This Chai Cocktail is made sweet and creamy with frothy eggnog and spiked with smooth bourbon. It's the perfect festive and cozy way to end the night. All you need is 4 simple ingredients!
Once the weather cools down, there's nothing better than curling up at the end of the night with a warm drink. Bonus points when it's spiked with bourbon and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg.
Keep reading to learn how to make this easy cocktail in 15 minutes flat!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Rich and creamy! If you love white Russian cocktails, you will love the creaminess in this eggnog chai cocktail.
- Easy to make in larger batches. If you are hosting friends and family this holiday season, adjust the ingredients to increase the servings as needed. As written, this recipe makes 2 cocktails, but can be easily increased. Use a larger saucepan as needed.
- Simple to customize. With a simple swap, this cocktail can be made completely dairy free and vegan. It's also naturally gluten-free (distilled bourbon is considered gluten-free, even if made with wheat because of the distillation process).
Tools You'll Need
- Small saucepan
- Measuring cups
- Handheld frother
Ingredients
- Eggnog - I prefer to use a dairy-free oat based eggnog, but feel free to substitute a dairy version or another nondairy option. Your favorite eggnog will do!
- Chai tea - I typically use tea bags because it's what I often have on hand, but if you have loose leaf tea, steep the loose leaf tea using a metal tea strainer.
- Fresh nutmeg - The perfect warm and nutty spice to compliment the warmth in the chai and the bourbon. I highly recommend freshly grated nutmeg if possible.
- Bourbon - If you've made my Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail, I know you'll love this bourbon chai cocktail. It's another combination of flavors I can't resist in the colder months and I'm confident you'll feel the same way!
Substitutions
- Nutmeg substitute: Use a pinch of ground nutmeg instead.
- Bourbon substitute: Try whiskey or even vodka for a lighter flavor.
How to Make an Egg Nog Chai Cocktail
- Simmer the eggnog. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the dairy free eggnog to a simmer.
- Add the chai. Once the eggnog has reached a simmer, turn off the heat and add the chai tea bags. Let the tea steep for 5-8 minutes. Squeeze the excess liquid out of the tea bags into the eggnog, then discard the tea bags.
- Let the chai steep. Let the tea steep for about 5-8 minutes. Squeeze the excess liquid out of the tea bags into the eggnog before discarding the tea bags.
- Add bourbon. Measure 1 ½ cups of the eggnog mixture into a measuring cup. Add the bourbon and stir to combine.
- Divide the mixture evenly between two mugs. Leave a bit of room in the top of the mug for froth and garnish.
- Froth the remaining egg nog chai mixture. Place the remaining eggnog mixture into the measuring cup, and use a handheld milk frother to foam the remaining eggnog.
- Top off and serve! Pour the frothed oat milk eggnog over the bourbon mixture, and top with a bit of freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Enjoy.
Prep Ahead Options
If you'd like to prep a larger batch of this chai cocktail in advance, steep the chai in the warm eggnog ahead of time. Then, each night, warm up the chai eggnog mixture and add in the bourbon and spices once warm.
Serving Suggestions
Warm chai cocktails pair perfectly with desserts like Gluten Free Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars, Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts or Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies! Yum.
FAQs
Although chai is made with black tea and contains caffeine, it is very low in caffeine compared to a cup of coffee or a shot of espresso. The caffeine levels in a cup of chai tea are unlikely to disturb your sleep. Enjoy this chai cocktail as the perfect evening nightcap without worry!
Traditional versions of eggnog are often made with raw eggs, yes. However, most nondairy versions of eggnog are made without eggs and are vegan-friendly. Since it is egg-free, many oat milk varieties are called "nog."
A regular chai is just tea whereas a chai latte is tea mixed with frothed milk. This chai cocktail is closest to a chai latte thanks to the creamy eggnog.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Adjust the chai to taste! I find 1 bag of chai per cocktail to be enough, but if you want a stronger, more concentrated chai flavor, steep additional tea bags to taste.
- Keep in mind richer milks will froth best. Oat milk is a popular nondairy milk amongst baristas because it froths similarly to cow's milk. If you use almond nog or rice milk nog, it may be more difficult or time consuming to make frothy. For the best froth, opt for traditional eggnog.
More Easy Cocktails You May Enjoy
Eggnog Chai Cocktail - Dairy Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups dairy free eggnog I prefer to use oat milk eggnog
- 2 bags chai tea
- 3 ounces bourbon
- Fresh nutmeg cinnamon sticks, and star anise for garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the dairy free eggnog to a simmer. Turn the heat off, and place the 2 bags of chai tea in the warm eggnog. Let steep for 5-8 minutes. Squeeze the excess liquid out of the teabags into the eggnog, and discard the teabags.
- Measure 1 ½ cups of the eggnog mixture into a measuring cup. Add the bourbon and stir to combine. Divide the mixture evenly between two mugs. Place the remaining eggnog mixture into the measuring cup, and use a handheld milk frother to foam the remaining eggnog.
- Pour the frothed oat milk eggnog over the bourbon mixture, and top with a bit of freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Enjoy!
