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The Very Best Buttered Chai Latte – A LCHF Way To Start the Day

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I look forward to a rich and hot buttered chai latte every morning.

It’s one of my really indulgent moments, when I can sip on something so warm with spices, rich with healthy fats, and just lightly sweetened.

A mug of buttered chai latte with text overlay.

I’ve had to give up a lot of things on my road to better health. I used to love coffee; alas it no longer loves me. I can’t even do caffeinated teas without losing precious sleep. So caffeine-free chai has become the spicy knight that has rescued me from boring morning-drink blues. I savor every second with my beloved buttered chai.

I’m going to give you my secrets to making the very best buttered chai latte and let YOU too fall for this truly exceptional, uplifting, body healing, morning routine.

A mug of spicy buttered chai latte.

Handmade Ceramic Mug by Jim Wayne

Wait, What the Heck Is a “Buttered” Chai Latte?

Buttered is a term used to describe a hot drink that has been fortified with healthy saturated fats and sometimes superfood supplements. Buttered drinks are one of the cornerstones of low-carb, ketogenic, and (most importantly) nutrient-dense diets.

Which Fats Are “Saturated” and What Does That Mean?

Saturated fats are those that are solid at room temperature and come from natural sources. Butter, lard, tallow, duck, goose and chicken fat, coconut oil, and palm oil are all forms of saturated fats.

Even though shortening and margarine are solid at room temperature, they are not healthy saturated fats. They are polyunsaturates from seed oils and have been chemically hydrogenated to make them solid. And, hydrogenated oils go through other unsavory practices like starching, bleaching, flavoring, and dying. YUCK! Stay away from any man-made solid oils!

True saturated fats (like my favorite, BUTTER) keep you full longer and provide your body with crucial fat-soluble vitamins, energy, and immune-boosting short- and medium-chain fatty acids, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleum acid (CLA), good cholesterol, trace minerals, and more!

To read more about healthy fats and how to use them in traditional cookery, check out this amazing book!

One of My Favorite Superfood Additions to Buttered Drinks Is Grass-Fed Beef Collagen.

Collagen lines our intestines, promotes gut health, strengthens and lubricates our joints, improves the elasticity of our skin, and strengthens our hair and nails! It also plays a key role in proper body weight management.

Losing Hair?

Adding collagen to my daily buttered chai reversed my (low-carb related) hair loss in a matter of days!

Make Sure the Collagen You Buy Is Grass-Fed and Non-GMO!

This is actually really important, according to an article written by Wise Traditions writer Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D. The glyphosate sprayed on conventional cow feed may be replacing the glycine in the beef’s collagen. This means that when stock, broth, gelatin, or collagen is made using conventionally raised beef bones and hides, the glyphosate in those products is passed on to you. Sally Fallon (the author of the Nourishing Traditions books that I now live by) elaborates on this point by writing that consuming this tainted collagen can affect gut health, bone health, skin health, and even contribute to chronic pain!

 

A mug of buttered chai latte with text overlay.

The Chai Tea You Choose Makes All the Difference!

I brew 1 gallon of chai at a time from whole spices. I like a really strong flavor so I let my chai steep for at least 4 hours!

Mountain Rose Herbs carries some amazing loose teas. Among my favorites are the Firefly Chai and Turmeric Chai.

Or you can make your own customized chai tea mix. Look at these bloggers’ recipes to get inspired!

Nitty Gritty Life has a recipe for Spiced Chai that uses turmeric. I MUST try this homemade version of my favorite from Mountain Rose!

Learning And Yearning shares a blend that has the addition of roasted dandelion root. Wonderful!

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How To Brew a Strong Chai Tea for Your Buttered Chai Latte

I use a large stainless steel tea kettle like this one to steep my loose tea.

For 1 gallon of chai, fill the kettle with 4 quarts of filtered water and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat to low and add 1/4 cup dry chai spices. Simmer very slightly over extremely low heat for at least 4 hours. If you are using a blend with black tea you should read the product’s instructions, because black tea can become bitter when steeped too long. At least taste the steeping tea often to find the proper balance of flavors for your liking.

Then I strain the potent tea through a small metal sieve.

I store my cooled, pre-made chai in quart-size glass jars in the refrigerator.

 

A mug of buttered chai latte.

Handmade Ceramic Mug by Jim Wayne

How To Make the Very Best Buttered Chai Latte

In a small sauce pan combine all the ingredients and bring them to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Make it a FROTHY Chai Latte!

I use my trusted handheld immersion blender for this step. It has so many practical kitchen uses, from dressings to soups to smoothies. If you don’t have one in your home you are missing out on a good thing!

Or you can use a drink frother (honestly though, why buy a tool that only does one thing when you could have the immersion blender above?).

Using your tool of choice, blend the hot tea until the fats are emulsified and there is a nice frothy foam on top.

Pour the hot tea into your favorite mug, garnish it with a pinch of fresh nutmeg, cardamom, or cinnamon, find a quiet place, and enjoy the delicious warmth and comfort of good health.

Learn How To Make The Very Best Buttered Chai Latte

Buttered Chai Latte

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

A richly spiced buttery chai latte with superfood additions.

Ingredients

  • 12 to 16 ounces unsweetened chai tea, decaf, herbal, or regular
  • 1 tablespoon pastured butter
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or coconut cream
  • 6 to 8 drops liquid stevia, liquid monk fruit extract or 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • 1 serving collagen powder

Instructions

  1. In a small sauce pan combine all the ingredients and bring them to a simmer over medium-high heat.
  2. Using your tool of choice, blend the hot tea until the fats are emulsified and there is a nice frothy foam on top.
  3. Pour the hot tea into your favorite mug, garnish it with a pinch of fresh nutmeg, cardamom, or cinnamon, find a quiet place, and enjoy the delicious warmth and comfort of good health.

SUZANNE

Sunday 22nd of August 2021

Hi there, Love your posts and always look forward to receiving them. I love Chai Tea but for the past 2-3 years have been unable to get what I need to make a really good cup. I will visit Mountain Rose Herbs and order some. I wanted to know if you would be willing to share the name/brand of collagen that you use? Trying to make a decision about the right kind is tricky sometimes. Keep up the good work.

Butter For All

Wednesday 25th of August 2021

Hi Suzanne!

So nice to hear from you. Thank you for the kind feedback.

I would use Ancestral Supplements, Great Lakes or Vital Proteins. Always look for pastured/grass-fed.

Hope that helps!

Courtney

Rosa

Sunday 28th of February 2021

I am still a little shy when it comes to adding butter to my coffee or tea, so I apologize in advance because my comment is not about the finished product, Buttered Chai Latte but about the Chai Latte part. Regardless of how you drink this beverage, it is delicious. Little did I know that simmering my tea and spices over a long time on low heat would turn into a deliciously fragrant, tasty tea. I added macadamia milk to mine. Best chai ever! Thank you for the recipe.

Norhala

Monday 4th of June 2018

I LOVE butter...and make my own whenever I can, so I'm interested in seeing what you have for recipes and ideas :)

Butter For All

Monday 4th of June 2018

Hi Norhala, If you LOVE butter then you are in the right place! And, homemade butter is always the best!!! I also promote raw and cultured dairy products, you might want to check those recipes out. If you are low-carb or keto you can search the whole site by category so you won't see the recipes for breads and crackers. I bake with sourdough and ferment most other grain before cooking. I hope you enjoy the website! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter. I send it out about once a week (if I'm on my game). Haha! Glad to have you here! -Courtney

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