Homemade Iced Chai Foam (Printer-friendly)

Spiced iced chai infused with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, topped with rich cold foam for a creamy finish.

# What You'll 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

→ 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 - Additional ground cinnamon, for dusting (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring 2 cups 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 allow spices to steep for an additional 5 minutes. Strain mixture into a pitcher and stir in honey or maple syrup while warm. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate until chilled.
03 - Using a whisk or milk frother, whip heavy cream, sugar (or honey), and vanilla extract in a small bowl 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 over the chai evenly. Optionally dust with ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like an expensive café drink but costs a fraction of the price, and you'll feel secretly proud serving it.
  • The whole process takes less time than a coffee shop visit, yet somehow feels more luxurious.
  • You control the spice level and sweetness, so it's tailored exactly to your mood that day.
02 -
  • Don't skip straining the spices completely—any particles left behind will continue to steep and make the chai bitter by the next day.
  • Cold cream whips faster than room-temperature cream, so keep yours in the fridge until the exact moment you need it.
  • If your foam deflates quickly, your cream might not have been cold enough or you might not have whipped it quite enough—aim for thick and fluffy, like mousse.
03 -
  • Make a double batch of chai concentrate on Sunday and you'll have this ready to assemble all week long—instant café vibes whenever you want them.
  • If you don't have a milk frother, a regular whisk works just fine, it just takes a couple more minutes of arm effort and honestly that's kind of meditative.
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