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 straight Tea Latte 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.
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.
A great chai latte doesn’t need dairy milk. Meet the perfect Vegan Chai Latte! It’s warm and cozy spiced, lightly creamy with a fluffy foam topping. And honestly, that’s a feat! Dairy free milks can act more like water than milk. So this vegan latte: it’s a revelation! It’s just sweet enough with the perfect intrigue from the chai spices. It’s much lighter than a typical latte, so you don’t feel like you just ate a bowl of ice cream.
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.
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
(6 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
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.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) strong black tea (1 tea bag and 1/2 cup water)
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) whole milk*
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Make the tea using 1 black tea bag and 1/2 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.
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Tea
Keywords: Tea latte recipes
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.
About the Authors
Sonja Overhiser
Cookbook Author and writer
Sonja Overhiser is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best healthy cookbooks of 2018. She’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food blog A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Sonja seeks to inspire adventurous eating to make the world a better place one bite at a time.
Alex Overhiser
Cookbook Author and photographer
Alex Overhiser is an acclaimed food photographer and author based in Indianapolis. He’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the recipe website A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Alex is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best vegetarian cookbooks by Epicurious.
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