This Earl Grey Milk Tea is a happy marriage of black tea and steamed milk that you can turn into a delicious beverage to warm up the coldest dreary day.
I’ve always been a tea drinker.
Back in college when my friends and I would be pulling all-nighters, I stayed away from the coffee and kept to my trusty steaming mug of tea.
Even after I started working, I never felt tempted to hang around the coffee machine.
But I have to admit that when I walked into my first Starbucks up in Portland, Oregon years ago on that rainy afternoon, I was immediately smitten.
The lighting, the coffee aroma, the warm ambiance, the sound of the espresso machines and milk steamers was overwhelming in the best way.
But what’s a girl to do when she doesn’t like the taste of coffee?
Thankfully, the friendly barista suggested I try a London Fog Tea Latte, and it’s been one of my favorite drinks ever since.
What’s even better is I figured out how to make one at home so you can get that cozy feeling of tea lattes anytime you want, without having to actually go into a Starbucks.
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Starbucks London Fog Tea Latte
Starbucks describes this Earl Grey Tea Latte like this:
Bright, citrusy spark of Italian bergamot blends with subtle hints of lavender, vanilla syrup, and steamed milk for this frothy reinvention of classic Earl Grey tea.
Starbucks.com
It sounds so sophisticated and amazing when you put it like that, but it’s really a simple drink that you can make at home any time you want.
(Which is good because now that there’s a Starbucks on every corner, the bloom is off the rose for me…)
London Fog (Earl Grey Tea Latte)
Basically, this Earl Grey Tea Latte is made with a black tea like Earl Grey, steamed milk, vanilla simple syrup and a hint of lavender.
That’s definitely something we can make at home for a fraction of the cost of the Starbucks creation.
MORE TO SIP ON: Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte Recipe
What kind of tea works best for the London Fog Drink?
The basis for the London Fog drink is Earl Grey tea, a popular flavored tea.
A flavored tea simply means it’s made up of tea leaves (black tea, oolong tea, green tea, etc.) blended with fruit, flowers, spices, oils, or extracts.
Earl Grey is one of the most recognized and widely used flavored teas in the world. There’s some dispute over the origin, but some say this tea was named for Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey, a British prime minister in the 1830’s.
Earl Grey is made up of:
- Black tea
- Oil of bergamot
Bergamot is a kind of citrus fruit about the size of an orange, but green. It’s never eaten fresh like an orange, but the rind is used for its aromatic unique flavor and aroma.
Bergamot oil is described as having a sharp and intensely citrus flavor, which is strong enough to stand up to the addition of milk and vanilla.
This drink relies on the distinctive taste and aroma of bergamot, but if you’re not a fan, you can always make a version with other flavoured black teas, or even the old standard English breakfast teas.
Tea bags vs. Loose Tea
Some tea purists will tell you that you should always brew your tea from loose tea leaves, but I think that when you’re blending it with milk and other flavorings, Earl Grey tea bags work just fine.
So you choose – if you love the ritual of brewing your tea with loose tea, by all means go for it.
But if you want to take a shortcut like I do sometimes, get yourself some teabags! It won’t change the flavor of your milk tea at all!
My Secret to the Best London Fog Tea Latte
I love it when I find something that not only tastes amazing, but saves me a step when I’m making a special drink.
Here’s my secret…Breakfast in Paris tea.
I really hit the copycat Starbuck’s drink jackpot when I found this tea. It’s made of black tea AND it has bergamot, vanilla, and lavender already in the mix. It comes in loose tea and tea bags so everyone is happy. It’s the perfect tea to make a perfect copycat London Fog Tea Latte. You can also get the same flavor in a loose leaf tea.
What Kind of Milk should I use in my Tea Latte?
You can use any kind of milk you have on hand and still create a delicious London Fog drink.
- Dairy milk: whole milk, 2%,
- Oat milk
- Cashew milk
- Coconut milk
- Almond milk (vanilla almond milk adds an extra vanilla punch)
- Soy milk
- Any milk of choice
Warm milk on the stove in a small saucepan, or the microwave if you’re in a hurry. If you have a fancy milk steamer, then go you!
I have my eye on this nifty milk frother/steamer gadget, pretty sure I’m going to spring for it soon!
For now, I heat up cold milk on the stove and use a milk frother that works wonders and really adds that extra level of decadence to my tea latte.
What Kind of Sweetener should I use to make an Earl Grey Tea Latte?
You could just add a tablespoon of sugar, or some simple syrup, but I like to add some Torani Vanilla Syrup. That way I get the sweetness I want and get that extra vanilla flavor.
The syrup lasts a long time and you can buy it anywhere.
You can use the sweetener of choice, but your drink may have a different flavor than the traditional Earl Grey tea latte. If you use one of these, you may want to add a splash of pure vanilla extract. Other options to try:
- Maple syrup
- Simple syrup
- Brown sugar syrup
Does a London Fog latte have health benefits?
It’s not just your imagination when you find yourself soothed by this Earl Grey latte. Because it’s made with black tea, you get all the health benefits of tea.
And bergamot essential oil has been shownto help reduce anxiety, stress and thereby alleviate symptoms of depression.
Does Earl Grey tea with milk have caffeine?
Because Earl Grey tea is a type of black tea from the camellia sinesis plant, tea drinkers will know that as a true tea, it does contain caffeine. The caffeine content is about 47 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup.
MORE TO SIP ON: How to Make a Chai Tea Latte
How to Make a London Fog or Earl Grey Tea Latte
To make a London Fog tea latte recipe, simply brew a cup of Breakfast in Paris tea (or Earl Grey if you want to leave out the lavender hints.)
Combine it with frothed hot milk, and add some vanilla syrup.
Every time I make one of these, I remember that day years ago when I had never set foot in a Starbucks. And the warm, frothy fragrant London Fog drink I had that day in Portland, and I smile.
Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
This Starbuck's copycat Earl Grey Tea Latte is the perfect drink to warm you up on a dreary day.
Ingredients
- 1 Stash Breakfast in Paris teabag or equivalent loose tea
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup of milk (choose your favorite)
- 1 tablespoon Torani vanilla-flavored syrup
Instructions
- Place tea bag in a 16 oz mug.
- Pour boiling water over tea and let steep for 3 minutes.
- While the tea steeps, heat milk on the stove or microwave.
- Using a frother, froth milk.
- Remove tea bag from mug, stir in vanilla syrup.
- Pour in the frothed milk and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 92
Nutrition information based on using 1 tablespoon of vanilla syrup and 1% dairy milk.
Can you make an iced London Fog drink?
If you’ve fallen in love with this delicious tea drink, why not try it chilled and over ice in the summer. An iced London fog tea latte is refreshing and easy to make on a hot day.
You can also make a delicious Earl Grey bubble tea, simply by adding tapioca pearls to your iced drink. Want to learn how to make your own boba pearls? Check out this easy recipe for bubble tea.
Other Copycat Starbucks Recipes
If you love a good Starbucks copycat recipe, I have tried a ton. Here are my all time Starbucks drinks you can make even better than the Starbucks’ version, and save so much money !
- Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher Recipe
- Iced Chai Tea Latte Recipe
- Iced Guava Black Tea Lemonade
- Iced Vanilla Chai Tea Latte
- Iced Guava White Tea Lemonade Recipe
- Mango Dragon Fruit Refresher
- Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
- Matcha Green Tea Frappuccino
- Strawberry Acai Refresher
- Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte
- Hot Matcha Green Tea Latte
- Iced Passion Tea Lemonade
- Hot Chai Tea Latte
- Medicine Ball Tea
- Iced Caramel Macchiato
- Iced London Fog Tea Latte
- London Fog Drink – Earl Grey Milk Tea
- Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte
- Iced Papaya Green Tea (Panera Copycat)
