Yes. Chai has caffeine because it's brewed with black tea, not because of the spices. A cup of traditionally brewed chai runs roughly 47-61 mg, while a milkier cafe-style chai latte is usually lower, closer to 37-49 mg, since it's diluted with more milk relative to tea.
Chai or Chai Latte, Which Has More Caffeine?
The caffeine comes entirely from the black tea. Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves don't contribute any caffeine of their own.
| Type | Typical Serve | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional stovetop chai (simmered) | 240 mL | 47–61 mg |
| Cafe-style chai latte | 240 mL | 37–49 mg |
| Instant chai latte powder (mixed with milk) | 240 mL | 37.5–49.5 mg |
| Dirty chai latte (chai + espresso shot) | 240 mL + shot | 100–150 mg |
The gap between traditional chai and a chai latte comes down to ratio, not ingredients. A stovetop chai is simmered with less milk relative to tea, so it's more concentrated. A cafe chai latte stretches the same base with more steamed milk, which brings the caffeine per cup down even though it's the same tea.
Check our range of Arkadia chai.
Individual products vary too. Checking labeled figures across one brand's own range shows caffeine sitting anywhere from about 37.5 mg to 49.5 mg per serve depending on the specific blend, which is a useful reminder that "chai" isn't one fixed number even within a single product line.
If you're an owner of a Café check our wholesale chai range.
Comparison between Chai and Coffee
| Drink | Typical Serve | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Chai latte | 240 mL | 37–49 mg |
| Traditional chai | 240 mL | 47–61 mg |
| Filter coffee | 240 mL | 80–100 mg |
| Espresso (single) | 30 mL | 63–100 mg |
| Dirty chai latte | 240 mL + shot | 100–150 mg |
| Black tea (plain) | 240 mL | 25–50 mg |
| Green tea | 240 mL | 20–30 mg |
A standard chai latte has roughly half the caffeine of a filter coffee. It sits close to plain black tea, slightly higher in the traditional stovetop version since it's brewed stronger, and well below an espresso shot. A dirty chai is the one version that can match or beat a filter coffee, since it adds a full espresso shot on top of the tea's own caffeine.
Is Chai Caffeine-Free? Decaf and Herbal Options
Standard chai, whether traditional or a cafe latte, is not caffeine-free. The black tea base is where the caffeine comes from, so as long as black tea is in the recipe, there's caffeine in the cup.
Caffeine-free versions exist, but they swap out the tea entirely rather than removing caffeine from it. The most common approach is a rooibos-based chai: rooibos is a naturally caffeine-free herbal plant from South Africa, brewed with the same chai spice blend (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves) so it keeps the flavour without the caffeine. Some brands also make fully herbal chai blends with no tea leaf at all, built entirely from spices and a caffeine-free base.
If you just want less caffeine rather than none, a milkier chai latte or a lighter brew will naturally run lower than a strongly simmered traditional chai, without needing a different tea base at all.
Common questions about Chai having Caffeine
Does chai have a lot of caffeine?
A moderate amount. It's more than plain green tea, roughly in line with plain black tea, and noticeably less than coffee.
Does a chai latte have caffeine?
Yes chai latte has caffeine. Steaming or diluting with milk doesn't remove the caffeine, it just spreads the same amount across a milkier drink, which is part of why a chai latte tests slightly lower per cup than a stronger stovetop chai.
Is chai caffeine-free?
Not by default. A caffeine-free version has to be made with a naturally caffeine-free base like rooibos instead of black tea, rather than a modified version of standard chai.
Is there a decaf chai?
Decaf chai usually means one of two things: chai made with decaffeinated black tea (which still has trace caffeine, just much less), or chai made with rooibos or another herbal base instead of tea (which is genuinely caffeine-free). The two aren't quite the same thing, so it's worth checking which one a product actually means before assuming "decaf" equals "zero caffeine."
Does a dirty chai have more caffeine than coffee?
Often yes. A dirty chai adds a full espresso shot to a chai latte that already contains caffeine from its own black tea, so the total can match or exceed a standard filter coffee.
