A chai latte is tea, not coffee. It's spiced black tea (called masala chai) mixed with steamed, frothed milk. The same milk treatment a coffee latte gets, just without any coffee in it.
What is chai latte, exactly?
"Chai" means tea. "Latte" means milk. Put together, a chai latte is spiced tea served the way a coffee shop serves a latte: with steamed milk poured or frothed on top.
The tea itself is usually a black tea base brewed with warming spices. That spiced tea is traditional masala chai. A cafe chai latte is a westernised take on that chai blend: it's typically sweeter and milkier than the masala chai made at home in India, which is part of why the two can taste noticeably different even though they share the same spices.
Is a chai latte coffee or tea?
It's tea. There's no coffee in a standard chai latte.
The confusion is understandable. Chai lattes usually sit right next to coffee lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites on a cafe menu, and they go through the same espresso machine to get that steamed, frothed milk. The word "latte" itself is doing the confusing work here.
It's Italian for "milk," and it originally just described how the milk was prepared, not what drink it was added to. Coffee shops picked it up for coffee first, so most people now hear "latte" and assume coffee is involved.
There's one real exception: a dirty chai is a chai latte with a shot of espresso added on purpose. If a drink has coffee in it, it'll say "dirty chai," a plain "chai latte" won't.
What's in it, and what does it taste like?
A typical chai latte includes:
- Black tea (often Assam), which contributes natural antioxidants called catechins
- A spice blend: cinnamon, cardamom (often from whole cardamom pods), ginger, cloves, and sometimes black pepper or nutmeg; some blends also add star anise or fennel for a more traditional profile
- Steamed milk, usually whole or cow's milk, or a plant-based alternative; some traditional recipes outside cafes use buffalo milk for a richer body
- A sweetener, sugar, honey, or a flavoured syrup, depending on the cafe; home-brewed masala chai is more often sweetened with jaggery, an unrefined cane sugar
The result is a warm, spiced drink that's more peppery and aromatic than a coffee latte, with the milk softening the spice. Some drinkers find it sweeter than black tea because of the added milk and sugar; others order it unsweetened. Flavour varies a lot between cafes since there's no single fixed chai recipe.
If you're wondering specifically about the caffeine side of things, chai does contain caffeine from the black tea base, just generally less per cup than coffee. That's a big enough topic on its own; see Does Chai Have Caffeine? for the full breakdown.
Shop This Chai Flavour Range
Ready to make one at home? Here's where to start
Arkadia Chai Spice — $8.00
Arkadia Chai Spice 240g is the signature blend behind Arkadia's chai latte range, Halal and Kosher certified, made to a family recipe developed over more than 25 years. Stir it into hot water or milk for a boldly fragrant, creamy chai latte at home, no café setup needed. It's the base blend the rest of Arkadia's chai range (Vanilla, Espresso, 99% Sugar-Free) builds on.
The formulation is 98% fat-free when made with water or skim milk, with no artificial colours, sweeteners, or preservatives. It contains milk and soy, worth checking for anyone managing those allergens.
Beyond a mug on its own, Arkadia uses this blend in recipes like chai poached pears, chai cinnamon scrolls, and a chai spice frappe. It's stocked in Coles, Woolworths, and independent supermarkets nationally, as well as through Arkadia's own online store.
Buy the Arkadia Chai Spice
Arkadia Chai Vanilla — $8.00
Arkadia Chai Vanilla 240g takes the brand's signature chai base and gives it a sweeter, rounder vanilla finish. Halal and Kosher certified, it's a good pick if you want less spice bite than the original Chai Spice blend while keeping the same warm, creamy character.
It's 98% fat-free when made with water or skim milk, with no artificial colours, sweeteners, or preservatives. Contains milk and soy.
Arkadia uses this blend in its own recipes, including a gingerbread chai frappe, a vanilla chai white russian, and chai bubble tea. It's stocked in Coles, Woolworths, and independent supermarkets nationally, the same distribution as Chai Spice.
Buy Arkadia Chai Vanilla
Arkadia Chai Espresso — $7.00
Chai Espresso is Arkadia's take on the café-style dirty chai, built for chai drinkers who still want a coffee hit without needing an actual espresso shot on hand. It's Halal certified.
Arkadia's own product copy describes hints of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger against espresso undertones; the ingredients panel itself names instant coffee (4%), instant tea (3.5%), and ground ginger specifically. It's 98% fat-free when made with water, with no artificial colours, sweeteners, or preservatives. Contains milk and soy.
One distribution note: this product is currently listed as available in independent supermarkets, not the Coles/Woolworths shelf that carries Chai Spice and Vanilla, worth checking stock before assuming it's in the same aisle.
Buy Arkadia Chai Espresso
Arkadia 99% Sugar-Free Chai — $8.00
Arkadia's 99% Sugar-Free Chai Latte 240g swaps added sugar for erythritol and steviol glycosides, both natural, non-artificial sweeteners, for drinkers who want the same spice profile without the sugar. It's Halal certified.
It's the lowest-calorie option in the range at 53 calories per serve, alongside 98% fat-free when made with water. Its instant tea content sits slightly higher at 4.5%, and ground ginger is named specifically on the ingredients panel. Contains milk and soy.
Available in Coles, Woolworths, and independent supermarkets nationally, the same distribution as Chai Spice and Chai Vanilla.
Buy Arkadia Sugar‑Free Chai LatteMost common questions about Chai latte
Is a chai latte coffee or tea?
Tea. A chai latte is spiced black tea with steamed milk. It contains no coffee unless it's specifically labelled a dirty chai, which has an added shot of espresso.
Is chai latte the same as chai?
Chai (or masala chai) is the spiced tea itself. A chai latte is that tea with steamed milk added, the cafe-style version.
Is a chai latte just tea and milk?
Mostly, yes. Spiced black tea and steamed milk are the two core components. Most versions also include a sweetener, and many cafes use a pre-made chai concentrate or syrup rather than brewing loose spices and tea leaves separately.
What's the difference between a chai latte and a regular latte?
A regular latte is espresso with steamed milk. A chai latte swaps the espresso for spiced black tea. They're prepared the same way, with steamed, frothed milk added to a base drink, but the base drink itself is different. That's also why a chai latte has no coffee in it by default.
What's the difference between a chai latte and a dirty chai latte?
A chai latte is spiced tea and steamed milk, with no coffee. A dirty chai latte is the same drink with a shot of espresso added on top, so it does contain caffeine from both the tea and the coffee.
What kind of tea is used to make a chai latte?
Black tea is the standard base. Assam is common because it holds up well against the spices and milk. Some variations use a different black tea or a decaf base, but the "chai" flavour itself comes mainly from the spice blend rather than a specific tea variety.
What's the difference between a chai latte and traditional masala chai?
A chai latte is the cafe-style version, made with steamed milk and usually sweetened with white sugar. Traditional masala chai simmers the tea and spices together longer and is often sweetened with jaggery instead, giving it a deeper, less sweet flavour than most cafe chai lattes.
