Does Chai Tea Have Caffeine? (Chai vs Chai Latte vs Coffee)

Does chai have caffeine? Yes, when it is made with black tea; herbal versions can be caffeine-free. How much ends up in your cup depends on how much tea goes in, how it is brewed and what format you buy: loose tea, a carton of concentrate or a powdered mix. Here is what each one contains, how chai compares with coffee and what to choose if you want less.

Quick answer

• Traditional chai contains caffeine. It is black tea brewed with spices. The European Food Safety Authority uses about 50 mg for a 220 mL cup of black tea as a guideline value. That describes plain black tea, not every masala chai.
• A chai latte made from that tea, or from a caffeinated concentrate, also contains caffeine. Milk does not remove it.
• Herbal “chai” can be caffeine-free if nothing in the blend contains caffeine, for example a rooibos and spice base.
• Decaf is not zero. Decaffeinated tea keeps a small residual amount.

Does Chai Have Caffeine in Every Form?

“Chai” is a family of drinks, not one recipe, so the caffeine in chai tea changes with the format.

• Brewed chai is black tea simmered or steeped with spices, usually with milk and sugar. The tea leaves are the only caffeine source, so more tea or a longer brew can mean more caffeine.
• A chai latte is a strong spiced tea or concentrate topped up with hot or frothed milk. The caffeine comes from the tea part.
• Concentrate is pre-brewed spiced tea sold in cartons and mixed with milk. Each brand chooses its own tea, strength and dilution.
• Powdered mixes usually contain instant tea, sugar and milk powder. The amount per serving can be higher or lower than a concentrate from the same brand.

The table below separates food-safety agencies’ reference values from manufacturers’ product figures. Serving definitions differ, so these are not all like-for-like cups.

Drink or form	Serving or preparation	Caffeine	Source
Brewed black tea (the usual chai base)	Serving or preparation1 cup, 220 mL	CaffeineAbout 50 mg	SourceEFSA guideline value
Brewed black tea	Serving or preparation12 fl oz (355 mL)	CaffeineAbout 71 mg	SourceUS FDA
Oregon Chai Original Chai Tea Latte Concentrate (US site)	Serving or preparationMaker lists 6 fl oz (180 mL); concentrate-versus-prepared serving basis not clarified. Mixing instructions: equal parts with milk.	Caffeine19 mg per listed serving, as reported by the manufacturer	SourceOregon Chai product page
Oregon Chai Original Dry Chai Latte Mix (US site)	Serving or preparation3 tbsp (42 g) powder; water amount not given on the page	Caffeine114 mg per serving	SourceOregon Chai product page
Oregon Chai Caffeine Free Chai Tea Latte Concentrate (rooibos)	Serving or preparationOne serving, mixed equal parts with milk	Caffeine0 mg per serving	SourceOregon Chai product page
Espresso	Serving or preparation60 mL	CaffeineAbout 80 mg	SourceEFSA guideline value
Filter coffee	Serving or preparation1 cup, 200 mL	CaffeineAbout 90 mg	SourceEFSA guideline value

Sources for the table: EFSA’s caffeine guidelines; the US FDA consumer article Spilling the Beans (12 fl oz values); Oregon Chai’s product pages for the Original concentrate, the Original Dry Chai Latte Mix and the Caffeine Free concentrate.

Oregon Chai reports 19 mg per listed serving for its Original concentrate and 114 mg per 42 g for its Original powder. These are different serving definitions, not a comparison of equal-sized finished drinks. The concentrate page does not clarify whether its 6 fl oz serving means concentrate or prepared latte. Check the serving and preparation instructions on your carton before using that figure to estimate your drink.

Chai vs Coffee

Compare similar cup sizes. On EFSA’s guideline values, a 220 mL cup of black tea has about 50 mg and a slightly smaller 200 mL cup of filter coffee about 90 mg. The FDA’s 12 fl oz figures point the same way: about 71 mg for black tea and 113 to 247 mg for regular brewed coffee.

So a cup of tea-based chai usually has less caffeine than a cup of brewed coffee of a similar size. It is not a rule, though. A large chai can beat a small coffee, and the Oregon Chai powder above lists more caffeine per serving than EFSA’s cup of filter coffee. Check the label and the size of what you are drinking. For the wider picture across tea types, see our guide to caffeine in tea vs coffee.

Dirty Chai: Tea Plus Espresso

A dirty chai is a chai latte with espresso added, so its caffeine is whatever the chai supplies plus whatever the espresso adds. Shot sizes vary a lot between cafés and machines, so “one shot” is not a fixed dose.

For a rough idea, add EFSA’s two guideline values: about 50 mg for a 220 mL cup of black tea plus about 80 mg for a 60 mL espresso comes to about 130 mg. That is an estimate from generic values, not a measurement of any particular dirty chai. Our dirty chai latte recipe uses a smaller homemade chai base and a double shot measured by weight, and its exact caffeine has not been measured.

A dirty chai has more caffeine than the same chai without the espresso.

Lower-Caffeine Options

• Use less of the caffeinated part. Less tea, or less concentrate or powder per cup, means less total caffeine.
• Choose a decaf tea product. Twinings’ US FAQ notes that decaffeinated teas still contain residual caffeine, so decaf is low rather than none.
• Choose a verified caffeine-free base. Oregon Chai’s Caffeine Free concentrate swaps black tea for rooibos and lists 0 mg per serving. Before calling any blend caffeine-free, read the whole ingredient list: black, green or white tea, yerba mate and guarana all contain caffeine.
• Skip the espresso in a dirty chai, or use decaf espresso, which still has a little caffeine.

One common mix-up: adding more milk or water makes each sip less concentrated, but if you drink the whole mug you still get all the caffeine that was in the tea. To lower the total, use a smaller amount of the caffeinated base or replace it with a lower-caffeine or caffeine-free option.

Chai Caffeine FAQ

For more tea guides, from black tea basics to herbal blends, visit our tea hub.