Vanilla Chai White Hot Chocolate

/ amandasvintagepantry

Vanilla Chai White Hot Chocolate…a.k.a CHRISTMAS IN A CUP! A couple years ago one of my co-worker friends took me to a little place in Cadillac, Michigan called Java. Her go to drink is a vanilla chai latte and she said I wouldn’t be disappointed. I am not a coffee or tea drinker, but let me tell ya folks, this drink changed my hot drink life!! No more hot chocolate to make me fit in with the coffee drinkers! This is such a fun drink to make for Christmas, and my kiddos love it too!

Suggestions:

  1. Do not use ground spices. This will make your drink gritty. Use the spices whole, if you can. I put mine in and then use a ladle to scoop out the drink, avoiding the spices. Some other options would be to strain the spices after it is done, or you could tie up all the spices into a cheesecloth together and drop them in.
  2. If you can’t find or are on a budget, you can omit the star anise and cardamom and just use the cinnamon and cloves and you will still get a good chai flavor.
  3. I use a crockpot to make this, but it would be just as easy to make it in a large pot and let it sit on low temp.
  4. You can use any kind of milk you like. I like to use whole milk to give it a creamier texture.
  5. This recipe just gives a subtle chai spice taste. If you would like yours spicier, just add in more cinnamon and cloves.
  6. I use a 3 quart crockpot to make this recipe, so that is what my ingredients are based off of. You may need to add or decrease amounts depending on the size of your crockpot.
  7. I like to serve mine with whip cream on top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. You could also dress it up and serve it with a whole cinnamon stick, a white chocolate covered spoon, or a candy cane!

Ingredients:

5 whole cinnamon sticks

1 Tbs of whole cloves

3 whole star anise

1/2 Tbs of whole cardamom

12 ounces vanilla almond bark

8 cups of milk of your choice

Instructions:

  1. In a crockpot, add in all ingredients. Place temp on high until the almond bark is completely melted, stirring occasionally.  
  2. Turn the temperature of the crockpot down to low once you have reached the temperature you like and serve!

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