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Want a cozy warming drink? Try a tea latte! Here are all the best tea latte recipes with the perfect frothy foam topping.
Are you a tea latte lover? This tasty beverage may not have an ounce of coffee, but it’s become a coffeehouse masterpiece. There’s nothing better than cozying up to a great tea latte, especially in cool weather. Did you know you can bring the magic of the coffeeshop right into your home? It’s easy to make a tea latte: all you’ve got to do is perfect the art of milk frothing, and you’re in business.
There are lots of different tea lattes: from a Tea Latte with hot tea to that famous spin on masala chai, the Chai Latte (and everything in between). No matter what drink you choose: we guarantee it will be delicious.
And now…the best tea latte recipes to try!
Want to make the perfect tea latte at home? You can make a cup of creamy tea with a beautiful foamy, frothy topping: and it’s just as good as your local coffee shop (or better)! Tea lattes are the perfect cozy warm drink for fall and winter: but they work for anytime, too! You can whip yours up in just 5 minutes using black tea and milk. Here are all the tricks to making a tea latte at home!
Our personal favorite in our tea latte recipes: the chai latte! No need to run to your favorite coffee shop: you can make an even better chai latte in the comfort of your own home. There’s because there’s something that’s uniquely beautiful about this drink: the intrigue of the warm spices, the twinge of bitterness of tea, the rich, fluffed milk froth that makes a mustache after each sip. Yes, this is the way that a chai latte should be.
Also try: Vegan Chai Latte
Here’s one to add to your homemade tea latte repertoire: the London Fog! This latte with Earl Gray tea is sweet and creamy, with the gentle essence of honey, vanilla and lavender blossoms. It’s a total treat!
Love a great tea latte? Try this homemade Matcha Latte! Each sip is herbal, lightly sweet and subtly bitter from the matcha, contrasted by the rich and creamy milk. You can make a good matcha latte at home, but want to make a great one? Here’s what you need to know to make a drink with the best brilliant green color and smooth, calming flavor.
How cozy does this cup look? Yes, this vanilla chai latte is the equivalent of putting on a fuzzy sweater and curling up by a roaring fireplace. This tea is flavored with the beautiful spices of masala chai: cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Add to it the frothed milk foam from a latte, and you’ll feel like you’re drinking a fancy tea latte from your local coffee shop.
Our favorite fancy tea latte for a splurge? A Dirty Chai Latte! Adding a shot of espresso to masala chai gives it a jolt of caffeine. Even better, the bitterness of coffee is just right for rounding out the subtle creamy sweetness. Here’s our spin on this coffee house special: it’s just sweet enough, and spiced gently with a special blend of chai spices.
A matcha latte is one thing, but the iced matcha latte? This green drink is like a whole new category: perfectly chilled, lusciously creamy, with just the right hint of sweetness. If you love a good Starbucks iced matcha latte, never fear! You can recreate it in the comfort of your own home. It’s even faster and easier than the hot latte version. Here's how!
Last up: an icy variation on a tea latte! This Iced Chai Latte is sweetly spiced and oh so delicious. The homemade version of this coffeeshop special tastes much better than the Starbucks version that’s so popular (and has less sugar). This one is sweetened with maple syrup and made with our custom chai spices blend. Make up a big batch of the concentrate and drink off of it all week!
Equipment to make the perfect tea latte foam
Each of these tea latte recipes have instructions on how to make the perfect frothed milk topping. This can require some special equipment: or there’s one tool that you probably have at home.
- French press: This is the method we use. It’s easy and results in great foam! Here’s a link to buy a French press. Plus, you can also use it to make coffee.
- Handheld milk frother: This tool is made especially for frothing! It’s very easy to use and pretty cheap, coming in at $10. Here’s a link to buy a handheld milk frother.
- Whisk: If you don’t want to buy special equipment, that’s ok! You can use a whisk and it works (just not nearly as well as the other two).
Tea Latte Recipe
Here’s how to make a tea latte recipe just like your favorite coffee shop…in 5 minutes! It’s got the best creamy flavor and frothy foam topping. For a chai latte: go to Chai Latte or Vanilla Chai Latte.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Tea
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (½ cup) strong black tea (1 tea bag and ½ cup water)
- 4 ounces (½ cup) whole milk*
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Make the tea using 1 black tea bag and ½ cup water. Allow to steep for several minutes.
- Add the milk and maple syrup to a small saucepan. Heat the milk to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (measure using a thermometer): this is hot with some small bubbles forming around the outside, but not simmering. The exact temperature is helpful for getting the perfect foam (if you don’t have a thermometer you can approximate).
- Use a hand frother, whisk, or French press to foam the milk into small, even bubbles. (The French press is our favorite method: Add the scalding milk to the French press and pump using quick, short plunges for 20 seconds until small foamy bubbles occur. Pour into a pitcher and tap it on the counter to break down large bubbles. You’ll get best results with 1 cup of milk for two drinks.)
- Pour the tea into a cup. Gently pour the milk and foam into the center of tea.
Notes
*If you’re using the French press frothing method, note that you’ll get best results using 1 cup milk and making 2 drinks.
More cozy drinks
Looking for more cozy drinks like this one? Some of our favorite warming drinks for the season are:
- Mulled Wine Simmer red wine with orange zest, cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice and honey. It’s a crowd pleaser!
- Hot Buttered Rum This cozy drink is great for chilly fall evenings or as a cocktail for holiday season.
- Hot Apple Cider or Mulled Cider Easy and makes your kitchen smell amazing. Or add rum to make it Spiked Apple Cider.
Oh the many teas outside of Matcha and Chai that deserve recognition…this may be 8 recipes but it’s really 3 different teas and 6 variations of matcha and chai. I would have liked to see something that could distinguish this tea article from every other tea article out there.
Now I just realize that there are many tea latte recipe that we can invent. Literally impressive! I’ve been drinking and loving Chai latte the most so far. But London Fog sounds absolutely tempting! I will try it soon! Good job, Sonja & Alex!
Hi! What kind of recipes would you like to see?