Starbucks Chai Latte Complete Information
Chai Latte sits in the classic chai section of the Starbucks menu, priced from $5.35 to $6.05 across 4 sizes at Starbucks (Northgate Way & I-5). A Grande serving contains 200 calories and 55 mg of caffeine.
Ingredients Summary
Taste Profile
Health Insight
Healthier Alternative: For a lighter option, consider the Iced Chai Latte, which has 190 calories and 31g of sugar.
The Starbucks Chai Latte, Explained
The Starbucks Chai Latte is not brewed tea. It is a sweetened black tea concentrate, already spiced with cinnamon, clove, cardamom and ginger, steamed with milk and finished with a layer of foam. That is why it arrives fast and tastes the same at every store, and also why it carries more sugar than people expect from a tea.
How it tastes
Warm, spiced and sweet, with cinnamon and clove leading and a black tea base underneath. It is smooth rather than sharp. A Grande has 200 calories, 31 grams of sugar and 55 mg of caffeine, about a third of a Grande latte. The sugar comes from the concentrate itself, so it is sweet even with no syrup added.
How to order it
The number of pumps of concentrate is the lever. A Grande gets four; asking for three makes it lighter and less sweet, two makes it noticeably more milky. Water in place of some of the milk is an old barista trick for a thinner, stronger chai. A shot of espresso turns it into a "dirty chai," which is the most popular customization. The Iced Chai Latte is the same recipe shaken over ice at 190 calories in a Grande.
Compared with the seasonal chais
The Pumpkin Spice Chai adds pumpkin sauce for 260 calories, and the iced cold foam versions such as the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai climb toward 400. The Iced Chaider mixes chai with apple juice and is lighter at 90 calories. Among the hot drinks, a Chai Latte sits between a Cappuccino and a flavored latte on calories.
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a warm, spiced drink with less caffeine than coffee, and people who do not drink coffee at all. It is a favorite afternoon and evening order because 55 mg of caffeine is easy to sleep on. At the reference store a Grande is $5.85 for pickup, fifty cents above a plain Caffè Latte.
Nutritional Facts
Per serving • Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Calories by Size
Figures come from Starbucks' published nutrition data for the standard build; milk swaps, extra pumps and toppings change them. The nutrition facts page lists every item side by side.
Most Ordered Together
Perfect Combination
Chai Latte The Chai Latte and a Banana, Walnut & Pecan Loaf is a common combined order, and the totals below add them up.
$5.85
Chai Latte
Allergen Information
Starbucks publishes no allergen line for this item. The ingredient tree below names milk, soy and other allergen ingredients where they appear.
Full ingredient list
- milk
- chai tea concentrate
- an infusion of
- honey
- ginger juice
- natural flavors
- citric acid
- classic syrup
- sugar
- water
- natural flavors
- potassium sorbate
- citric acid
This reflects the standard recipe only. Starbucks stores prepare everything on shared equipment, so trace amounts of other allergens can be present; the allergen guide covers the whole menu.
Compare Items
Standard size figures from Starbucks' published nutrition data. Prices are pickup prices at the reference store where listed.