Iced Chaider {Starbucks Copycat}

The Starbucks Iced Chaider is a chai-meets-cider mashup that shakes chai concentrate with a Strawberry Acai refresher base for a drink that tastes surprisingly like spiced apple cider. This copycat comes together in one shaker bottle in about two minutes!

Jump to:

• 🧡 Why this recipe works
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🍎 Recipe tips
• 🎉 Variations on recipe
• 🍂 More Starbucks fall drink recipes
• 🙋‍♀️ FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

The chaider (chai cider) isn't necessarily a new drink concept as people have been combining apple cider with chai spices for a long time. But Starbucks' concept of the chaider is definitely a bit unique.

And I'll admit that when I first heard of the drink launching with the fall 2026 menu, I was skeptical. Starbucks stopped stocking apple juice a couple years back and doesn't have any cider products either. They make their Chaider with Strawberry Acai Refresher base.

Yes, the Chaider doesn't have any apple in it; it's made by mixing Strawberry Acai Refresher base with chai concentrate. Sounds kind of gross and there's no way it works, right?

Reader, it does work. The spiced chai and the sweet-tart strawberry meet somewhere in the middle and turn into something that actually resembles a fall cider. It's delicious and easy to recreate at home.

🧡 Why this recipe works

Lots of options for Refresher base: you can make my homemade Strawberry Acai Refresher base for this drink, but I've also tried making it with store-bought Strawberry Acai Refresher concentrate and white cranberry strawberry juice and both work.

Making the drink in a shaker gets it frothy: a hard 10-15 second shake pulls air into the drink so it pours out light and foamy, just like the shaken drinks at the counter.

So simple and easy: you really just need to mix a few ingredients together for a delicious fall drink. Equal amounts of Refresher base, chai concentrate, and water are all you need making this one of the easiest Starbucks drink copycats!

🗒 Ingredients

Here's everything you need for the Iced Chaider (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Ice
• Strawberry Acai Refresher base: you have a couple options for this. The store-bought Strawberry Acai Refresher concentrate works really well and I find is the best store-bought option for this drink. Of course, you can also make your own Refresher base with my recipe. Or you can use a simple white cranberry strawberry juice.
• Chai concentrate: I recommend using Tazo Chai Tea Concentrate or simply the brand you like best. If you prefer to make a homemade chai tea with tea bags instead, I share some information on how to do that below.
• Water: you don't need to add any water if you're making this drink with white cranberry strawberry juice.

Of course, you can also make this drink with apple cider instead for an actual chaider... It just won't be an exact Starbucks copycat and will taste a little different.

🍎 Recipe tips

• If you don't have a shaker bottle, you can just as easily make this drink in a mason jar (or any tightly sealed glass or cup).

• Fill your shaker bottle with lots of ice. It will chill the drink and helps it froth when you shake.

• Shake the ingredients together really well for about 10-15 seconds to get that signature froth.

• Pour the entire contents of the shaker into your glass, ice included.

• Once you pour, taste the drink and adjust as necessary. Chai concentrates and refresher bases are all sweetened differently, so if your first batch is too sweet, add a splash more water. If it's not sweet enough for you, I recommend adding a little more chai.

• Starbucks doesn't add any toppings onto their Chaiders, but you can add a sprinkling of cinnamon or a drizzle of caramel to make the drink a bit fancier.

Once you take your first sip, you'll instantly be obsessed and realize that somehow Starbucks took a concentrated strawberry and acai flavor liquid and turned it into apple cider.

I have no idea how this works, I just know that it does. If you told me this drink was made with apple cider or apple juice, I'd believe you!

It's the perfect fall refreshing treat.

🎉 Variations on recipe

I love the simplicity of the Iced Chaider, but I also love that there are so many ways to take it up a notch with some simple additions. Here are some fun ideas:

• Add a little milk for a creamy chaider. I especially recommend oat milk or vanilla sweet cream as a mix-in. Of course, topping the drink with a cold foam will work, too!
• Make a dirty chaider by adding a shot of espresso or a splash of cold brew. It will add some extra caffeine and a bit of a chai-latte vibe.
• If you are still missing real apple flavor, you can mix in some homemade apple syrup.
• You can also mix in a little cinnamon, cardamom, and/or nutmeg into the drink for more fall vibes.
• Add freeze-dried apples to the shaker to make this even more of a Refresher-style drink.
• Top the drink with a caramel drizzle, extra spices, or white mocha sauce.
• Make a hot chaider. Allegedly, Starbucks was supposed to launch a hot chaider on their fall 2026 menu, but according to lots of baristas, it didn't taste great. If you're going to make a hot drink, I'd recommend using actual apple cider for best results.

🍂 More Starbucks fall drink recipes

I think most of us can agree that fall drinks at Starbucks are the best! Though they haven't brought their apple drinks back, they are all easy to make at home. Here are some of my favorite fall drink copycats:

You can see all my Starbucks copycat recipes here.

🙋‍♀️ FAQ

If you have been scrolling past the Chaider thinking it sounds like a weird one, this is your sign to shake one up!

It's fast, inexpensive, and it turns two things you probably already have into a drink that tastes way fancier than the effort it took. Warm chai spice, bright strawberry, and all the froth, no barista required.

📖 Recipe