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This warming coconut chai latte is deliciously creamy and lightly spiced. Topped with a cream cheese foam as an added twist to your typical sweet chai latte. It’s a decadent drink with a smooth texture, perfect to cuddle up with on cold days. And it can even be made cold and served over ice, in warmer months.
Combining chai lattes from your local café with the cheese foam toppings often seen layered on top of milk teas. It’s the best of both worlds! Lightly spiced fragrant chai and rich creamy cheesy foam. Creating a comfy cup to sip away on.
Making this Coconut Chai Latte
There are three stages to making this drink. Including making a syrup, whipping up foam and then assembling. This may seem like a little bit of work, but once you have the chai syrup handy it all becomes a breeze. Plus the cream cheese foam is simple enough to whip up and can be made beforehand.
The following outlines the three steps involved in making this drink…
1. Chai Latte Syrup
With this homemade version, you get to create your very own chai syrup! Which can then be stored away for all those chai needs. It’s versatile enough to also add to other drinks and foods too…
Here are a few suggestions:
- Add it to your coffee for a dirty chai latte
- Mix into hot chocolates for a lightly spiced hot chocolate
- Use it as a flavouring and sweetener for cream and then whip it up and dollop it onto dessert or beside it.
- Pour it over pancakes, waffles or crepes for a sweet and slightly spiced alternative to honey, maple or golden syrup
- Serve it on vanilla ice cream
- Drizzle it over fruit such as banana and caramelise for a new flavour or even baked fruit
My favourite thing about using syrups is that they don’t leave the spice remnant behind. So they’re not lingering at the bottom of your cup as a reminder.
Additionally, once you’ve made up a batch of syrup, it can safely be stored away in the fridge and used as needed.
2. Cream Cheese Foam
The cream cheese foam on this chai latte provides a creamy, smooth and slightly sweet topping with a hint of spice. It’s similar to cream cheese icing, only with the addition of cream.
Very common as a topping for milk tea drinks, often referred to as a cheese foam. This may initially sound unappealing, but once you try it, it is so delicious! Plus it’s not overly sweet so it balances out nicely.
This process involves whipping cream cheese along with cream to provide a light and airy flavourful foamy cream. The cream is then spooned over the drink as a layer on the top.
If you would like to make this dairy-free or even simplify the process, you are welcome to skip this step for a simple coconut chai latte. Which I often do for a quick fix especially if there’s no cream or cream cheese handy.
3. Assembly
Once all of the preparations have been made the next part is easy! All you have to do is combine everything.
Start by stirring the syrup into the coconut milk, then layer on your foam with a spoon. And as a completely optional, but extra decoration, you can add on a cinnamon stick. For the aroma and added flair.
This recipe also works incredibly well as a cold drink. Feel free to try it out as an alternative, you can even pour it over ice if you want! Especially for those warmer days, it works a treat.
Drinking this Latte…
There are two ways you can drink this chai latte and it all comes down to personal preference.
- Option A: Drink as is, without any extra mixing. It would be my suggestion to try it out first. When you tilt the drink and bring the lip of the cup towards your mouth… that is when the magic happens. The somewhat 45-degree angle allows the chai latte liquid part at the bottom to come up to the top and combine with the cheesy froth as you sip. Which means you get the perfect blend in your mouth. And you get to taste the layers of flavour.
- Option B: Stir in the foam. By stirring in the foam you get to combine all the wonderful flavours in one. Meaning there is less separation. Possibly also less effort and the appearance of it being slightly creamier but again, it’s all up to you. You have the luxury of choice.
Chai Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) Firmly packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup (200ml) Water
- 6 Cardamom Pods lightly crushed*
- 1 ½ Cinnamon sticks lightly crushed*
- 3 tbsp loose black tea leaves or 3 black tea bags
Instructions
- Bring sugar, water, cardamom and cinnamon to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Remove from the heat once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is fragrant for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the tea leaves/ bags and allow to cool to room temperature. This allows the tea and spices to steep and the flavours to infuse.
- Strain syrup through a sieve and discard the solids
- Use to make drinks or store in a glass bottle, jar or airtight container in the fridge until required.
Notes
- Use the back of your knife to crush the cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks so that they break open. This makes it easier for the flavours to release and infuse.
Coconut Chai Latte with Cream Cheese Foam
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Foam
- 1 tbsp (15g) Cream Cheese Full Fat Room temperature
- ½ tbsp (3ml) Chai Syrup
- 1 tbsp (15ml) Cream
- 2 tsp (16ml) Coconut Milk
Coconut Chai Latte
- 1 Cup (250ml) Unsweetened Coconut Milk
- 4 tsp Chai Syrup
- Cream Cheese Foam
- 1 Cinnamon Stick optional
Instructions
Cream Cheese Foam
- Beat together cream cheese and chai syrup in a small bowl until creamy and smooth.
- Mix in the coconut milk. Then add in the cream and use a whisk or beater to whip until thick and the mixture reaches medium peaks. It's ready when it holds its shape and it is able to form peaks that curve back onto itself when the whisk/ beater is lifted. If you find it's too thick, you can add in a bit more coconut milk to loosen it slightly.
Coconut Chai Latte
- Combine the chai syrup and coconut milk in your mug of choice and stir to dissolve.
- Top with the cream cheese foam and a cinnamon stick if desired.
- Drink while warm.
If you give this recipe a go, don’t forget to tag @theculinaryletter and #theculinaryletter, so I can see all your wonderful creations!
And don’t forget to check out this winter produce post so you can keep track of what’s in store this season.
Until next time, stay curious!
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