Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte

Did you know it’s easy to make a copycat of Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte at home for a fraction of the cost? Keep reading for the recipe!

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About two months ago I tried something new at Starbucks and it was the stuff dreams are made of, at least to me. I know not everyone is a pumpkin spice fan, but I’m your basic fall kind of girl and I eat it up. Literally.

I got the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte and oh man was it delicious! The thing is, I don’t go to Starbucks that often. But I knew I wanted this iced latte to play a significant role in my autumnal plans this year. So there was only one thing to do: create a copycat recipe I could make at home.

After much trial and error, which was not that much of a sacrifice, I have come up with what I feel is a pretty close approximation to the real thing. The only thing I couldn’t quite get the same is the color. I’m convinced that they add some kind of artificial orange color to their pumpkin cream because I just couldn’t replicate that part. But the taste? Delicious.

P.S. If you aren’t in the mood for an iced chai drink, this warm Carmel Vanilla Chai Latte might hit the spot instead!

How to make an Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte

It’s a two-step process, so you do have to plan ahead a little bit. The first step is to make the chai tea base. I do this by steeping two chai tea bags in one cup of very hot water for about 10 minutes. Then I remove the tea bags, stir in sugar and cream, and let that chill for at least half an hour. Coffee or teas like this one are often my after lunch treat so sometimes I’ll go ahead and do this part first thing in the morning so it’s all ready to go in the afternoon.

Step two is to make the pumpkin cream and assemble your drink. Now, I’m sure there are fancier ways of making the cream but I’m not fancy so I’ll just share with you how I do it. If you want to throw yours in the blender or try a milk frother, go for it! It will probably work great but just know that I haven’t tried it because I make mine with a really high-tech…mason jar.

That’s right, friends, I just put the pumpkin, cream, sugar, vanilla, and spices into a half-pint mason jar, put a lid on it, and shake until it gets a little thick. It takes a minute or two but it makes me feel like I’ve earned the calories since my arm gets a little tired.

Once you’ve got your cream the rest comes together really fast. Pour the chai mixture over ice and top it with the pumpkin cream. If you’re feeling extra you can add a dash of cinnamon to the top to garnish your homemade fancy drink (highly recommended).

And that’s it! Now you can enjoy your own homemade Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte any time you want!

Tips and Tricks

One thing you can do to elevate any iced latte is to make ice cubes out of whatever base you are using to keep your drink from getting watered down as you sip. So you can freeze milk cubes (skim or almond milk works best for this in my experience), leftover coffee, or for this drink you can make a little extra chai tea to freeze.

Another similar tip is to freeze leftover pumpkin puree in an ice tray. A single can of pumpkin will make a lot of lattes but it only stays safe in your fridge for about a week. So I like to freeze it by the tablespoon and then thaw a cube whenever I’m in the mood to make this drink. Alternatively, you can make another pumpkin treat like pumpkin bread (here’s my favorite recipe), which is also a really good option.