Starbucks’ Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai is back for fall 2026, and ordering it is refreshingly simple: ask for the drink by its menu name. You do not need a secret-menu recipe to get the pumpkin cold foam.
Editor’s update, October 8, 2026: Brittanie’s original August 2023 taste review appears below. Starbucks changed its chai recipe in March 2026, so her original impressions describe the drink she tried then. We have added current ordering information and explained the difference between the two pumpkin chai drinks.
How to order Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai
Ask for an Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai in your preferred size. For example: “A grande Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, please.” It is a named seasonal drink on Starbucks’ official 2026 fall menu.
Starbucks describes it as spiced black tea with milk and pumpkin cream cold foam. The earlier ordering instructions on this page called for vanilla, toffee nut and vanilla sweet cream cold foam. That combination was incorrect for this drink and has been removed.
Check your selected store before making a special trip. A place on the seasonal menu does not guarantee that every location has the ingredients when you visit.
Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai vs. Pumpkin Spice Chai
The similar names can make the order confusing. Starbucks lists both drinks for fall 2026:
- Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai: the returning iced drink with spiced black tea, milk and pumpkin cream cold foam.
- Pumpkin Spice Chai: the new hot drink made with spiced black tea, steamed milk and pumpkin sauce, finished with pumpkin spice topping.
If you want the iced drink with foam shown in Brittanie’s original photos, include “iced” and “cream” in your order. If you want the hot pumpkin chai, ask for Pumpkin Spice Chai.
What changed about Starbucks chai in 2026?
Starbucks introduced a new chai blend on March 3, 2026. Its updated recipe separates the chai from the added classic syrup, so customers can adjust sweetness and spice separately. Reducing classic syrup changes the added sweetness; changing the chai pumps adjusts the spice.
That is worth knowing if you are returning to a drink you loved a few years ago. This page does not contain a new taste test of the 2026 version. For more on the base drink, see our Starbucks chai ordering guide.
Brittanie’s original 2023 Pumpkin Cream Chai review
The review and drink photos in this section are from August 2023.
What I thought of the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai in 2023
Yes! If you are looking for a fall drink that has a subtle hint of pumpkin, a bit of spice and creamy goodness, you will like the pumpkin cream chai tea latte.
Personally, I am not a HUGE fan of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte but this new drink is the perfect blend of pumpkin spice/pumpkin and that pumpkin cream cold foam is to die for. Seriously, I think I went to heaven with every sip.
I personally love the chai tea latte with pumps of vanilla at another coffee chain called Beans & Brews.
This latte tastes almost identical but has a bit of pumpkin flavoring too and it’s just so good!
Overall, I think if you like the spiciness of chai tea with the creaminess of a pumpkin foam, and you enjoy iced tea lattes, you will enjoy this drink.
For the current seasonal lineup, see our Starbucks fall menu guide.
Still deciding? Browse our Starbucks secret menu recipes and ordering guide for your next drink.
