prep time: 3 minutes
•
cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
•
yield: 7 (8-ounce) servings
prep time: 3 minutes
•
cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
•
yield: 7 (8-ounce) servings
I’m not a fan of drinking your calories if you are eating keto for weight loss. But since keto is more than a weight-loss diet, here is a tasty drink for those of you who are eating keto for healthy healing.
I was saddened to learn how many teabags and loose teas contain added sweeteners. I often take my boys to tea at a local tea shop and play cards with them. One day I asked Lauren, the tea expert there, if she thought that the fruity teas have any sugar, even “natural” sugar. She said, “Most likely. A lot of the loose teas even have tiny marshmallows in them. The Chocolate Safari Tea you often get has marshmallows in it.” I was so disturbed by this! She recommended that we purchase organic teas to avoid cheap sweeteners. “But what about organic coconut sugar?” I asked. She said yeah, even organic teas definitely could have some organic natural sugars added. So the big lesson here is: make your own chai!
8 whole cloves
7 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into thin rounds
5 cups cold water
5 bags black tea
2 cups unsweetened (unflavored or vanilla-flavored) cashew milk, homemade ( see here ) or store-bought, or almond milk (or hemp milk for nut-free)
2 to 4 tablespoons Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener ( see here )
1 tablespoon coconut oil per cup of tea
1. Place the spices and ginger in a medium saucepan. Toast on low heat while lightly crushing the spices with the back of a spoon.
2. Add the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pan, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes (the longer time will create a stronger chai flavor). Remove from the heat.
3. Place the teabags in the saucepan and steep for 4 minutes. Remove the teabags and add the cashew milk and 2 tablespoons of the sweetener. Stir, taste, and add more sweetener if desired.
4. Bring the chai to a bare simmer over medium heat, then strain it into a teapot. Just before serving, place a tablespoon of coconut oil in each teacup, pour the hot tea over it, and whisk to blend the coconut oil into the tea. Store extra tea in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
