Apple Crisp Cream Chai
Ease into fall with an iced spiced drink complete with autumnal apple and cinnamon flavors.
Apple and chai are a natural pairing, and this iced chai latte topped with the creamiest layer of apple cold foam brings them together in the most delicious way.
Inspired from the non-dairy version of this Starbucks fall drink, this at-home Iced Apple Crisp Cream Chai recipe is quite simple to make.
First, you make a regular iced chai latte–easy peasy! Then, you whip up a quick, single-serve batch of apple crisp cream cold foam–also easy.
What is Apple Cream Cold Foam at Starbucks?
Apple cream cold foam at Starbucks is a non-dairy drink topper for iced, fall beverages, like the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai.
The non-dairy apple crisp cold foam is a blend of soy milk, oat milk and apple brown sugar syrup. It’s whipped up until it’s a creamy consistency that simultaneously rests on top of the chai and cascades into it.
In my Starbucks Iced Gingerbread Chai copycat recipe you can see how to make flavored cold foam with barista-edition oat milk.
This at-home, copycat-ish recipe for an apple crisp cream chai contains dairy and the creamy cold foam topping is a simple blend of apple brown sugar syrup and heavy cream.
Why You’ll Love this Iced Apple Crisp Chai Latte
Easy to make at home. Once you see how to make this two-part recipe, you can easily make it again-and-again.
Budget-friendly. When the apple crisp craving hits, save a trip (or many) to Starbucks and a whole lot of money by making your own apple crisp chai at home.
Delicious alternative to pumpkin spice. I love all-things pumpkin spice. You can even try my popular recipe for homemade pumpkin spice sauce. But if you want to switch things up this fall, apple crisp drinks made with apple brown sugar syrup are another tasty option.
Ingredients
- Chai Tea Concentrate
- Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Apple Brown Sugar Syrup
- Ice
- Cinnamon (optional garnish)
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Chai Tea Concentrate – For a fast iced chai, make it with your favorite brand of pre-made chai latte concentrate, like this Tazo chai.
You can also make this homemade chai concentrate from scratch in advance or make this 5-minute iced chai latte with tea bags.
Milk for the Latte – If you’re trying to replicate the non-dairy Starbucks version of this drink, use oat milk in the latte.
My preference is 2% dairy milk. You can use the milk of your choice.
Heavy Cream and Milk for the Cream Topping (recommended) – Heavy cream is the best option for at-home cold foam. It’s easy to cream up and tastes delicious!
A splash of whole milk or 2% thins it out just a bit.
Barista-edition oat & soy milks for the nondairy cream topping (alternative option) – If you want to make this drink dairy-free like the Apple Crisp Chai at Starbucks, I’ll be honest, at-home non-dairy cold foam is difficult to turn into a creamy consistency.
At Starbucks, cold foam toppings are made with a special blender that is able to turn their blend of non-dairy milks into a creamy consistency.
If you choose this non-dairy alternative cream, get barista-edition oat milk and soy milk, which is designed to thicken up better. (Take a look at my Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Cream Chai recipe for more tips on making oat milk cold foam.)
Apple Brown Sugar Syrup – Buy a bottle apple brown sugar syrup or make a homemade apple brown sugar syrup ahead of time.
My recipe only has 2 ingredients (frozen apple juice concentrate & brown sugar) and is super easy to make.
If you choose to buy syrup, you may need to combine two flavors like Torani apple syrup and Torani brown sugar syrup.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Using a cold bowl and cold whisk, combine heavy cream, milk and apple brown sugar syrup. Whisk until thick and creamy. Return to the freezer while you make the latte, and whisk again to thicken even more before topping the drink with it.
- In a cup 16 fluid ounces or larger, combine chai tea concentrate and milk. Optionally, add 1-2 tablespoons of apple brown sugar syrup.
- Fill the cup with ice, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top.
- Remove the previously whisked apple cream from the freezer, whisk again until it’s the consistency of melted ice cream, then slowly pour on top of the iced chai. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon (optional). Drink immediately.
Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.
Making the apple crisp cream cold foam.
The key to making creamy cold foam at home is to have everything cold–bowl, whisk, ingredients.
I have experimented a lot, and I have found over and over again that using a cold hand-whisk and old-fashioned elbow grease creates better at-home cold foam than any other method.
Whisking the cream and syrup combo once, then returning it to the freezer for a few minutes, and whisking again, creates the perfect cold foam consistency–not too thin, not too thick!
Assembling the apple crisp cream chai latte.
More Chai Recipes
- 17 Easy Chai Tea Recipes
- Easy Apple Cider Chai (Chaider)
- Easy Chai Tea Latte Recipe with Tea Bags
- 5-Minute Iced Chai Tea Latte with Tea Bags
- Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai Latte (Starbucks Copycat)
Iced Apple Crisp Cream Chai (Starbucks Copycat)
Make a copycat Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Chai at home with this tasty fall drink recipe that tops an iced chai tea latte with a creamy layer of apple crisp cream cold foam. This version is made with dairy, but you can easily substitute in barista-edition oat milk for both the latte and cold foam topping.
Ingredients
Iced Chai Tea Latte
- 1/2 cup concentrated chai
- 1/2 cup milk
- ice, to fill glass
Apple Crisp Cream
- 2 teaspoons apple brown sugar syrup
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon milk, preferably whole or 2%
Instructions
Apple Crisp Cream Topping
- Before making the apple crisp cream, place a small bowl and whisk in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Combine heavy cream, milk and apple brown sugar syrup in the cold bowl. Whisk until thick and creamy, keeping warm hands off bowl as much as possible.
- Return to the cream mixture to the freezer while making the chai latte. Before topping the drink, whisk again to thicken even more until it's the consistency of melted ice cream.
Iced Apple Crisp Cream Chai Latte
- In a cup 16 fluid ounces or larger, combine chai tea concentrate and milk. Optionally, add 1-2 tablespoons of apple brown sugar syrup.
- Fill the cup with ice, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top.
- Slowly pour the apple crisp cream on top of the iced chai. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon (optional). Drink immediately.
Notes
Tips for making the apple crisp cream drink topping:
- The key to making creamy cold foam at home is to have everything cold--bowl, whisk, ingredients.
- I have experimented a lot, and I have found over and over again that using a cold hand-whisk and old-fashioned elbow grease creates better at-home cold foam than any other method.
- Whisking the cream and syrup combo once, then returning it to the freezer for a few minutes, and whisking again, creates the perfect cold foam consistency--not too thin, not too thick!
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