Best Masala Chai Blends in the UK (Super Cosy!)
In the dead of winter, nothing quite warms your bones like one of the best masala chai blends on my list. This is a ranked list of masala chai blends – black tea with spices – that are available for you to buy and make at home.
Sure, nothing beats an authentic chai made by a street vendor… but sometimes you just want to stay snuggled under your blankets and drink it at home.
To make a good masala chai (literally meaning ‘spiced tea’) you should lightly toast the spices in a pan over the stove. Simmer it directly in milk and strain into your cup. Ahhh, perfection.
P.S. I haven’t included alternative chai blends in this list, like caffeine-free rooibos chai, or it would be ten-thousand words long! To find a full list of chai, including alternative chai, use the search function or check my Tea Review Index.
Best Masala Chai Blends to Brew at Home
Here are my favourite masala chai teas you can make at home. I only recommend teas that I have personally tried, tested and reviewed for the Immortal Wordsmith blog. All photos are my own!
1. Teapro Traditional Masala Chai
Izzy's Rating
4.9/5
- Black Tea: Assam
- Spices: Cloves, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, black pepper, fenugreek
- Extras: n/a
- Where to Buy: Teapro Official Website
This is the best masala chai that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing for Immortal Wordsmith, which is why it scores an impressive 4.9 out of 5. The black tea base is thick, rich and malty. The kerala spices are beautifully blended and whole within the tea blend.
I highly recommend preparing this tea with Teapro’s instructions. Taking the time to lightly toast the dry leaf and spices before simmering in milk on the stove really makes a difference! It’s so smooth and warming with a gentle kick from the black peppercorn.
You can read the full review for this chai, along with three other more unusual chai blends, in my full Teapro Chaiwala Subscription Box Review.
2. Basilur Masala Chai
Izzy's Rating
3.9/5
- Black Tea: Ceylon
- Spices: Cloves, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg
- Extras: Flavouring
- Where to Buy: Amazon
Smooth and palatable, this chai is not as traditional as the Teapro blend above. Instead, the Ceylon black tea base is quite light and gentle – you can even drink it without milk. There’s no bitterness whatsoever.
The spices are traditional but they lack the peppercorn heat that traditional chai has. Nonetheless, I finished my cup in record time and quickly brewed another. This tea was finished in days! Of course, I had to keep the gold embossed tea caddy as well.
Definitely worth a try, I highly recommend Basilur Masala Chai. Make sure you buy the loose leaf version to get the most out of it.
3. Adagio Chocolate Chai
Izzy's Rating
3.7/5
- Black Tea: Unknown origin
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger
- Extras: Cocoa nibs, flavouring
- Where to Buy: Adagio Teas UK
I love chocolate, I have a huge sweet tooth! This tea is utterly divine. Although it’s pretty far from a traditional Indian masala chai, I still classify it as one. It is made primarily with black tea and spices, after all.
Adagio Chocolate Chai blends black tea, cinnamon, and ginger with cocoa nibs for a chocolately note. I describe it as tasting like a light black tea with a swirl of dark chocolate and sprinkling of cinnamon. It’s so comforting and a brilliant alternative to a hot chocolate.
You can even brew this one directly in milk, for a super luxurious experience.
4. Adagio Spiced Apple Chai
Izzy's Rating
3.7/5
- Black Tea: Unknown origin
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves
- Extras: Orange, apple, flavouring
- Where to Buy: Adagio Teas UK
For Autumn (or Fall, for my US readers), you cannot beat the scent and taste of apples. Apple pie, apple crumble, apple cider… it’s just the right season for it. And of course, cinnamon apple is one of the most iconic flavour combinations ever.
Why has no one thought of a spiced apple chai before?
Adagio have really done a great job with this tea. It’s mellow and soft, with brown sugar notes simmering down with the apples, cinnamon and black tea. Again, it’s not a traditional masala chai… but I love it nonetheless. You can buy it directly from Adagio in the UK.
5. T2 Chai
Izzy's Rating
3.4/5
- Black Tea: Unknown origin
- Spices: Cloves, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, ginger
- Extras: Flavouring
- Where to Buy: Amazon
T2 do both loose leaf and pyramid tea bags that are equally great quality, so they’re the best masala chai for people who like to brew tea bags. It’s a traditional blend with the usual spices and black tea. Although it doesn’t contain black peppercorns, it does have a hint of ginger for fiery contrast.
The cloves are definitely one of the most dominant spices in this blend, lending a very fragrant aroma to the slightly bitter and deep black tea. Add a generous splash of milk to this one.
I also recommend a generous teaspoon of honey. Swirl it through your milk T2 Chai and you’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes.
6. Pure Leaf Chai Tea
Izzy's Rating
3.2/5
- Black Tea: Ceylon and Kenya
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, pink peppercorn, cloves, black pepper
- Extras: Chicory, marigold petals
- Where to Buy: Amazon
Someone needs to tell Pure Leaf that ‘chai’ means ‘tea’ so naming their blend ‘chai tea’ is really silly! But I expect that no one has got around to changing the name because they’re so busy sipping down this delicious chai.
With pink peppercorns for bite, chicory for richness, and marigold petals to lift it, this is a lovely chai. It’s sold in pyramid teabag format and has this sweet, earthy and fiery flavour that I love. It’s unusual and not a traditional chai, but it really is very flavoursome.
All the tea used for Pure Leaf blends is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified tea estates.
7. IKEA Egented Black Chai with Ginger & Elderberries
Izzy's Rating
3.2/5
- Black Tea: Organic, unknown origins
- Spices: Ginger, cinnamon
- Extras: Elderberries, chilli, natural flavouring
- Where to Buy: IKEA (in-store only)
I picked up this best masala chai on a trip to IKEA! With elderberries and chilli on the ingredients list, it really is an unusual chai… but it’s pretty tasty. The elderberries add a good sweetness, but they’re also pretty sour.
This is not your standard sweet and sticky rich chai blend. I like to sip this one with a lot of milk, despite the fruit content, to smooth down the bitterness of the black tea a little.
IKEA Chai is both organic according to EU standards, and sustainably sourced. So you can drink it with a clear conscience.
8. Zest Tea Spicy Masala Chai
Izzy's Rating
3.2/5
- Black Tea: South Indian
- Spices: Cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves
- Extras: Natural flavouring, tea extract
- Where to Buy: Amazon
Zest Tea uses additional tea extract to boost their caffeine levels up to 3x the levels of standard tea. So this is a chai with a serious energy kick. I also really loved the flavour. It’s one of the smoothest, richest and most indulgent teas from Zest.
High energy tea isn’t for everyone, especially if you are overly sensitive to caffeine. Personally, I can’t drink Zest Spicy Masala Chai in the afternoon or I will be awake all night long.
Regardless, the flavour is lovely. The cinnamon and cardamom are forefront, with smoother notes of ginger and cloves in the background.
9. Adagio Masala Chai
Izzy's Rating
3.2/5
- Black Tea: Ceylon
- Spices: Cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon
- Extras: Natural flavouring
- Where to Buy: Adagio Teas UK
Another traditional chai, albeit with a slightly shorter spice list, from Adagio Teas. Sweet and warming, this blend is quite gentle with mellow spices and fragrance from the cloves dominating overall.
The tea in this blend is from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) rather than India, which is traditional. As a result, the overall body of Adagio Masala Chai is far lighter than it should be. But still, it’s a very pleasant drinking experience and every single sip earned the 3.2 rating in my scoring system.
I brew this tea for up to 10 minutes, which is unusual but so worth it.
10. Teakruthi Cinnamon Chai
Izzy's Rating
2.7/5
- Black Tea: Ruhunu, Ceylon
- Spices: Ceylon cinnamon chips
- Extras: n/a
- Where to Buy: Teakruthi Official Website
Black tea and cinnamon – a simple combination, and yet the flavour is something special! Teakruthi are a tea company based in Sri Lanka, highlighting some of the beautiful produce that their company grows. The cinnamon in this tea is from Sri Lanka too.
As for the flavour, Teakruthi Cinnamon Chai is a simple warming black tea with a soft cinnamon note. The aroma is where it really shines, however, with a sweet and malty note that is just mm, mm, mmmm.
Serve with a generous splash of milk and sweetener of your choice – sugar, honey, or other.
BONUS – Ready-To-Drink Iced Chai
Although I haven’t reviewed Tuk Tuk Chai on the blog at Immortal Wordsmith, I’d be a fool to not mention them here. My Instagram followers already know how much I love this tea!
Ready-to-drink in a small single-serving carton, Tuk Tuk Chai is pre-made and lovely served over ice. My favourite is the Cardamom Chai because it has this slightly cooling and floral aroma that I love. Traditional Masala Chai is also great, however.
You can explore Tuk Tuk Chai on Amazon.