Preparation:

Step 1:
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, add the chai tea bags (or loose-leaf chai tea). Allow it to steep for about 5-7 minutes to develop a strong, concentrated tea flavor. After steeping, remove the tea bags and let the chai tea cool to room temperature.

Step 2:
In a separate saucepan, warm the milk over low heat. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup or honey, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture until it’s smooth and well combined. This should take about 3-5 minutes. You don’t need to bring it to a boil; just warm it enough to blend the flavors.

Step 3:
Remove the milk mixture from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. You can speed up the cooling process by transferring it to the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Step 4:
Fill a glass with ½ cup of ice cubes. Pour the cooled chai tea over the ice, followed by the pumpkin-spiced milk mixture. Stir the drink gently to combine.

Step 5:
Top the iced pumpkin chai latte with whipped cream, if desired, and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice for extra flavor. Add a cinnamon stick as a garnish for a beautiful presentation.