This week is one of those odd weeks where the leaves are changing colors and there are pumpkins and fall decorations everywhere, but the weather is still hot and humid. So, although I am in the mood for sipping on fabulous fall flavors, most of them come in the form hot drinks and I still have my air conditioning and flip flops on, so that just won’t work…
… but, this super creamy frozen chai espresso will! A chilly combination of coffee, espresso and warm chai spices create the most refreshing drink that will give you exactly what you need in both the fall flavors category and the “I still want iced coffee” category.
Let’s get started….
Before we start on this drink, I want to tell you about something that I do all the time and think that you should too…
If you brew drip coffee at home, sometimes you have some leftover. Well, add it into a cup, sweeten it with some honey or sugar and pour it into an ice cube tray. Yep… having frozen sweetened coffee cubes waiting to be tossed into your morning cup when its too hot, smoothies or this frozen chai espresso drink is wonderful and that is exactly how this recipe starts.
Begin by pouring 2 cups of freshly brewed coffee into a mug and sweeten it with 1-3 teaspoons of sugar or honey (depending on how sweet you like your coffee). Pour the sweetened coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid.
Next, warm 1 1/2 cups of your favorite milk or half and half and add 1 chai spice tea bag, 1 teaspoon of instant espresso and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Allow the tea bag to steep for 2 minutes and then discard. Set the milk aside for a few minutes to cool slightly before blending the drink.
Note: I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk today, but any kind of milk will work great! You can also add a pinch of chai spice if you want the flavors to be more bold.
Once the milk has cooled slightly and the sweetened coffee cubes are frozen, combine them both in a blender and blend until the cubes are finely crushed.
Now pour this slushy goodness into two small glasses (or one really big one), top with whipped cream and enjoy the fabulous flavors.
The flavors are bold in both the coffee aspect and the chai. It’s like a smooth, creamy, frozen combination of your favorite chai latte and a great cup of coffee… sounds amazing, right?
It is… it totally is…
Frozen Chai Espresso
Ingredients
- 2 cups of freshly brewed coffee
- 1-3 teaspoons of granulated sugar or honey
- 1 1/2 cups of milk (any kind) or half and half
- 1 chai spice tea bag
- 1 teaspoon of instant espresso
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- a pinch of chai spice
- whipped cream (optional topping)
Instructions
- Add 1-3 teaspoons of granulated sugar into 2 cups of freshly brewed coffee and stir until the sugar has dissolved
- Pour the sweetened coffee into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer until frozen
- Warm 1 1/2 cups of milk or half and half and add 1 chai spice tea bag, 1 teaspoon of instant espresso, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of chai spice
- Let the tea bag steep in the warm milk for 2 minutes and then discard the tea bag
- Allow the milk to cool a bit before blending
- Once the chai spiced milk has cooled and the coffee cubes are frozen, combine them in a blender and blend until frothy
- Top with whipped cream and enjoy!
