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This iced gingerbread chai is my homemade take on the coffee shop holiday favourite: spiced chai concentrate over ice, creamy oat milk, and a dark, molasses-rich gingerbread syrup, all finished with a cloud of sweet oat milk foam. It tastes like Christmas in a glass, and it costs a fraction of the café price.
I started making it the December my local coffee shop ran out of their gingerbread syrup three weeks before Christmas. So I went home, simmered my own, and honestly never looked back. One batch of syrup makes about ten drinks, and each glass takes five minutes to build.
In short, gingerbread chai is chai concentrate poured over ice with oat milk and a homemade syrup of brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, topped with frothed oat milk foam. It takes about 15 minutes including the syrup and makes 1 drink, using 3 ounces (90 ml) of chai, 8 ounces (240 ml) of oat milk and 2 tablespoons of syrup, at about 245 calories.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Chai
- Real gingerbread flavour. Molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg taste like a biscuit straight from the oven.
- Two textures in one glass. Silky iced chai underneath, light spiced foam on top.
- Dairy free. Oat milk keeps it creamy without any dairy at all.
- Make the syrup once. In fact, one small pan of syrup flavours drinks for a couple of weeks.
- Cheaper than the coffee shop. Better yet, you control the sweetness.
Ingredient Notes
- Chai concentrate. Three ounces (90 ml) per drink. It is black tea brewed strong with warm spices, so it carries roughly half the caffeine of coffee; Harvard’s Nutrition Source has a good overview of black tea and its health effects.
- Oat milk. Eight ounces (240 ml), divided. Barista style oat milk froths best. If you are switching from dairy, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains how plant-based milks compare.
- Gingerbread syrup. Two tablespoons per drink, divided between the glass and the foam.
- Ice. Plenty of it; fill the glass to the top.
- For the syrup. Half a cup (100 g) each of brown sugar and granulated sugar, three quarters of a cup (180 ml) of water, 2 tablespoons of molasses, half a teaspoon of ground ginger, a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
How to Make Gingerbread Syrup
The syrup is the heart of this drink, and it is far easier than it sounds. Everything goes into one saucepan, comes up to a simmer, and then cools. Because it is made with both sugars and molasses, it tastes deep and toffee-like rather than simply sweet.
After that, keep it in a jar in the fridge. It also makes a lovely drizzle over porridge, pancakes or vanilla ice cream, and a spoonful in hot coffee is a treat on a cold morning.
Gingerbread Chai vs the Starbucks Version
The coffee shop iced gingerbread oat milk chai uses the same idea: chai, oat milk and gingerbread flavoured foam. My homemade gingerbread chai has a darker, spicier syrup thanks to the molasses, and you can make it as sweet or as strong as you like.
| Homemade | Coffee shop | |
|---|---|---|
| Syrup | Molasses, two sugars, real spices | Pre-made flavoured syrup |
| Milk | Any oat milk, or your choice | Oat milk |
| Availability | All year | Holiday season only |
| Cost per glass | Roughly a third | Full café price |
How To Make Gingerbread Chai
1. Combine the syrup. First, put all of the syrup ingredients into a medium saucepan.
2. Simmer. Next, heat over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a simmer.
3. Stir and cool. Then take it off the heat, stir well and let the syrup cool completely.
4. Fill the glass. Meanwhile, fill a tall glass with ice.
5. Add the chai. Pour in the chai concentrate.
6. Add half the milk. After that, pour in half of the oat milk.
7. Sweeten. Add 1 tablespoon of gingerbread syrup and stir.
8. Froth the rest. Now add the second tablespoon of syrup to the remaining milk and foam it with a handheld frother until thick.
9. Top and enjoy. Finally, pour the foam over the top and enjoy straight away.
Why Won’t My Milk Foam?
Oat milk usually won’t foam because it is a light or original carton rather than a barista blend, or because it is too warm. Use cold barista style oat milk straight from the fridge and froth until it looks like soft whipped cream. These are the common causes:
- The oat milk is a light or “original” carton. Barista blends contain a little extra fat that traps air. Switch and you will see the difference.
- The milk is warm. Cold milk holds cold foam better, so keep it in the fridge until the last second.
- The foam sinks fast. Froth a little longer, until it looks like soft whipped cream, then pour slowly over the back of a spoon.
- The syrup crystallised. Warm the jar in a bowl of hot water and stir; it loosens right back up.
Tips for the Best Gingerbread Chai
- Let the syrup cool fully before using it. Hot syrup melts the ice and waters the drink down.
- Taste your chai concentrate first. Some brands are already sweetened, so you may want less syrup.
- Use a tall, narrow glass. The layers look prettier and the foam sits on top longer.
- Dust the foam with a pinch of cinnamon or crushed gingerbread biscuit for a café finish.
- Make a double batch of syrup in December; it disappears quickly.
Storing the Syrup
- Fridge. Keep the cooled syrup in a clean, airtight jar for up to 2 weeks.
- Shake before using. The spices settle to the bottom over time.
- Freezing. Freeze in an ice cube tray, then pop a cube or two into the glass straight from frozen.
- The drink itself. Assemble it fresh, because the foam fades and the ice melts within 20 minutes.
A jar is perfectly fine, but a glass syrup bottle with a pourer makes measuring a tablespoon over the ice much tidier.
Variations and Substitutions
- Hot latte. Warm the chai and milk together, stir in the syrup and top with hot frothed milk instead of ice.
- Dirty chai. Add a shot of espresso for an extra kick of caffeine.
- Dairy milk. Whole milk or a splash of cream works in place of oat milk.
- Less sugar. Use 1 tablespoon of syrup in total, or cut both sugars in the syrup by a quarter.
- More gingerbread. If you love these flavours, bake my dark, sticky gingerbread loaf to serve alongside.
What to Serve With Gingerbread Chai
A plate of iced gingerbread men is the obvious partner, just like in the photos. For a festive tray, I add squares of my gingerbread fudge and a few pieces of crock pot Christmas crack.
Gingerbread chai is also lovely with buttery shortbread, cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, or my soft ooey gooey butter cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Drink
What is in a gingerbread chai?
Chai concentrate, oat milk, ice and a homemade gingerbread syrup of brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
Does gingerbread chai have caffeine?
Yes. Chai concentrate is made from black tea, so it has caffeine, though roughly half as much as coffee.
Can I make a hot gingerbread chai latte?
Yes. Heat the chai and milk, stir in the syrup and top with warm froth. It makes a cosy gingerbread chai latte.
Do I need a milk frother for an iced chai latte?
No. A frother helps, but shaking the milk and syrup hard in a lidded jar for 30 seconds also makes a decent foam.
The Syrup
How long does homemade gingerbread syrup last?
About 2 weeks in a clean, sealed jar in the fridge. Shake it before using, because the spices settle. For longer storage, freeze it in an ice cube tray and add the cubes straight to the glass.
Can I make gingerbread syrup with only brown sugar?
Yes. Use 1 cup (200 g) of brown sugar in place of the two sugars. It will taste a little deeper and more caramel-like.
What else can I use gingerbread syrup for?
Stir a spoonful into hot coffee or hot chocolate, or drizzle it over porridge, pancakes and vanilla ice cream.
Is gingerbread chai dairy free?
Yes, when made with oat milk, because the syrup contains no dairy. Some shop-bought chai concentrates contain milk or honey, so check the label if you need it fully dairy free or vegan.
How many calories are in a gingerbread chai?
About 245 calories per drink, including 2 tablespoons of syrup and oat milk. This is an estimate; using 1 tablespoon of syrup lowers it.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces chai concentrate (90 ml)
- 8 ounces oat milk divided (240 ml)
- 2 tbsp gingerbread syrup divided (see below)
- ice
Gingerbread syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (100 g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 3/4 cup water (180 ml)
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the syrup, combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan.
- Heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and stir well.
- Allow the syrup to cool.
- Fill your glass with ice.
- Add the chai concentrate.
- Add half of the milk.
- Add 1 tbsp gingerbread syrup.
- Add another tbsp of syrup to the remaining milk, and use a frother to foam the milk.
- Pour over the top.
- Enjoy.
