added extra nutmeg and turmeric and it was delish!! My 6 month old literally just stole all of it from me
This is perfect for a warm day. Refreshing and comforting at the same time. Delicious!
Would the world (or chai) fall apart if I left out the chia seeds? Sadly, I’m allergic. What do they add to the texture? Substitute?
AMAZING! So Yummy!
Lovely! I have made before, but today I brewed some chai tea and then froze in icecube trays. Then followed the recipe exactly using the tea cubes. Amazing!! I only drink caffeine every great once in a while, and using in chai form, so this is perfect! Delicious, filling and just wonderful. Thank you!
I added spinach and kale to mine and it was bitter. I would not recommend it. Opps! lol.
Let me clarify, I would not recommend adding kale and spinach. I would recommend anything Megan makes.
Yum! I think I will be making this a lot during the summer. I love chai and this cool drink hits the spot and is nutritionally so much healthier than a coffee stand drink.
Hello Megan,
I’m new to your site but so far I really like I’m reading and decided to order your recipe book, can’t wait to receive it!
I can’t wait to try your Vegan Frozen Chai Latte; although, hot Chai is my favorite drink I’m intolerant to Soy and it seems to be the only way I really enjoy my Chai Latte because it makes it so creamy!
Do you have any “healthy” alternatives for a hot Soy Chai Latte?
I look forward to hearing from you and to receiving your book so I can try the recipes.
Thank you.
I made this for breakfast today and it was delicious. The tip for me was to let it soak for 20mins. with my regular blender. Loved it. So tasty and more creamy than I though it’d be. And filling, which is just what I needed this morning. Thank you! Love your new website too.
This was really really good…I substituted coconut butter for the hemp hearts since I didn’t have any and it was delish…thanks!
Love this smoothie! I add Metagenics protein powders as part of my daily dietary requirements along with a Tablespoon cacao powder. I make with home made almond milk. This is a filling meal that keeps me satisfied for hours.
I will be making this and adding cardamom. Thanks for the recipe!
I love chai tea, the more spicy the better. I also like the fact it has hemp seeds for the milk. I will probably fix this at least once a day..Linda B