Starbucks apple crisp chai pours a warmed chai concentrate over milk, folds in spiced apple compote, crowns it with golden oat streusel, then finishes with a sweet salted caramel ribbon for contrast and crunch.
This recipe addresses issues of thin compote, soggy oat topping, uneven chai aroma, and milk foam separation for a satisfying beverage experience.
I’ve wrestled with thin compote and soggy toppings (phew), so this chai apple crisp checks those boxes. It stays crisp without extra work and works fast when you’re juggling lunch prep and school runs.
It locks in bright apple notes thanks to lemon-laced compote that cooks in about 8 minutes, and the oat topping crisps up in 10 minutes flat. You can steep the chai blend for 15 minutes ahead, so morning routines stay smooth.
If you need a low-sugar treat to sip alongside your latte, try my Sugar Free Donuts.
Table of contents
Dietary Considerations
- This recipe is not gluten-free due to oat flour in the streusel topping and apple compote thickened with additional cornstarch.
- This recipe is not vegan or dairy-free due to unsalted butter and heavy cream used in the streusel and caramel.
- This recipe does not meet keto or low-carb diets due to high sugar content in compote, caramel, streusel, oat flour.
- This recipe is vegetarian because it contains no meat or fish and uses only plant-based tea and fruit ingredients exclusively.
- This recipe is nut-free as it contains no tree nuts or peanuts and relies solely on tea, apples, sugar, cinnamon.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Starbucks apple crisp chai vibe I brew my own concentrate with tea bags and whole spices, steeped for 15 minutes, for that cafe-style flavor at home.
- Bright apple compote I cook diced apples with lemon juice and sugar for about 8 minutes until tender, so it adds a crisp fruit tang to every cup.
- Crisp oat streusel I bake my oat streusel clusters at 350°F for 10 minutes, then sprinkle them over frothed milk for a lasting, gluten-free crunch.
- Salted caramel finish I drizzle homemade caramel, made by melting sugar and whisking in cream and salt in under 5 minutes, to offset the chai’s sweetness.
Starbucks Apple Crisp Chai
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cool Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: beverage
- Method: brewing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: vegetarian
Description
A delicious Starbucks-inspired drink that combines chai concentrate with spiced apple compote, topped with oat streusel and salted caramel.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 4 black tea bags
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 8 whole cloves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 2 medium apples, cored and diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar (for compote)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup water (for compote)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup oat flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for streusel)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for caramel)
- 2 tablespoons water (for caramel)
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 cups milk or plant-based milk
- Ice (if serving iced)
Instructions
- Start by bringing water, black tea bags, cinnamon sticks, crushed cardamom pods, whole cloves, black peppercorns, the star anise pod, and fennel seeds to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Allow the mixture to steep, covered, for 15 minutes. This long steeping time draws out the deep, aromatic flavors of the spices. Once steeped, remove from heat, discard the tea bags and whole spices, then stir in the cane sugar and vanilla extract until fully dissolved. Let the concentrate cool before refrigerating it for later use.
- In another small saucepan, combine the diced apples, cane sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften—about 8 minutes. The lemon juice enhances the brightness of the compote and helps prevent the apples from brown. Stir a teaspoon of cornstarch into one tablespoon of cold water until smooth, then add this mixture to the apple mixture. Cook an additional minute until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the heated compote to achieve the desired thickness. Ensuring the cornstarch is mixed with cold water first will give your compote a smooth finish without lumps.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix the oat flour, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon. Incorporate cold butter cubes by cutting them in with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture forms clumps. Spread the streusel mixture evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Once done, let it cool before breaking it into small clusters which will stay crisp longer on your latte.
- In a clean saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water without stirring. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and turns amber in color. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully whisk in the cold heavy cream and fine salt until smooth. Allow the caramel to cool slightly. Swirling the pan while sugar melts evenly is essential to avoid any burnt spots.
- To assemble, warm or froth your choice of milk. For a hot version, mix ½ cup of chai concentrate, ¼ cup of milk, and 2 tablespoons of the fresh apple compote in a mug. Top with the frothed milk. If you prefer iced, fill a glass with ice and add ½ cup of chai concentrate, ¼ cup of milk, and 2 tablespoons of the apple compote, finishing with the remaining milk.
Notes
- When preparing the chai, crush the spice pods right before steeping to maximize their flavor.
- Selecting firm tart apple varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp will yield the best taste for your compote, ensuring that they hold their shape while cooking.
- For the oat streusel, using certified gluten-free oat flour ensures it’s safe for gluten-sensitive family members.
- If you want a more intense caramel flavor, you can experiment with different types of sugars, but fine granulated sugar melts best and avoid any clumping.
- Store any leftover oat streusel in an airtight container to maintain its crunch, lasting up to three days.
- You can boost your chai by using whole spices; they release more oils when crushed just before use.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Ingredient Notes
- Black tea bags: pick bold black tea bags like Assam; check packaging date to avoid stale flavors.
- Cinnamon sticks: choose fragrant Ceylon or Saigon sticks; break into thirds for better spice release.
- Cardamom pods: lightly crush whole green pods right before steeping for a fresher aromatic kick.
- Whole cloves: use intact cloves for a cleaner spice taste; fish out pods after steeping.
- Black peppercorns: fresh black peppercorns add a warm bite; crack slightly if you want more heat.
- Star anise pod: select glossy dark pods; drop in whole for licorice notes then discard after brew.
- Fennel seeds: look for pale green seeds with a sweet aroma; toast lightly if they smell musty.
- Vanilla extract: go for pure vanilla extract; it smooths spice edges and adds a mellow sweetness.
- Apples: pick firm tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp; holds shape in compote and adds bright acid.
- Lemon juice: use fresh lemon juice; it lifts compote flavors and stops apples from browning too quickly.
- Cornstarch: stir cornstarch into cold water before adding; free of lumps for a smooth compote finish.
- Oat flour: grab certified gluten-free oat flour; it keeps streusel crumbly and safe for gluten-allergic family.
- Granulated sugar (streusel): use regular sugar so crumbs brown nicely; measure by fluffing into the cup.
- Ground cinnamon: fresh ground cinnamon gives more punch; check jar date and give it a sniff first.
- Heavy cream: use cold heavy cream; whisk into syrup off-heat for a smooth, drizzlable caramel.
- Milk or plant-based milk: select milk you enjoy; oat milk adds creaminess, almond gives nutty notes, dairy works too.
- Ice: use clear ice cubes if you can; they melt slower and avoid watering down the latte.
Recipe Baking Tips
- When apple compote becomes too thin 7 minutes into cooking, stir in 1 teaspoon cornstarch slurry to thicken mixture before removing pan from heat, preventing watery separation in the iced chai latte.
- When oat streusel bakes unevenly 5 minutes into oven, gently break clusters with fork to get even browning and crisp texture before completing baking, preventing large lumps on the chai latte garnish.
- If salted caramel thickens too fast 1 minute before drizzle, stir in 1 teaspoon heavy cream to restore pourable texture and maintain smooth ribbons over streusel without clumping on the chai latte.
- If chai concentrate loses aroma after chilling 4 days, microwave ½ cup for 30 seconds to revive spice notes and lift smooth flavor in iced latte without extra steeping or sugar additions.
- For milk foam that separates too fast, heat 1 cup milk to 150°F then froth immediately 20 seconds before pouring to stabilize microfoam and prevent watery top in hot chai latte assembly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve starbucks apple crisp chai with Gluten-Free Banana Bread, Burrata Caprese Salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette drizzle of olive oil. Pair with Apple Fennel Slaw and Honey Mustard Dressing plus sliced Cucumber Tomato Salad or Warm Cinnamon Rice Pudding side.
Use starbucks apple crisp chai to make Pancake batter and fold in apple compote then sprinkle with oat streusel clusters. Add chai apple crisp liqueur to Bourbon Milk Punch with cinnamon stick garnish and serve with vanilla bean whipped cream.
Top starbucks apple crisp chai with Salted Caramel Drizzle and dust of cinnamon sugar blend before adding oat streusel clusters. Finish with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream swirl and grate nutmeg instantly then garnish center with diced apple compote generous spoonful.
Recipe variations
- You can use spiced pear compote warmed with one teaspoon lemon zest to complement the chai apple crisp latte’s fruit brightness and accentuate natural sweetness.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the chai concentrate for a richer chai apple crisp flavor with baking spice notes.
- Either gluten-free oat streusel clusters or chopped pecan praline make a crunchy topping and I serve it after my Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie for contrast.
- If using doubled proportions make 8 cups chai concentrate, 4 cups apple compote, 1 cup oat streusel, and 1/3 cup salted caramel for larger batches.
Save This Recipe!
How to Store?
To keep your Starbucks Apple Crisp Chai fresh and delicious, follow these storage tips:
Room Temperature: Store concentrate, compote, streusel in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Keep streusel separate until assembly.
Refrigeration: Move concentrate, compote, streusel into an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 5 days. Warm compote and add streusel before serving.
Freezing: Portion concentrate and compote into a freezer container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator. Add streusel before serving.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
The Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai at Starbucks contains spiced chai concentrate, oat milk, and nondairy apple crisp cold foam.
To make apple chai, add 4 oz hot water, chai tea bag, apple cider, cinnamon, salt; boil, strain, garnish with orange wheel, sprinkle allspice.
If you enjoyed this starbucks apple crisp chai or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I appreciate taking time to read about this recipe, thank you!
