Homemade Iced Chai Foam (Printable version)

A spiced iced chai with luscious cold foam for a creamy, refreshing finish on warm days.

# 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, 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 - 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 let spices steep for 5 more 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 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 to fill about two-thirds of each glass.
05 - Spoon cold foam generously over chai and optionally dust with ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a café drink but takes about the same time as brewing regular tea.
  • You can make the concentrate ahead, so on hot days you just pour and top.
  • The cold foam is impossibly easy to whip up and turns a simple spiced tea into something that feels fancy.
02 -
  • The difference between a good chai and a great one is knowing when to stop steeping; five minutes is the sweet spot, and going longer just makes it taste like you're chewing on cloves.
  • Cold cream whips better than room temperature cream, and if you're using a milk frother instead of a whisk, watch it carefully because it goes from perfect to over-whipped in seconds.
03 -
  • Make your concentrate in batches on Sunday and store it in a glass jar; you'll reach for it more often if it's already waiting.
  • If your cream isn't whipping, it's probably too warm; stick the bowl in the freezer for five minutes first and it'll transform instantly.
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