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Say hello to the coziest cocktail, the Vanilla Chai Tea White Russian. My twist on the classic White Russian cocktail with vanilla chai tea syrup.
Ingredients for Chai Spiced White Russians:
- Chai tea bags
- honey
- vanilla extract
- vodka
- kahlua
- chai tea syrup
- heavy cream
- cinnamon sticks
- star anise
It’s T-minus five days till Thanksgiving, and these warming, cozy drinks are totally going to be our after-dinner Turkey Day nightcaps. I am already excited.
Well, actually I’m excited about everything to do with Thanksgiving, but I’m pretty sure, that come the end of the night, this drink, with a side of my family, and a Christmas movie, will be what I desire most. Truly cannot wait! As I have hinted throughout the week, it’s just been so busy over here that even though I will be cooking all day on Thursday, I am happy to have a little mind break from all things work. That’s not to say I don’t love thinking about work, but sometimes it’s just nice to cook and not actually have to worry about testing or photographing a recipe.
Thankfully, all my Thanksgiving recipes are tested and ready to go. I just have to get them cooked on time, and not burn them…which yes, I have done many times before.
Anyway, I’m very excited for Thanksgiving, and this cozy little drink.
While working on my list of cocktails for Christmas Drink Saturday, I realized I wanted to do something with Chai. I’m currently having a Chai tea moment. I’m loving infusing my recipes with Chai spices – see these pumpkin chai cookies and this chai pumpkin pie. I loved the idea of a creamy chai cocktail with hints of coffee, so a White Russian-style drink was my obvious choice.
For those unfamiliar with a White Russian, it’s a vodka and coffee liquor-based cocktail, finished off with a little cream. It’s literally 1 part vodka, 1 part coffee liquor, and 1 part cream. It’s good, but in my personal opinion, it could use a little more flavor.
Enter the Vanilla Chai Tea simple syrup. YUM.
All I did was make a heavily concentrated chai tea. I then sweetened it with a little honey, and added a good amount of vanilla. Mix this up with vodka, coffee liquor (I use Kahlua), and cream and you’ll have a Vanilla Chai White Russian. The perfect holiday drink for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For whatever reason, I see this as more of an after-dinner kind of drink, but obviously, you can serve it any time of day. It would be a great brunch cocktail too. The chai syrup makes enough for about six or so cocktails. Perfect for entertaining or just sipping on with your family after Thursday’s feast.
Hey, it’s Thanksgiving, liquid courage can sometimes be needed.
PS. I don’t mean to skip over Thanksgiving, but my excitement for Christmas is beyond holding back at this point.
Vanilla Chai Tea White Russian
Servings: 1 drink + enough syrup to make about 6 drinks
Calories Per Serving: 934 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Chai Tea Simple Syrup
- 4 chai tea bags
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chai White Russian
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
- 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) Kahlua
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) chai tea syrup
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) heavy cream
- cinnamon sticks and star anise, for garnish
Instructions
Chai Tea Simple Syrup
- 1. In a medium pot, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the chai tea bags, cover and steep 10-15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the honey. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Chai White Russian
- 1. Fill a glass with ice. Add the vodka, Kahlua, and chai tea syrup. Stir gently. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Garnish with cinnamon and star anise, if desired.
Lastly, if you make this Vanilla Chai Tea White Russian, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
This is an incredible adult hot chocolate! I shared it with my friends at the horse barn and they all agreed. It’s definitely a favorite ❤️
Hey Kim,
Happy Wednesday! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
If I want to triple the recipe for the simple syrup, do I also need to triple the boiling time, after adding the honey? I’m new at this!
Hi Sarah,
You might need to add more boiling time, it doesn’t necessarily need to be tripled though:) I hope you love the recipe! Cheers! xx
This looks delicious and I want to try it, but is that really the calorie count for a serving? 😬
Hey Kristi,
I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
Yes that’s a deal breaker. The drink looks so delicious. Dessert maybe?
You could replace the heavy cream with fat free half and half and make the simple syrup with a sugar replacement instead of honey. That’ll lower your calories 🙂
This was soo good! I used a maple cacao vodka and it was next level!! Thank you for this recipe!!
Hi Natasha,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner. xxTieghan
Came out top-notch, Appreciate you for the recipe Tieghan.
Hey Arvin,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This looks delicious and I’ve added it to my menu this week! Would you share where your glasses are from? I really love the shape
Hey Nancy,
Here is the link for the glasses: https://rstyle.me/+7RK4v39F9RqwbYmAZm0RCw
I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Ok so I’m one of those weird people that doesn’t drink coffee. What would you sub for the Kahlua if anything? TIA!
Hey Kate,
I would just skip the Kahlua. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This was DELICIOUS!!
Thank you Trina! xTieghan
Best after dinner treat!!!
How would you recommend if you wanted it hot?
You are the best and I make many of your recipes. Thank you for sharing ?
Hey there,
So glad you have enjoyed this recipe! I would heat on the stove before serving if you want to serve this hot. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Could you use sugar in place of honey?
Hey Rachel,
Yes that will work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This was the best White Russian cocktail I’ve ever had. And that simple syrup was so easy to make and so delicious!!
Thank you so much Nikki! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
How many servings is this recipe for?
Hey Samantha,
This recipe is enough for 6 drinks. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Has anyone substituted the heavy cream for a non dairy? thinking coconut milk but wold be open to other best options
Hey Tara,
I think coconut milk or cream would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’m obsessed with this!!! How I get through quarantine….
Haha that is so amazing! I am glad this is getting you through! I hope you are staying healthy! xTieghan