This post has been sponsored by Wholesome. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Iced Dirty Chai (Vegan, Paleo, Sugar Free)
The first time I ever had a dirty chai, it was in response to my indecisiveness. A friend was coming to drop off or pick up some sort of weighted baby sleep suit that makes all the infants look like sumo wrestlers, and she wanted to bring me something from the coffee shop to say thanks. I told her whatever was fine and forgot about it.
She showed up at my door with something I’d never heard of before: the dirty chai, AKA pure kismet for this chai-obsessive, iced coffee lover who’s obsessed with flavor and warmth and just the right amount of sweetness. I fell in love instantly. Have you ever had an iced dirty chai? Here’s the deal: it’s a chai latte with a shot or two of espresso. It’s all the richness of a masala chai (Since chai simply means tea in Hindi [and Hebrew for that matter]) with all the kick necessary for a newborn mama. Iced, it stays rich and indulgent and spiced and lovely. Perfectly sweetened, not syrupy, and somehow both warm and refreshing. There’s so, so much iced dirty chai love over here. But since I don’t make it to my local coffee shops too terribly often, I knew I had to come up with one at home. And I wanted to clean up my iced dirty chai while I was at it! Because almost every iced dirty chai out there has plenty of sugar and loads of milk, which, eating a 90% (ish… Heavy on the ish since I’ve gotten pregnant) paleo diet, isn’t always what I’m after in a pick-me-up. Here to save the day? Wholesome Organic Stevia. I’ve been a stevia fan for years and am absolutely wild about Wholesome’s organic, low calorie, zero glycemic index sweetener. It tastes fantastic and leaves me feeling super light (Well, as light as one gets when pregnant with their second child), plus it’s super easy to use and dissolve in drinks, too. I’m trying to be as mindful of my sugar intake as I can this pregnancy, so Wholesome Organic Stevia is the perfect option for me. Learn more about Wholesome here! Wholesome also has an Ibotta offer (click here) and you can check out more Wholesome Organic Stevia recipes to get inspired. Two other little hacks that make this iced dirty chai super easy: It uses chai tea bags and cold brew. While I love a fresh shot of espresso in my iced dirty chai latte, let’s be real: I’m not pulling out the espresso maker (Where even is it!) for one or two drinks. Nope, cold brew all day instead. And when it comes to the chai tea latte part of the drink, I tested so many different options! I ran authentic spices through the coffee maker to give things a truly Indian flavor profile with some Western convenience, but the spices didn’t come through as much as I wanted. Then I steeped the same spices on the stovetop and still, it wasn’t as good or as iced dirty chai-y as when I used chai tea bags. I’m not going to fight it – that makes it easier than ever to whip up an iced dirty chai at home, right?! This iced dirty chai is vegan, paleo, and sugar-free, suitable for diabetics. It’s also super easy, refreshing, and rich, so I’m pretty sure you’re about to fall madly in love. Fair warning!
