Lattes can seem intimidating to make at home, but they’re actually pretty simple! All you need is good tea, milk, and a sweetener of your choice. Master a few easy steps and you’ll be able to whip up delicious tea lattes on demand whenever the urge strikes you. While tea lattes are simple at their core, they’re also fun to experiment with, so feel free to play around with different variations until you find your favorite!

What is a tea latte?

At its most simple, a tea latte is just like a coffee-based latte, but with tea instead of coffee or espresso. Tea lattes blend steamed, frothed milk with brewed tea and sweetener for a cozy, satisfying drink that's surprisingly easy to make at home.

How to make a hot tea latte

Making a tea latte that’s as good as the one from your local coffee shop is surprisingly easy!

What you’ll need

To make a tea latte at home, you’ll need:

• Tea of your choice (popular options include Matcha, Masala Chai, Earl Grey Lavender, and Apricot Brandy)
• Milk (use whole milk for an extra rich latte, or use non-dairy milk like oat milk or almond milk if you prefer!)
• Sweetener (sugar, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, etc.)

1. Brew your tea

The first step when making a tea latte is to brew up your tea base. This can vary depending on what type of tea you use, but for a black tea we recommend using one heaping teaspoon of tea leaves for every six ounces of water, heating water to boiling, and infusing your tea for about four to five minutes.

Tea infusers are a great option to brew your tea with. Be sure to leave enough room at the top of your cup for the milk!

2. Sweeten your tea

The next step is to sweeten your tea using a sweetener of your choice. You can use regular sugar, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or whatever else you have on hand.

3. Heat your milk

If you’re using a specialized milk frother or espresso machine, you can use this to heat up your milk. Otherwise, you can heat milk on the stove or microwave it for about 45 seconds. You want your milk to be hot, but not boiling! For a normal size latte, use about 1/3 cup of milk. You can use any type of milk you want, but whole milk will get the frothiest.

4. Froth your milk

Frothing the milk is probably the most intimidating part of making a tea latte at home. Luckily, you don’t necessarily need any specialized equipment to froth milk, and you probably already have a couple of these items in your kitchen! You can froth milk in a couple of different ways:

• Using a milk frother - This one is pretty self-explanatory: a milk frother will easily heat and froth your milk for you!
• Using a frothing wand - Frothing wands are another easy option, and often come as an accessory for immersion blenders. Just heat up your milk and froth away until your milk is fluffy and foamy.
• Using a whisk - If you don’t have a milk frother or frothing wand, you can use a hand whisk or electric whisk to froth your milk. Heat up your milk on the stovetop or in the microwave, then whisk until it’s nice and frothy.
• Shaking in a jar - If you don’t have any of the above equipment, you can froth your milk using a simple mason jar. Add steamed milk to a jar, screw on the lid, and shake vigorously.

5. Assemble your latte

To assemble your latte, pour the frothed milk into your teacup or mug and spoon the foam on top. You can garnish your latte with cinnamon, rose petals, or other garnishes. Then sit back and enjoy!

How to make an iced tea latte

Iced tea lattes are a cool, refreshing version of the traditional hot tea latte.

What you’ll need

To make an iced tea latte, you’ll need:

• Tea of your choice (popular options include Matcha, Masala Chai, Earl Grey Lavender, and Apricot Brandy)
• Milk (use whole milk for an extra rich latte, or use non-dairy milk like oat milk or almond milk if you prefer!)
• Sweetener (sugar, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, etc.)
• Ice cubes

1. Prepare your tea

You can either prepare your tea hot and then wait for it to cool, or cold-brew your tea overnight to use in the morning.

2. Sweeten your tea

If you prepare your tea hot, you should add the sweetener before the tea cools. This makes it easier for the sweetener to dissolve. If you’re using cold-brewed tea, you may want to use simple syrup, maple syrup, or another type of liquid sweetener.

3. Assemble your latte

To assemble your latte, fill a tall glass with ice and pour your sweetened tea over it. Then top with milk of your choice and enjoy!

10 more tea latte recipes

The above instructions can be used to make any type of tea latte. But if you're looking for a little inspiration, check out some of these tasty recipes!

1. Apple Chai Latte recipe

This tasty latte blends cider and chai for a perfectly autumnal drink!

Apple Chai Latte ingredients

• 6 oz apple juice or cider
• Cinnamon stick
• 1/4 allspice
• 2 tsp Masala Chai black tea
• 1 cup whole or almond milk
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Frothed almond milk

Preparation instructions

1. Add apple juice or cider to a saucepan with cinnamon stick and allspice, bring to a boil. Discard cinnamon stick.
2. Pour hot apple juice over masala chai tea and steep for 5 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, add whole or almond milk and masala chai apple juice. Bring to a simmer and add maple syrup.
4. Turn off the heat and add vanilla extract.
5. Serve in a glass mug and add small amount of frothed milk. Dust with ground cinnamon.

2. Peppermint Matcha Latte recipe

This minty green latte is a tasty treat for St. Patrick's Day and beyond.

Peppermint matcha latte ingredients

• 1 tsp Culinary Grade Matcha
• 4 oz peppermint tea, brewed
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 cup steamed milk of your choice

Preparation instructions

1. In a matcha bowl (or a small bowl), whisk together culinary matcha and hot brewed peppermint tea with a matcha whisk until smooth and foamy.
2. Add in the maple syrup and mix until combined.
3. Transfer the matcha mixture into a mug.
4. In a frothing pitcher, steam the milk and froth with a hand frother.
5. Slowly pour this into the mug with the matcha mixture.
6. Enjoy!

3. Strawberry Jasmine Green Tea Latte recipe

This Strawberry Jasmine Green Tea Latte is floral, fruity, and refreshing!

Syrup ingredients

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and top removed
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp agave syrup

Tea ingredients

• 1 tsp Jasmine Yin Cloud Green Tea
• 4 oz hot water
• Ice cubes
• Milk of your choice

Preparation instructions

1. Dice strawberries and place in a small saucepan along with the lemon juice and agave syrup.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes or until strawberries are soft. Remove from heat and cool down.
3. Place the strawberry mixture in a blender and process until smooth.
4. Brew tea according to the package instructions and let it cool.
5. Pour 2 tablespoons of the strawberry syrup into a glass and cover with ice, then pour the tea over and top with milk.
6. Serve immediately.

4. Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte recipe

This cozy recipe combines spicy-sweet chai tea and autumnal pumpkin spices for a festive fall latte that’s full of flavor.

Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup milk of your choice
• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1 inch of fresh ginger root, cut into thin slices
• 1/4 of cinnamon stick
• 2 to 4 cardamom pods, optional
• 1 tbsp Masala Chai black tea
• Splash of vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp of masala chai maple syrup or regular maple syrup
• Frothed milk
• Ground cinnamon for garnish (optional)
• Star anise for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the milk into a small saucepan and add the pumpkin purée, ginger slices, cinnamon, cardamom pods, masala chai loose tea, vanilla extract and maple syrup.
2. Bring to a simmer at medium heat.
3. Remove from heat and strain over a mug.
4. Froth a small amount of milk using a milk frother or electric whisk.
5. Top with frothed milk, sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with star anise, then enjoy!

5. Masala Chai Latte recipe

A chai latte is a classic take on a tea latte featuring black tea with chai spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. While chai lattes are a staple of cafes, they’re actually surprisingly simple to make at home! All it takes is tea, milk, and sweetener to whip up a tasty chai latte in just a few minutes.

Masala Chai Latte ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp Masala Chai black tea
• Small piece of a cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1/2 tsp Masala Chai extract (optional)
• 1 tsp maple syrup or other sweetener

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan at medium heat, add in all of the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
2. Remove from heat and strain to remove the tea leaves and cinnamon stick.
3. Froth some milk with a milk frother or electric whisk to top the latte.
4. Serve into a mug while still hot.

6. Horchata Chai Iced Latte recipe

Chai tea and horchata are both known for their creamy, sweet flavors, so it makes perfect sense to combine them in this tasty spiced concoction. Cool, sweet horchata and milky, spicy chai are the perfect complements!

Horchata Chai ingredients

For the horchata:

• 1/2 cup rice, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened 
• 1 cup oat milk, unsweetened 
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

For the tea:

• 4 oz boiling water
• 1 tsp Masala Chai loose tea

Instructions

1. Soak 1/2 cup rice, 1 1/2 cup water, and 1 cinnamon stick overnight.
2. Place horchata ingredients in a blender.
3. Blend until smooth, then strain and transfer horchata to a pitcher.
4. Steep Masala chai for five minutes. Let it cool.
5. Fill a glass with ice and pour in the horchata until 3/4 of the glass is full.
6. Top off with masala chai tea.
7. Enjoy!

7. Matcha Horchata Iced Latte recipe

A twist on a classic horchata recipe, this creamy, bright matcha horchata blends the vegetal umami of matcha with the milky sweetness of horchata.

Matcha Horchata ingredients

For the horchata:

• 1/2 cup rice, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
• 1 cup oat milk, unsweetened
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the tea:

• 4 oz hot water
• 1 tsp Culinary Grade Matcha

Instructions

1. Soak 1/2 cup rice, 1 1/2 cup water, and 1 cinnamon stick overnight.
2. Place horchata ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Strain and transfer horchata to a pitcher.
4. Place the matcha in a small bowl and cover with the hot water.
5. Whisk until smooth, then let it cool.
6. Fill a glass with ice and pour in the horchata until 3/4 of the glass is full.
7. Top off with matcha.

8. Pink Latte recipe

You may have heard of tea lattes like London Fogs and matcha lattes before, but have you heard of a pink latte? This unique tea drink is colored with beet root powder and flavored with tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Pink Latte ingredients

• 8 oz almond milk
• 2 tsp Midnight Rose black tea
• 1 tsp beet root powder
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or as desired)

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium-low heat and warm, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
2. Simmer for 3 more minutes, remove from heat.
3. Sieve and discard tea leaves and cardamom pods.
4. Froth and garnish with some rose petals from Midnight Rose tea.

9. Iced Matcha Latte recipe

A classic summertime drink—creamy, sweet, and a little grassy, with enough caffeine to give you a boost and without any of the jitters of coffee.

Iced Matcha Latte ingredients

• Culinary Grade Matcha
• Milk (whole, or plant-based milk of your choice)
• Ice
• Sweetener to taste, we recommend maple syrup or raspberry simple syrup (pictured)

Instructions

1. Fill a tall glass 3/4 of the way with milk. Sift approximately a teaspoon of matcha powder into the glass using a matcha sifter.
2. Using a handheld milk frother, froth until matcha is uniformly blended.
3. Add sweetener to taste.
4. Add ice to fill the glass.
5. Enjoy!

10. London Fog Tea Latte recipe

A London Fog is warm, sweet, and frothy, with just a hint of citrus from the bergamot-flavored tea.

London Fog ingredients

• Organic Earl Grey Black Tea
• Sweetener of choice (we like honey or maple syrup)
• Milk of choice (we use organic whole milk)

Instructions

1. Brew your Earl Grey tea according to package instructions, leaving room at the top of your mug or cup.
2. Add sweetener to taste.
3. Heat about 1/4 cup milk and froth using a milk frother.
4. Pour frothed milk over your brewed tea.
5. Enjoy!

11. Hojicha Latte recipe

Hojicha is a tasty drink made from roasted Japanese green tea. You can brew the tea on its own, or use a powdered latte mix for a more concentrated flavor.

Hojicha Latte ingredients

• 1 tbsp Hojicha latte mix
• 8 oz milk

Hot Hojicha Latte instructions

1. Add one tablespoon of latte mix and eight ounces of hot milk to a mug or cup.
2. Stir until fully mixed. Use an electric milk frother for an extra velvety taste.
3. Enjoy!

Iced Hojicha Latte instructions

1. Add one tablespoon of latte mix and eight ounces of cold milk to a mug or cup.
2. Stir until fully mixed. Use an electric milk frother for an extra velvety taste.
3. Add ice to fill the cup.
4. Enjoy!

What tea should you use for a tea latte?

Truthfully, you can use any type of tea you want for a tea latte! From caffeinated teas to herbal teas, hearty black teas to rich, vegetal matcha, there are plenty of great options to choose from. Here are some teas that we think make especially nice lattes:

Matcha latte

Matcha lattes are a classic version of tea lattes that use Japanese matcha as their base. Matcha is a powdered green tea known for its rich, vegetal flavor and bright green color. Culinary grade matcha is specifically designed for use in the kitchen, and it a great choice for tea lattes.

Chai latte

Chai lattes are another classic, and one that you’ll almost always find on offer at coffee shops even if they don’t have many other tea options. To make a chai latte, use Masala Chai as a base for a caffeinated latte, or Rooibos Chai for a caffeine-free version. Other similar spiced teas like Solstice Spice also make great lattes.

Black tea latte

Flavored black teas make a great tea latte base! They’re hearty enough to stand up to milk and there are many different options to choose from. We're particularly big fans of lattes made with Earl Grey, Midnight Rose, or Apricot Brandy! If you're in the mood for something bold and smoky, you can even go with a Lapsang Souchong latte.

Other teas

The sky’s the limit - feel free to experiment with lattes using your favorites teas as a base!

Tea latte vs. milk tea: what’s the difference?

While tea lattes and milk tea are pretty similar, there are a few important differences. You can think of milk tea as a big umbrella that includes all kinds of different teas with milk in them, and tea lattes as a specific type of milk tea underneath that umbrella. Other types of milk tea include boba, Thai tea, Hong Kong milk tea, Hokkaido milk tea, Okinawa milk tea, and a classic British cuppa with milk in it.

All photo and recipe credits: Sandra Aguirre.

Read more:

• Masala Chai Latte Recipe
• How to Make a Pink Latte
• How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte