How to Make Cosy Tea Lattes at Home This Autumn
As the weather cools, a warm tea latte is a comforting alternative to coffee drinks, often with less caffeine. Tea lattes are simple: brew tea strong, sweeten it lightly and top with frothed milk. With a milk frother and a few loose leaf teas, you can make cafe-style London fogs, roasted hojicha lattes and caffeine-free rooibos lattes at home.
Brew a strong base
Milk dilutes tea flavour, so brew a stronger concentrate than usual. Use about double the normal leaf quantity in half the water, while keeping the recommended temperature and steeping time for the tea type to avoid bitterness.
Strain the tea well into a warmed mug. Loose leaf gives a cleaner, fuller flavour than most tea bags.
London fog
A London fog combines Earl Grey tea, vanilla and steamed milk. Brew strong Earl Grey, stir in a little vanilla syrup or a drop of vanilla extract with sugar or honey, then top with frothed milk.
A sprinkle of dried lavender in the brew adds a floral note, but use it sparingly, since lavender can easily taste soapy.
Hojicha latte
Hojicha is roasted Japanese green tea with a toasty, caramel-like flavour and lower caffeine than many green teas. Brew hojicha leaves strong with hot water, or whisk hojicha powder with a small amount of hot water like matcha.
Add milk and a small amount of sweetener. Oat milk pairs especially well with hojicha's roasted notes.
Rooibos and chai-style lattes
Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and slightly sweet, making it a good evening latte. Brew rooibos strongly, add vanilla or cinnamon and top with frothed milk.
For a spiced black tea latte, brew black tea with cinnamon sticks, cardamom and ginger, or use a store-bought chai concentrate. Maple syrup complements autumn spices well.
Froth the milk
An electric milk frother warms and foams milk quickly. Whole milk and barista versions of plant milks produce the most stable foam.
Without a frother, heat milk gently and shake it in a sealed jar or whisk vigorously. Avoid boiling milk, which reduces sweetness and foam quality.
Make your own vanilla and maple syrups
Homemade syrups keep tea lattes from tasting overly sweet. For vanilla syrup, heat equal parts sugar and water until dissolved, add a split vanilla bean or a teaspoon of vanilla extract, cool and refrigerate in a clean bottle for up to two weeks.
For a maple cinnamon syrup, warm pure maple syrup with a cinnamon stick for a few minutes, then let it cool. Start with a teaspoon or two in each latte and adjust, since tea flavours are more delicate than espresso and easily overwhelmed.
Iced versions for warm autumn days
Early autumn afternoons can still be warm. Brew the tea concentrate as usual, let it cool, then pour over ice with cold milk and a little syrup for an iced London fog or iced hojicha latte.
Cold foam made in a frother on its cold setting adds a cafe-style finish to iced lattes. Cold brewed rooibos or hojicha also makes a smooth, naturally sweet base with no bitterness.