Better Buzz is a small-roast coffee chain based out of San Diego. Known for their craft coffee and specialty blends, it’s quickly become a beloved favorite whether you drink coffee, tea, or both.

I’m a self-professed chai snob and I feel like it’s really hard to find a good one, let alone one that is consistently good. Better Buzz has a really nice vanilla chai. It’s more sweet than spicy, but not overly sweet. I’m trying to make coffee shops more of a treat than an everyday staple, so I’m very grateful to have learned what chai mix Better Buzz uses so I can make the perfect chai at home.

I personally use a mix of hot water and Malk almond milk for the hot chai, as it’s perfectly creamy without being too heavy, but you can use any milk you prefer. For the iced chai, I only use water and find it’s still rich in flavor, rather than tasting watered down like some coffee shop chais can be.

And as far as sweetness goes, if you order in the app you may notice that you can get it 1/4 or 1/3 or 1/2 sweet - that really just affects the amount of powder you use (confirmed by baristas). Better Buzz just uses powder (no syrups) so the “sweetness” (and vanilla flavor) is combined with chai powder so you can’t split them up. So if you want a less sweet version at home, just use less powder.

better buzz chai tea latte recipe

iced chai tea latte

ingredients

Makes one 12oz chai tea latte

6 tablespoons (1.5 scoops) Mocafé vanilla chai powder
6 oz warm water
4 oz cold water
Ice

to prepare:

Add the Mocafé chai powder to 6 oz of warm water and stir until dissolved.
Next, add 4 oz of the cold water and then stir again.
Pour over ice (or add ice to your cup) and enjoy.

hot chai tea latte

ingredients

Makes one 12oz chai tea latte

6 tablespoons (1.5 scoops) Mocafé vanilla chai powder
10 oz warm/hot water or milk

to prepare:

Add the Mocafé chai powder to the hot water (or milk) and stir until fully mixed.
Enjoy immediately, as the powder will sink to the bottom if stored for later.