Your morning beverage of choice is about so much more than a boost of caffeine. It’s a pocket of time you’re taking intentionally for yourself – and for me, it completely sets the tone for my day. Personally, I am a chai gal. While I do enjoy the taste of coffee, the acidity and my stomach lining do NOT get along. I also love that chai gives me enough caffeine, sans the jitters that coffee brings.

I’ve loved a good chai latte since I was a kid. That being said, I’ve tried my fair share, and many haven’t impressed me. The best one I’ve had, to this day, is from Citispot in Clinton, New Jersey. As I can’t drive an hour every day to get my morning fix, I’ve been resorting to my runner up (Starbucks). With the Starbucks version, I have fun rotating out flavors depending on the season. My absolute favorite has been their pumpkin chai – but sadly, this is only available for a few months out of the year.

UNTIL NOW.

After becoming absolutely dependent on this latte every morning (and the dopamine it brings), I took to my kitchen to recreate this myself. I’ve seen a few “copycat” recipes but wasn’t fully satisfied with the outcome from each one – there was always one slight thing that I wanted to tweak.

I have finally mastered this drink and am so excited to share it with you! One important note: I am an iced drink person, always. I don’t care if it’s -2 degrees out – I will be shivering with my iced chai in hand. That being said, this recipe is for an iced chai. I’m sure it can be modified to create a hot version.

Let’s dive in!

The Sauce

This is the KEY to this recipe and what took me the longest to tweak. I could eat this by the spoonful, honestly. It’s super simple to make, and a batch lasts me at least a week (if not two). Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup of cane sugar
• 1/2 cup of filtered water
• 1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
• A few shakes of pumpkin spice seasoning

You’re going to want to combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and then bring to a boil (this will create a simple syrup). Once you get there, bring the heat down so that it is no longer bubbling. Then, stir in the can of pumpkin puree, followed by the can of sweetened condensed milk. Once that’s blended, give a few shakes of the pumpkin spice seasoning (I use the one from Trader Joe’s – it’s perfect) and stir that in. I like to let this cool and then store in my fridge using mason jars.

Note: I did try out a vegan option with sweetened condensed coconut milk, but the coconut was really overpowering in this drink and changed the flavor too much for me. I’m going to try and explore a condensed milk alternative that doesn’t use coconut milk… stay tuned!

The Latte

Now for the easy part. I use boxed chai concentrate for this, as I was trying to mimic the Starbucks recipe (and let’s be honest – it’s just way easier). If you really want to up your game, you can try brewing your own chai at home. Here’s what you’ll need for my version:

• The aforementioned pumpkin sauce
• Tazo chai concentrate (I do the skinny version to reduce the sugar slightly, but either option works)
• Milk of choice (I prefer oat milk, specifically Oatley’s original)
• Ice

I usually layer about a half an inch of pumpkin sauce at the bottom of my cup (you can do more or less, depending on how sweet you like your drink). Next, add a few ice cubes. Then, you’re going to want to fill the cup halfway with the chai concentrate (or your own version) and top off the remaining half with your milk of choice. Stir until your heart is content.

There you have it – your bank account will thank you, I promise. I recently noticed I haven’t been going to Starbucks nearly as much, and this is why! It has become a staple in my life.

Let me know what you think of this one!

Truly,
Taylor