Homemade Iced Chai Cold Foam (Printable)

A refreshing spiced chai chilled with ice and topped with creamy cold foam for warm days.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chai Concentrate

01 - 16 fl oz 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, adjust 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 Steps:

01 - Bring 16 fl oz of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add tea bags, cinnamon stick, 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 the mixture 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 using a whisk or milk frother until thick and foamy but not stiff.
04 - Fill two tall glasses with ice cubes. 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 café masterpiece but costs a fraction of the price, and honestly, yours will be better.
  • The cold foam makes you feel fancy without any pretension—it's just cream you whipped yourself.
  • Once you have the chai concentrate ready, you can make a perfect drink in literally two minutes whenever the mood strikes.
02 -
  • Don't skip the second five-minute steep after removing from heat—this is when the cardamom and cloves really open up and transform from sharp to rounded and complex.
  • Ice melts, so make sure your concentrate is actually cold before building your drink, or you'll end up with chai soup instead of the crisp, refreshing thing you're craving.
03 -
  • Crush your cardamom pods just slightly with the side of your knife before adding them—this releases the seeds and intensifies the flavor without losing them to the strainer.
  • If you don't have a milk frother, a mason jar with a tight lid and two minutes of vigorous shaking gets you foam that's nearly as good, and it's oddly satisfying.
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