Crisp fall weather is the perfect occasion to break out your favorite cozy, autumn-themed drinks. Hot toddies and hard ciders are great options—but when you're trying to steer clear of alcohol, there are plenty of other tasty autumnal beverages to choose from. Here are our top picks for the best nonalcoholic drinks for fall!
1. Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte
This cozy recipe combines spicy-sweet chai tea and autumnal pumpkin spices for a festive fall latte that’s full of flavor.
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
- 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.
- Bring to a simmer at medium heat.
- Remove from heat and strain over a mug.
- Froth a small amount of milk using a milk frother or electric whisk.
- Top with frothed milk, sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with star anise, then enjoy!
2. Masala Chai Latte
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.
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
- In a small saucepan at medium heat, bring all of the ingredients to a simmer.
- Remove from heat and strain to remove the tea leaves and cinnamon stick.
- Froth some milk with a milk frother or electric whisk to top the latte.
- Serve into a mug while still hot.
3. Horchata Chai
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!
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 leaf tea
Instructions
- Soak 1/2 cup rice, 1 1/2 cup water, and 1 cinnamon stick overnight.
- Place horchata ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth, then strain and transfer horchata to a pitcher.
- Steep Masala Chai for five minutes. Let it cool.
- Fill a glass with ice and pour in the horchata until 3/4 of the glass is full.
- Top off with masala chai tea.
- Enjoy!
4. Earl Grey Hot Toddy
While hot toddies traditionally feature spirits like brandy or bourbon, the alcohol is optional for this warming, citrusy beverage.
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Earl Grey loose leaf tea
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine apple cider and orange juice and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from heat, add Earl Grey tea and steep for 10 minutes.
- Remove tea.
- Serve and enjoy!
5. Peppermint Matcha Latte
Maple, mint, and matcha combine in this cozy, flavorful latte.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Culinary Grade Matcha
- 4 oz peppermint tea, brewed
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 cup steamed milk of your choice
Instructions
- 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.
- Add in the maple syrup and mix until combined.
- Transfer the matcha mixture into a mug.
- In a frothing pitcher, steam the milk and froth with a hand frother.
- Slowly pour this into the mug with the matcha mixture.
- Enjoy!
6. Hojicha Latte
Hojicha is a roasted green tea from Japan with a rich, nutty flavor. Our powdered hojicha green tea is perfect for whipping up into a latte.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Stir 1 teaspoon of latte mix into 8 oz. of hot milk until fully mixed. Use an electric milk frother for an extra velvety taste.
7. A classic tea latte
Tea lattes are a sweet, indulgent treat! Like coffee-based lattes, they’re made by adding steamed, frothed milk and sweetener to a tea base. Some popular versions of tea lattes include matcha lattes, chai lattes, London fog lattes, and more. They’re the perfect drink for chilly fall days, whether you’re ordering one from a coffee shop or enjoying a homemade version in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- 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.)
Instructions
- Brew your tea. Be sure to leave enough room at the top of your cup for the milk!
- Sweeten your tea with regular sugar, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or whatever else you have on hand.
- Heat your milk. 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.
- Froth your milk using a milk frother or frothing wand.
- 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!
Photo and recipe credits: Sandra Aguirre.
