How to make a tea latte

How to make a tea latte…

There’s something magical about a tea latte. It’s the moment the world slows down, the swirl of creamy milk meeting steeped leaves, the gentle steam rising like a promise of calm. Whether you’re curled up with a book on a rainy afternoon or grabbing a to-go cup on a bustling morning, the tea latte is the perfect pick-me-up.

Our Chai Latte was an Edinburgh institution with customers regularly flocking to our Edinburgh Tea Room to sample the sweet and spicy cuppa. So, if you’re missing it here’s how to make one at home.

What Is a Tea Latte?
A dreamy combination of brewed tea and steamed milk, often sweetened and spiced to perfection. It’s comfort in a cup, with endless possibilities, from floral to earthy, spicy to sweet.

Some of the most beloved varieties include:

Chai Latte – A bold blend of black tea with warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and clove, sweetened with condensed milk.

London Fog – Earl Grey with a twist, creamy milk and a touch of honey for a soft, elegant sip.

Rooibos Latte – Naturally caffeine-free with rich, red herbal notes that feel like dessert without the guilt.

The Art of Making a Tea Latte at Home

You don’t need need to be a  barista to master the tea latte at home. Here’s a simple formula:

Gather

Tea of your choice, brew to fill 70% of your mug.

Milk of your choice, enough to fill 30% of your mug.

5 – 10ml of Sweetener – We love condensed milk, it adds a rich viscosity and is perfect for Chai Lattes. Honey, maple and and agave syrups are all delicious options.

Method

• Brew your tea strong. Use double the amount of tea you normally would since you’re adding milk and want to keep the flavour bold.
• Add your chosen sweetener and heat and froth your milk. You can use a velvetiser, steam wand from your at home coffee machine. Or, in a pan or microwave and froth with a milk whisk.
• Pour and enjoy – Combine tea and milk in your favourite mug, and take a moment for yourself.
• You can garnish with extras like cinnamon or chocolate powder.

Hospitality Venues / Large Volume

For speed of service it is a good idea to make a cold brew and batch your sweetened latte milk – For busy hospitality or other high volume venues we recommend a cold brew base to make your popular lattes. To ensure a silky viscosity we make our lattes with the addition of condensed milk which also doubles up as sweetener.

In hospitality venues it’s useful to batch the milk: mix 100g of condensed milk per litre of cow’s milk. Refrigerate and follow the milk use by date.

COLD BREW: Take 2 tsps. of tea leaves per 500ml of cold brew. Flush the leaves by rinsing briefly with boiling water and straining. Add fresh, cold water and pop in the fridge for a minimum 3 hours (overnight is perfect). Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Get experimenting with your blends! A word of caution – avoid fruit teas with high citrus content as they will curdle the milk. Feel free to play around with milk / tea ratios and add in extra spices and botanicals – A signature tea latte can turn your cafe into a destination!

Method

• Build directly In your steel steaming jug – 70% cold brew tea to 30% latte mix.
• Steam until hot to touch and texturised to latte consistency.
• Pour into the serving the cup, garnish with tea botanicals, cinnamon, cocoa powder… get creative.

Some of our favourite recipes…

Keep The Heid Tea Latte

Makes 1 in a 260ml mug

Gather

• 1 heaped teaspoon of Keep The Heid
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 80ml milk

Method

• Brew the Keep The Heid  in 180ml of freshly drawn, boiled water.
• Brew for 3 minutes and remove the leaves.
• Mix honey with the milk and heat.
• Add the tea to your serving cup and top with the sweetened, steamed milk.

To note: Tea can be cold brewed in advance. Combined in steam jug and steamed together with the milk.

Herbal Chai Gingerbread Tea Latte

Makes 1 in a 260ml mug

Gather

• 1 heaped tea spoon of Herbal Chai
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 10ml of condensed milk
• 80ml plant/ dairy milk
• Optional whipped cream

Method

• Brew a strong infusion Herbal Chai 1 tsp in 180ml of boiling water, leave for 6 minutes and remove the leaves.
• Combine ginger and condensed milk with milk and heat to latte consistency.
• Combine in your serving mug.
• Garnish with whipped cream and ground ginger (optional)

To note: Tea can be cold brewed in advance. Combined in steam jug and steamed together with the milk.