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Starbucks brought the s'mores lineup back this summer and the S'mores Cold Brew and S'mores Frappuccino weren't the only new drinks in the crew. They also introduced an Iced S'mores Chai and I knew I had to get my own version up right after I got a chance to try it!
The toasted marshmallow syrup goes both into the chai itself and into the cold foam, which is a bit of a twist from how
Though
If you love chai and are a fan of summer s'mores, you need to try this new drink!
❤️ Why this recipe works
It's the perfect chai and s'mores blend: you may think chai and s'mores is a strange combination, but it works really, really well and this blend is the perfect combination. It makes me want to make chai marshmallows for homemade s'mores!
The marshmallow syrup is made with real marshmallow fluff: I tested this recipe for the cold brew and it took me some time to land on toasting the sugar a bit, adding plenty of vanilla extract, and incorporating real marshmallow fluff for the full marshmallow flavor profile. Of course, you can use a store-bought marshmallow syrup if you prefer.
It uses chai concentrate:
It's easy to customize: like most drinks at Starbucks, this one is super easy to make your own. When you make it at home, you're free to add all kinds of ingredients to it, though chances are high you'll want to drink this one exactly as it's made!
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make a
- 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.
- Marshmallow syrup: you can use a store-bought marshmallow syrup or make your own with my recipe shared in this post. Note that even though
Starbucks says it uses "marshmallow syrup," you'll likely want to use a "toasted" version. - 2% milk : or dairy/dairy alternative of your choice
- Marshmallow cold foam: I share the recipe for this below
- Milk chocolate sauce: I recommend using this milk chocolate sauce or something similar. You can also feel free to make your own. You can use Hershey's chocolate sauce in a pinch, but it's a bit thinner and sweeter than what Starbucks uses.
- Graham cracker crumbs: for topping
For the marshmallow cold foam:
- Heavy cream
- 2% milk
- Marshmallow syrup
And if you're making your own marshmallow syrup, you'll need:
- Granulated sugar
- Water
- Marshmallow fluff: also known as marshmallow creme in parts of the U.S.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
🧋 Recipe tips
- If you're making your own marshmallow syrup, be sure to do that first as it will need time to cool before using it in the cold brew.
- For the syrup, I like to toast the sugar to get that toasted marshmallow flavor. I also add a full tablespoon of vanilla, but for true marshmallow flavor, I whisk in actual marshmallow fluff while the syrup is still hot.
- You can make the marshmallow sweet cream in advance and keep it in a mason jar or airtight container in your fridge. When you're ready for your drink, whip it into a cold foam.
- If you don't have a frother, you can make your cold foam in a blender or with a hand mixer. You can even just keep it in the mason jar and shake it vigorously. Your foam won't be quite as voluminous, but it will still give you a nice froth.
- Stir the chai concentrate, syrup, and milk together well before adding the cold foam so the marshmallow flavor is evenly distributed through the drink.
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- And be sure to give the cold foam topping and generous drizzle of chocolate syrup and crushed graham cracker crumbs.
Because what's a s'more without a little chocolate and graham cracker??
I never imagined chai and s'mores flavors would go well together, but this drink proves that they most definitely do. I love the spiced marshmallow flavor of the drink and the little touch of chocolate and graham.
If you're a chai fan looking to add some more fun to your iced drinks, this is a must-try for you!
🎉 Variations on recipe
As with most
- Feel free to swap the 2% milk for oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk. But do note that the heavy cream in the cold foam still makes this a dairy drink unless you swap that too.
- Add a shot of espresso for a dirty s'mores chai (my idea of a dream come true!).
- Use more or less marshmallow syrup depending on how sweet you like your chai.
Starbucks hasn't historically added syrups in to their chai drinks (flavors have been introduced through their cold foams), so this drink is a bit sweeter than most chais. - Line the glass with chocolate sauce before adding the chai for a chocolate layer in every sip. You can also add some to the bottom of the cup and/or a layer of graham cracker crumbs.
- Top drink with mini marshmallows in addition to the graham cracker crumbs for extra fun.
- Swap the milk chocolate sauce for mocha sauce if that's what you have on hand.
🫖 How to make the drink with tea bags
If you want a lower sugar drink or just a more "natural" chai flavor, you can make your chai tea with actual tea bags. I recommend using a couple tea bags per cup of water so you still have a concentrated flavor to the drink.
I like these chai tea bags best.
When making the drink, you'll want to use more of the tea than you would of the concentrate. Then you can add simple syrup, honey, agave, or maple syrup until you reach the sweetness level you like. Or you can skip the sweetener and just use the marshmallow syrup to sweeten the drink up.
Another option is to use a lower sugar chai tea concentrate. You can also use less of the regular chai concentrate if you want, but you don't want to lessen the chai flavor too much.
☕️ More Starbucks chai copycats
Here are some of my other fave
And sometimes I just crave a really delicious hot dirty chai!
Be sure to check out all my Starbucks drink recipes to see if I've created a copycat of your favorite! If I haven't yet, let me know!!
This Iced S'mores Chai brings all the toasted marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker flavor of a real s'more to your morning or afternoon chai.
Once the syrup's made, the rest comes together in minutes, and it's become my new favorite way to enjoy a summer afternoon.
Be sure to also try the S'mores Frappuccino and S'mores Cold Brew!
📖 Recipe
Iced S'mores Chai {Starbucks Copycat}
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Ingredients
- Ice
- 3 oz chai concentrate
- 1 ½ Tbsp (¾ oz) toasted marshmallow syrup (store-bought or homemade with recipe below)
- 4 oz 2% milk (or dairy/dairy alternative of your choice)
- ⅓ cup marshmallow cold foam (recipe below)
- Milk chocolate sauce for drizzling
- Graham cracker crumbs for topping
Marshmallow Cold Foam
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup 2% milk
- 2 tablespoon toasted marshmallow syrup (store-bought or homemade with recipe below)
Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup marshmallow fluff
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add chai tea concentrate and toasted marshmallow syrup to an ice-filled glass. Pour milk into glass and stir to combine.
- Top with marshmallow cold foam and drizzle with chocolate sauce and graham cracker crumbs.
Marshmallow Cold Foam
- Add cream, milk and marshmallow syrup to a mason jar (or other airtight container) and shake vigorously. Or mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. This is your marshmallow cold cream... Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to turn it into cold foam right before using.
- To turn into foam, you can either use an electric frother, hand mixer, or blender with ⅓ cup cream at a time. Alternatively, you can shake the mixture vigorously in a mason jar until it's frothy.
Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
- Add sugar to a small saucepan in an even layer over medium heat. Let it sit without stirring, until the edges begin to melt and turn golden. Gently swirl the pan until the sugar is fully melted and a light amber color, about 4-5 minutes. Be sure to watch it closely as it can go from amber to burnt quickly.
- Carefully pour in the water. The mixture will likely bubble up vigorously and hard caramelized bits may form. Stir over medium heat until any hardened bits fully dissolve, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- While the syrup is still warm, add marshmallow fluff and whisk until completely smooth and incorporated. If it's not fully dissolving, you can return the pan to low heat for 30-60 seconds while whisking.
- Stir in vanilla extract and salt.
- Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof bowl or mason jar and let cool completely.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Starbucks uses "marshmallow syrup," but you'll likely want to find a "toasted" marshmallow syrup as their drink definitely has notes of toastiness.
- Cold foam recipe should make enough for about 3 drinks. Turn it into cold foam in batches and keep the leftover sweet cream in an airtight container in your fridge until ready to use. Sweet cream should keep in your fridge in an airtight container for about 5-6 days.
- Marshmallow syrup should keep fresh for about 2 weeks in your fridge in an airtight container.
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