If you’re like me, you were already topping an iced Starbucks Chai Latte with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam. But come fall season and the release of the PSL, I love switching out the vanilla for Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam. It’s the ultimate drink with all the fall vibes, and a great alternative for non-coffee lovers. And now you don’t have to custom order a Chai Latte with Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam! Starbucks added it as a fall menu item in 2023 since it was such a popular combo.
Why make this Recipe?
Nothing beats making chai concentrate at home. I personally could not stand the strong cinnamon flavor of bottled chai concentrate when I ordered this drink. It completely overpowers the pumpkin cold foam and had me making unflattering faces in public. I prefer to make my own homemade chai concentrate that’s tailored to my liking! Once you have the ingredients, you can make it dozens of times and start to cut costs. The pumpkin cream cold foam is even easier to make at home than you think. Just a few ingredients and an electric frother and you’ll be skipping the trip to Starbucks!
What is an Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte?
According to the Starbucks site, it’s “a rich and creamy Iced Chai Tea Latte—a blend of black tea infused with cinnamon, other warming spices and milk, topped with a sweet pumpkin cream cold foam and a dusting of pumpkin spice topping.” You can read more about what a Chai Latte is. The main ingredients for the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte as the following: INGREDIENTS: Milk, Ice, Pumpkin Spice Cream, Chai Tea Concentrate, Pumpkin Spice Topping
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
I’ve significantly simplified the recipe for an easy-to-make dupe at home that’s going to save you quite a bit of money over time once you have the ingredients!
Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam
Cream - Use heavy whipping cream or half and half, but heavy whipping cream will whip up the best and give the cold foam the structure to sit at the top of the drink. Milk - Starbucks uses a non-fat milk for their cold foam because it has a larger percentage of protein. The resulting foam is robust with larger bubbles, and holds up better than hot foam with micro-bubbles that we see with lattes. Just about any milk, including plant-based milks, will work but not as well as a non-fat dairy-based milk. Sweetened Condensed Milk - Instead of using condensed skim milk, something which I’ve never seen in a grocery store, we’re using sweetened condensed milk. You can also use plain condensed milk and add more or less sugar based off of preference. Pumpkin Puree - Don’t purchase pumpkin pie filling, you’ll want plain canned pumpkin puree. You can also make your own pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkin. I personally think this is a great recipe if you have some leftover canned pumpkin puree from other recipes. Some people enjoy more than 1 tablespoon for more pumpkin flavoring. Pumpkin spice - Use a store-bought pumpkin spice blend or make your own. Starbucks makes their pumpkin spice with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Vanilla Extract / Vanilla Syrup - For the cold brew, use any bottled brand of vanilla syrup, i.e. Starbucks, Torani, Monin, etc. It’s also really easy to make vanilla syrup at home with vanilla extract, sugar, and water. For this recipe, mix 1 teaspoon of both sugar and hot water and a dash of high quality vanilla extract. For the cold foam, since we’re using sweetened condensed milk it doesn’t need extra sugar. I recommend using vanilla extract instead.
Chai Latte
Chai Concentrate - I always use my homemade chai concentrate recipe, but store-bought works just fine. Milk - Use any milk or milk alternative you like. I prefer whole milk for chai.
How to Make an Iced Chai Latte with Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam
Tip: Cold foams are best for cold drink. But you can easily make a hot chai latte and mix the pumpkin cream cold foam ingredients into a sauce and pour that into the chai. Then you’ll have a rich and creamy pumpkin chai latte!
Storage Instructions
To store leftover cold foam, keep it in a mason jar with an airtight lid. When ready to use again, you can shake the mason vigorously, use a portable frother, a mini whisk, etc.
Variations
If you’re a fan of the Dirty Chai Latte, add up to two shots of espresso for an extra kick. I also love a Chai Latte with plain Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam during the warmer seasons. A Chai Latte has caffeine in it, but you can make the chai concentrate at home with decaf tea bags.
More Starbucks Dupes to try
Recipe
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