Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

This homemade iced pumpkin spice chai latte will have you swear off Starbucks for good. It’s flavorful, lightly sweetened, and packed with warming spices that make this masala chai the epitome of iced fall drinks. 

Did I mention that this Starbucks iced pumpkin spice chai latte recipe is refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and made with better-for-you ingredients? 

Sidenote, the cups in these images are the Everyday Cups from the first release of my capsule kitchen collection, MWM at Home. Linking them here!

Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte Ingredients

Outlining everything you’ll need for this healthy(ish) pumpkin spice chai latte!

• Loose-leaf black tea: Going in-depth on what type of loose-leaf tea (and how to properly brew black tea) here. 
• Coconut sugar: Feel free to sub in brown sugar if you prefer. 
• Pumpkin puree: Highly recommend Farmer’s Market Foods organic pumpkin puree. 
• Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• Cardamom pods
• Pumpkin spice: I highly recommend making your own homemade pumpkin spice mix – it’s super easy and beats the grocery stuff. Combine 3 tbsp Ceylon cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp allspice, and 1/4 tsp black pepper (trust me). 
• Ground ginger
• Kosher salt: Because every sweet thing needs a little something salty!
• Any creamy milk: I love using my homemade cashew milk, but any creamy milk will work well for this latte. 

How to Make Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

In essence, there are 3 components to this pumpkin spice chai latte: the chai concentrate, the homemade pumpkin spice syrup, and the milk. 

Giving a brief overview here on how to prepare each component so you know the method, but detailed instructions + measurements are in the recipe card below.

Make the Chai Concentrate

Add the loose-leaf black tea to your pot, along with the cardamom, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil, then take off the heat and let steep for 6-7 minutes (this may vary depending on the exact tea you’re using). Strain over a fine-mesh sieve and stir in the coconut sugar until dissolved. Then pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge until ready to use. 

Make the Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Combine the water, coconut sugar, pumpkin puree, and salt, and bring to a boil on medium. Reduce the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer until reduced in volume and thickened. Take off the heat and stir in the pumpkin spice and vanilla bean paste. Then pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Mix & Serve

When you’re ready to make your latte, fill a cup halfway with ice, and pour over 1/2 cup of the chai concentrate, followed by 1/2 cup of creamy milk, and 2 tbsp of the pumpkin spice syrup. Mix together and enjoy! Alternatively, you can mix the milk and syrup separately first (I like to do this), and then pour over the chai. 

A Few Notes

• Use good quality loose-leaf black tea. The black tea you use is super important and not all of them are created equal. I highly recommend using Darjeeling loose-leaf tea; linking a good brand here. Darjeeling has the best full-bodied flavor which is perfect for an iced chai latte. However, if you can’t find Darjeeling, I’d recommend any English Breakfast loose-leaf tea. Quick note, don’t use Early Grey as it’s flavored with bergamot and will ruin the overall flavor of the chai. 
• Steep the tea according to the package instructions. Black tea, just like green tea, will start to become bitter and release tannins into the water if steeped too long. The tea I use recommends 7 minutes of steeping time and no more. This will vary depending on the tea, but 6-7 minutes is a good benchmark for how long to steep your tea.
• Don’t use store-bought milk, instead make my vanilla cashew milk. Most chai lattes use whole milk or half-n-half, which is why they taste so creamy and good. That said, you won’t achieve that creamy texture with store-bought plant milk. It’s just too watery! That said, my homemade cashew milk and almond milk come very close to the creamy texture of whole milk and will give your chai latte the same mouthfeel. 
• The chai concentrate will store for up to 1 week in the fridge, and the pumpkin spice syrup will store for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. 

So excited for you to make this latte – don’t forget to leave a rating and review below! And if you’re looking for a more traditional chai, check out my classic iced chai latte recipe. If you have any questions, leave a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram.

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