Creamy Vegan Spiced Steamer

Begin your mornings with this creamy spiced steamer. It tastes just like a Chai latte but is caffeine-free, dairy-free, and vegan. Spiced with flavors commonly found in a Chai but unlike many coffee shop Chai lattes, this drink contains no refined sugars. Serve it hot during those cold, chilly mornings or serve it over ice during the hot summer days. Either way, it’s tasty!

This is the drink that I love in the mornings. Or in the afternoon. And I would be completely happy with it in the evenings too.

And it's not coffee.

It's caffeine-free (did I just lose you on that one?) and dairy-free, and it tastes like the creamiest, perfectly spiced Chai latte that your lips will ever touch (but it's not Chai).

I struggled with naming this recipe. I thought about calling it a Caffeine-Free Chai Latte because it mimics many of the flavors commonly found in a Chai (a type of Indian tea) but since it doesn't have tea in it (chai is the Hindi word for tea) I came to terms with myself and I'm admitting that I love drinking what is typically reserved for the kiddos: a Steamer.

This steamer seems more grown-up though. Even though my daughter is sitting here drinking it with me.

What is a steamer?

A steamer is a hot, milk-based beverage that typically has a flavored syrup added to it. So basically milk loaded with a ton of refined sugar masking as your favorite drink flavor.

And kids love them. At least mine do. They think their mom is unaware that I've just given them permission to order sugar-laced milk at the local café while they try to pawn it off as "just warm milk, Mom". The sugar milk's after-effect makes for interesting car rides home.

Recipe ingredients

For this healthier steamer, we're kicking refined sugars to the curb, adding in some warming spices and vanilla for some tasty flavor, and making it ridiculously dreamy and creamy by using oat milk and some soaked cashews. 8 ingredients are all that is needed.

• Unsweetened oat milk: If you've never tried oat milk, this is the perfect recipe to try it out in! It has a mild nutty flavor but also has a bit of natural sweetness. Out of all of the non-dairy milk on the market, I would say that oat milk compares the closest to cow's milk. But if you're still not convinced to try it, you can sub in your favorite milk for this recipe.
• Dates: Nutrient-rich, an awesome natural sweetener, and just plain healthy. If you'd like your steamer sweeter, add an extra date. If you'd like it less sweet, use fewer dates.
  P.S. Don't forget to remove the date pits. 😉
• Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom: These spices turn this drink into something that tastes like a Chai latte. If you'd like your drink to more closely resemble a spicy Chai, add some finely ground black pepper to the mix as well.
• Raw cashews: Roasted cashews would also work but I would steer away from any cashews that are salted as the salt could be a bit overpowering in this drink.

Step by step instructions

Step 1: Soak a handful of cashews in a bowl of super hot water for 15 minutes. This makes them soft which ultimately contributes to the wonderful creaminess of the steamer.

Step 2: Heat the oat milk (or your favorite kind of milk), vanilla, spices, and dates in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Step 3: Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender.

Step 4: Blend until it's smooth and creamy. Then pour it into your favorite mug. Maybe add a dash of cinnamon on top. And enjoy your morning with this cozy mug of Mmmm.

Recipe tips

• There are two ways to soak the cashews. The slow way: Put the cashews in a bowl of water and let them soak overnight or up to 8 hours. The fast way: Bring a teapot or a pot of water to a boil. Pour the hot water over the bowl of cashews and let it soak for 15 minutes.
• Customize to your flavor mood. If you like your chai-flavored steamer a little more on the spicy side try adding in some finely ground black pepper. If you like it sweeter, add another date or maybe a little more vanilla. You can also increase or decrease any of the spices in this recipe to your liking!
• Switch things up and serve it cold. If you're not in the mood for a hot beverage, serve it over ice (similar to an Iced Chai Latte) or blend it with ice to turn it into a frappé.
• Invest in a high-speed blender. I used to own a $20 blender but it never really quite did the job at blending well. And if I wanted to make a smoothie, that just turned into a game of how many times I had to turn it on and off to get it unstuck. If you are able to save a little bit each month toward a high-speed blender it's well worth it, not just for making this Chai-like steamer super creamy but for making superbly creamy soups like this butternut squash soup and this roasted red pepper tomato basil soup. Here's the high-speed blender I use.

Recipe FAQs

The perfect cozy beverage.

Perfect for those of us who can't tolerate caffeine (like me) or for those who want to cut back on refined sugar (me again) but still crave that creamy hot mug of joy (meeeee....and you?!). ♡

More tasty recipes to kickstart your morning!

• Berry Overnight Oats just 5 minutes to prep and an overnight stay in the fridge
• Baked Frittata with sausage, kale, and sun-dried tomato pesto
• Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Hash with baked eggs and romesco
• Kaiserschmarrn with Roasted Berries a fluffy, shredded German pancake

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