Homemade Iced Chai Foam (Printable Version)

A spiced iced chai drink topped with creamy cold foam, perfect for warm days and café-style enjoyment.

# What You Need:

→ Chai Concentrate

01 - 2 cups water
02 - 2 black tea bags
03 - 1 cinnamon stick
04 - 4 whole cloves
05 - 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
06 - 4 black peppercorns
07 - 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
08 - 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, adjusted to taste

→ Cold Foam

09 - 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
10 - 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ To Serve

12 - Ice cubes
13 - Ground cinnamon, for dusting (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add tea bags, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and sliced ginger. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
02 - Remove from heat, discard tea bags, and let spices steep for an additional 5 minutes. Strain into a pitcher and stir in honey or maple syrup while warm. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate until chilled.
03 - Whip cold heavy cream, sugar (or honey), and vanilla extract in a bowl or using a milk frother until thick and foamy but not stiff.
04 - Fill two tall glasses with ice. Pour chilled chai concentrate over ice, filling each glass about two-thirds full.
05 - Spoon cold foam generously over the chai and optionally dust with ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a $7 café drink but costs pennies and takes less time than your commute.
  • The cold foam is genuinely easier to make than you'd think, and it transforms something simple into something that feels indulgent.
  • You can make the chai concentrate ahead and have café-quality drinks ready whenever the craving hits.
02 -
  • Don't skip straining—little bits of ginger and spice sediment at the bottom will ruin the sip experience.
  • The foam works best when your cream is actually cold; it whips faster and holds better than room-temperature cream.
03 -
  • Lightly crushing your cardamom pods instead of smashing them releases the flavor without turning the drink bitter.
  • Keep your cream in the coldest part of the fridge for at least an hour before whipping—it makes all the difference in how quickly and how high it whips.
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