Forget $7 coffee lines. This is your at-home, fall-in-a-cup power move. Spiced chai, ice-cold and smooth, topped with a lush pumpkin cold foam that tastes like the first day of sweater weather.
It’s the kind of drink that makes your kitchen smell like a candle store and your inbox feel less offensive. Quick to make, fancy to sip, and wildly photogenic. Want a treat that’s both chill and festive?
This is it.
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What Makes This Recipe So Good
This iced chai nails the balance: warm spices meet cool refreshment. You get the cinnamon–cardamom kick without the sugar crash, and the pumpkin cold foam adds café-level luxury in 90 seconds. The secret?
A strong chai base and just-sweet-enough foam that floats, not sinks.
It’s also ultra-flexible. Dairy-free? Easy.
Low-sugar? Done. Want it extra frothy?
We’ve got tricks. And yes, it tastes like a fall festival minus the $12 hayride.
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Ingredients
- Chai base:
- 2 chai tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose-leaf chai)
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup or brown sugar (optional, to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but highly recommended)
- Milk for the iced chai:
- 3/4 cup milk of choice (whole, 2%, oat, almond, or coconut)
- Pumpkin cold foam:
- 1/3 cup cold heavy cream (or barista oat cream for dairy-free)
- 2 tablespoons cold milk (any)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
- 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup or simple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Optional: 1–2 teaspoons vanilla syrup for a café-style touch
- To serve:
- Ice
- Extra pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon for dusting
How to Make It – Instructions
- Steep the chai strong. Add tea bags to a mug, pour in 3/4 cup boiling water, and steep 5–7 minutes. Stronger = better over ice.
Remove bags and stir in sweetener and vanilla, if using. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Chill it quickly. Pop the chai in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. You want it cool so it doesn’t melt the ice instantly.
Pro move: Make a double batch and keep it in a jar for 2–3 days.
- Build your glass. Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the cooled chai and top with 3/4 cup milk. Stir.
Taste and adjust sweetness. Aim for balanced spice and slight sweetness.
- Make the pumpkin cold foam. In a small cup, add heavy cream, milk, pumpkin purée, syrup, pumpkin spice, salt, and optional vanilla syrup. Use a handheld frother 15–25 seconds until thick and pourable, like melted soft serve.
No frother? Shake in a jar hard for 45–60 seconds.
- Top and finish. Gently spoon or pour the pumpkin foam over the iced chai. Dust with a pinch of spice.
Snap a pic (obviously), then sip.
Preservation Guide
- Chai concentrate: Brew a larger batch (4–5x) and store in a sealed jar in the fridge up to 3 days. Sweeten after brewing for best flavor.
- Pumpkin cold foam: Best fresh. If needed, mix and store up to 24 hours in the fridge; re-froth briefly before using.
Foam will deflate a bit, but it perks back up.
- Pumpkin purée: Leftover can be portioned into ice cube trays and frozen for 2–3 months. Thaw a cube for your next drink.
- Ice strategy: If you hate dilution, make “chai ice” with leftover concentrate and use those instead of regular ice. You’re welcome.
Health Benefits
- Spice power: Chai spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom are linked with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
They also make your kitchen smell like a bakery, which isn’t medical but feels therapeutic.
- Pumpkin perks: Pumpkin purée offers fiber, vitamin A, and potassium. It’s basically fall’s multivitamin in disguise.
- Controlled sweetness: By making it at home, you can keep sugars moderate. Swap in maple syrup or a zero-cal sweetener if that’s your vibe.
- Custom dairy: Choose whole milk for richness and satiety, or oat/almond for lighter calories.
Barista-style oat milk foams surprisingly well, FYI.
Don’t Make These Errors
- Under-steeping the chai. Weak chai gets lost under ice and foam. Go bold or go home.
- Using pumpkin pie filling. It’s pre-sweetened and spiced and will throw your flavors off. You want 100% pumpkin purée.
- Over-foaming to whipped cream. If the foam is too stiff, it won’t cascade beautifully.
Aim for thick but pourable.
- Skipping the salt. A tiny pinch in the foam rounds sweetness and makes the spice pop. Invisible but essential.
- Hot chai over ice. Melts everything, dilutes flavor, ruins vibes. Cool it first.
Mix It Up
- Dirty chai. Add 1 shot of espresso into the glass before the foam.
It’s like turning your drink into a productivity cheat code.
- Maple-brown sugar twist. Use 1 teaspoon maple and 1 teaspoon brown sugar in the foam for caramel notes.
- Coconut cream foam. Use coconut cream plus a splash of coconut milk for a dairy-free tropical hug. Add a micro-grate of nutmeg.
- Extra-spicy version. Simmer the chai with a slice of fresh ginger and a cracked peppercorn or two. Spice nerds unite.
- Protein boost. Whisk 1 tablespoon unflavored or vanilla whey into the milk before pouring.
Froth lightly so it doesn’t go gloopy, IMO.
- Sugar-light. Use 1/2 teaspoon maple in the foam and skip sweetener in the chai. Still indulgent, just smarter.
FAQ
Can I make this without a frother?
Yes. Put the foam ingredients in a mason jar with a tight lid and shake like you mean it for 45–60 seconds.
You can also use a French press: plunge up and down 20–30 times until thick.
What tea brand works best?
Use a robust chai with real spices. Twinings, Tazo, Stash, and Trader Joe’s are easy finds; for loose-leaf, look for blends with visible cardamom pods and cloves. The stronger the spice, the better it stands up to ice and foam.
How do I make it vegan?
Swap dairy milk for oat or almond and make the foam with barista oat cream or full-fat coconut milk.
Sweeten with maple or agave. Froth a bit longer to achieve a creamy texture.
Is the caffeine high?
It’s moderate—similar to a strong black tea. If you add an espresso shot (dirty chai), you’ll bump it up.
Sensitive? Use decaf chai; the flavor still slaps.
Can I prep the foam in advance?
You can mix the ingredients and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then froth just before serving. Fully frothed foam loses volume over time, so whip at the last minute for best texture.
How do I prevent the foam from sinking?
Keep the foam cold and thick, and make sure your chai is chilled with lots of ice.
A 2:1 cream-to-milk ratio in the foam helps it float and cascade gracefully.
Can I use pumpkin spice syrup instead of purée?
Yes, but you’ll lose some body and the real pumpkin flavor. If using syrup, reduce or skip additional sweetener and add a dash of extra cinnamon for depth.
In Conclusion
This Iced Chai with Pumpkin Cold Foam is the fall drink you’ll remake on autopilot: bold, creamy, spiced, and totally customizable. It’s quick enough for weekday mornings and fancy enough for weekend flexing.
Make the strong chai, whip the plush foam, and watch the layers swirl like a mini autumn storm in your glass. Cozy season, upgraded—no coffee chain required.
Printable Recipe Card
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