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This warm chai smoothie recipe is a cozy twist on the classic green smoothie, perfect for chilly mornings when you crave something comforting yet nourishing. Inspired by traditional masala chai, it blends warming spices, creamy coconut milk, leafy green vegetables, and naturally sweet fruit into a smooth, sippable drink.
If you’re looking for a warm smoothie that supports energy, digestion, and focus—without giving up your daily greens—this chai smoothie is an easy, delicious way to start your day.
Table of Contents
Warm Chai Smoothie Ingredients
- Chai tea: A warm and aromatic base with bold notes of spices like cinnamon and cloves. Brew strong chai tea for the best flavor, or use pre-made chai concentrate (unsweetened) for convenience.
- Coconut milk: A rich, creamy, dairy-free option that brings a subtle tropical flavor. Opt for canned full-fat coconut milk for extra creaminess or carton versions for a lighter touch. Feeling adventurous? Make coconut milk using coconut flakes.
- Spinach: A mild leafy green that blends seamlessly into smoothies, adding a vibrant color and a hint of earthy flavor. Look for fresh, crisp leaves in the produce section. If you have extra spinach, you might like my best green smoothie recipe.
- Pear: Naturally sweet and refreshing, pears add a smooth, juicy texture. Choose ripe pears with a slight give when pressed gently for the best flavor.
- Spices: A blend of cinnamon and fresh ginger root adds depth and complexity to the smoothie. Fresh ginger offers a zesty kick, while ground cinnamon and cardamom bring warmth and subtle sweetness.
- Banana: A creamy, naturally sweet addition that balances the flavors. Use fresh for a lighter smoothie or learn how to freeze bananas at home for extra thickness and chill.
- Collagen peptides: Adding collagen peptides boosts protein without affecting flavor or texture. The added protein helps balance fruit sugars for steadier energy and fullness, while collagen’s amino acids support skin, hair, nails, and joint health—making this smoothie both refreshing and functional.
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How to Make A Warm Chai Smoothie
Warm smoothies are very similar to cold ones, with just a few tweaks. Here’s how I like to blend them:
- Soak the chai tea bag in hot water for 5 minutes.
- Remove the tea bag and transfer tea to a blender.
- Puree the spinach, tea, ginger root, pear and coconut milk until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender.
- Blend again until fully smooth.
- Pour the smoothie into a mug and enjoy! If it isn’t warm enough, microwave until it reaches your desired temperature.
Recipe Tips
- Vegan? Swap collagen peptides for my homemade protein powder to enhance the smoothie’s nutrition without adding additional sweeteners and gums.
- Want it sweeter? Add 1-2 medjool dates— these soft, caramel-like dates are a perfect natural sweetener. Look for plump, fresh dates in the produce or bulk section. Don’t forget to remove the pits.
- How hot? You can use hot tea while blending if your blender container is heat-proof. Vent the lid to avoid spills when blending hot liquids. If your blender has a soup setting, you don’t have to warm liquids before hand.
- New to smoothies? If you don’t have one of my recommender blenders for smoothies, make sure to explore my how to make a smoothie guide to get tips for blending.
Ingredient Swaps
- Swap chai tea: Trade chai tea for your favorite flavor of black tea.
- Swap coconut milk: Use light canned coconut milk or carton coconut milk instead of full-fat for a lower-fat option.
- Make it cold: This chai smoothie is equally delicious chilled, so if you aren’t ready for a warm smoothie then make it cold! Throw it over ice for the perfect frosty drink.
- Make room temperature: Feel free to drink this chai smoothie at room temp instead of heating it. I’ve had readers tell me they often drink room temp smoothies during the winter, and that’s great!
More Warm Smoothie Recipes
Put down that cold brew coffee and get ready to jump into seasonal flavors and produce with warm smoothie recipes. I love switching up my drink routine with a fresh set of fruits and veggies, and these recipes usher in cooler weather in just the right way.
- Warm Wassail Drink: A cozy, spiced blend of apples, citrus, and warming spices that feels like a hug in a mug. Perfect for cold days when you want something festive and comforting.
- Warm Hot Chocolate Smoothie: Rich, creamy, and chocolatey with a nourishing twist. This warm smoothie satisfies sweet cravings while still delivering wholesome ingredients.
- Warm Apple Pie Smoothie: All the cozy flavors of apple pie—soft apples, cinnamon, and spice—blended into a warm, creamy drink that’s perfect for breakfast or dessert.
- Butternut Squash Smoothie: Smooth, subtly sweet, and naturally creamy with fall-inspired flavor. A comforting way to enjoy veggies in a warm, sippable form.
What’s your go-to hot beverage to warm you up during the cooler weather? Drop a comment below and let me know what I should be drinking this winter! And if you’re interested in more plant-based recipes (and exclusive content), sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter.
Warm Chai Smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 chai tea bag
- ½ cup spinach
- 1 pear cored and peeled
- ¼ inch ginger root
- ½ cup coconut milk warmed
- ½ banana
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 serving collagen peptides
Instructions
- Place chai tea bag in hot water for 5 minutes. Squeeze tea bag to extract most liquid and toss bag.
- Blend tea, spinach, pear, gingerroot and coconut milk on high speed until smooth.
- Next, add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. If using collagen, add last and blend on low.
- Pour into a mug and enjoy. If it's not warm enough, microwave until desired temperature.
Helpful Tools
Notes
- Use caution when blending hot ingredients. Be sure to vent the lid so the liquid doesn’t leak and splatter. Blend on low speed, working up to high speed until smooth.
- Collagen peptides add protein to this smoothie. If you don’t have it, you can leave out or add in 2 tablespoons raw cashews for a protein boost.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
Yes. You can easily make this chai smoothie caffeine-free by using a decaf chai tea bag or an herbal chai blend. You’ll still get the warm spices and cozy flavor without the caffeine.
This chai smoothie is designed to be enjoyed warm. Blending warm chai tea and warmed coconut milk creates a comforting, mug-friendly smoothie that’s perfect for chilly mornings.
No. The spinach blends in seamlessly and doesn’t overpower the chai smoothie flavor. The spices, pear, banana, and coconut milk are what you’ll taste most.
This chai smoothie is best enjoyed fresh and warm. If needed, you can blend it ahead and gently reheat before serving, but the flavor and texture are best right after blending.
Collagen peptides add protein without changing the taste or texture of the chai smoothie. They help balance the natural sugars from fruit and support fullness and steady energy.
Yes. You can use another non-dairy milk if needed, but coconut milk gives this chai smoothie its rich, creamy texture and complements the warm spices best.
This chai smoothie is gently spiced, not overpowering. The chai tea and cinnamon provide warmth and depth without heat, making it comforting and well-balanced. You can omit the ginger root if you want it more mild.
I came across this recipe while doing the salad challenge. It was amazing and I printed out this recipe to make many more times! The pear and chai spices mixed so well and serving warm is bonus for comfort!
Swapped oat milk in for the coconut milk and it was lovely!
Mine came out gross – but I didn’t use the Protein Boost that was recommended I used another one. Mine was vanilla, Protein Boost is unflavored. So maybe that was it 🙂
Delicious recipe. Never tried a warm smoothie before. It came out a bit thin for my aesthetic, so I’ll probably cut the liquid in half next time. Thank you!
Cutting the liquid in 1/2 is a great idea here Jana. You can also try adding a bit of avocado or cauliflower to thicken it as well. Happy blending!
This was a lot more tasty than expected. I used green jasmine tea. Used 2 small apples as I didn’t have any pears and left out the dates as I didn’t have those either. I used double the spinach just for the health benefits because I don’t think the spinach really adds or takes away from any of the other flavors. I tend to cut down on smoothies during cold weather, but now will be using this a lot.
A lot of benefit from green tea.
Yes, there absolutely is! When I’m making this smoothie, though, I like to use brewed chai tea to elevate the taste of the chai spices.
Yum, this tasted great and is such a good alternative to cold smoothies.
I agree, Brook! And a great alternative to regular chai lattes, also.
Loved this recipe. Great to be able to eat raw, but still get it hot. Usually I only make cold smoothies, and have never used spices as much as in this one, but it worked really well together!
Thank you Jess! I am so happy that you enjoyed this warm smoothie 🙂
Hi, Jen! Thanks for sharing – this one is delicious! 🙂
A warm smoothie it’s something I have occasionally if I’m cold and want a warm breakfast. Here is my recipe: I’ll whiz up some banana, a little bran or oats, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of cocoa powder in a blender with enough milk to make it smooth, then top off with some warm milk and stir up to blend – I find doing it that way is better because it lessens the risk of warm milk exploding out of the blender.
Thanks for sharing what works best for you!!
Hi Jen,
This is a wonderful recipe. I loved this so much that I featured it in my best of post 11 Warm Smoothies For Winter.
I have not shared the exact recipe, only one image from here, a small quote and all credits given to you and linked back to this page.
Have a fantastic day!
Katherine from GreenThickies.com
How well do you think these warm smoothies would hold up if made ahead of time – how long would they keep
Hey Kate,
You can keep your smoothie in your refrigerator up to 2 days in an air tight container. I would just put it on the stove and warm it up for a couple minutes whenever you are ready to have it 🙂
Could I use homemade almond milk instead of coconut milk to save some money ?
Hi Kate,
Of course! Have you tried our DIY Almond Milk recipe? Check it out here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/diy-almond-milk
Interested in smoothies great to use for the winter
Hi Kym.
Our warm smoothies are a great pick-me-up when the weather gets chilly. I hope you love these recipes!!
Warm smoothies? Interesting – definitively going to blend one of these up!
Hi Craig,
They’re so yummy! And perfect when you’re craving something to warm your belly! Reach back out + let me know what you think!
OMG! This recipe is so good. I was never a big fan of chai, but this smoothie changed my mind about it completely. Thank you!
Hi Sam,
YAY!! Cheers to giving this recipe a try! 🙂
I’ve tried the cold version. Excellent!
I think I’ll try it with chai tea as liquid base 🙂
Rawesome, Estelle!
This WARM GREEN SMOOTHIE is looks really great! This recipe gives me an excuse to trying it! Thanks for share..
You’re so welcome, Ellie! Reach back out + let us know what you think!
Awesome! I’m Really looking for the green smoothie chai tea. thanks for publish this article…
You’re so welcome, Evie! Reach back out and let us know what you think!!
I am looking for the pear chai recipe, with ground cardamom.
Hi Sandi!
This is the one! Scroll up to view the recipe :). Enjoy!
This is a great article and has totally inspired me to look at some of the ingredients I’m using!
Thanks Tyler! Happy blendin’!