London Fog Tea Latte (Vanilla Earl Grey Tea Latte)

Cozy up with a homemade London Fog tea latte — made with hot Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup, and steamed frothed milk. With only three ingredients, this can be made with or without a dedicated milk frother! Perfect for enjoying alongside a scone, cookie, or biscotti!

London Fog latte in a glass mug on dark wood background.

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And with that, fall is in the air, and it’s glorious. It’s the perfect time to curl up on the porch with a throw blanket and a cup of hot something.

I’ve always loved Earl Grey tea, and turning it into a London Fog latte is just what it needs to become something truly decadent on a crisp autumn morning. Serve with a cardamon orange scone or chewy Italian almond cookie for a real treat!

What is a London Fog latte?

A London Fog latte is a tea-based beverage made with Earl Grey tea, steamed frothed milk, and vanilla syrup. Simple and delicious.

Ingredients and method

Earl Grey tea

For this recipe, I brew a cup of Earl Grey tea extra-long and extra-strong — with two tea bags steeped in 8 oz. of boiling water for about 6-7 minutes. Since there’s so much milk added, you really need that extra tea bag for an extra-bold Earl Grey taste. While a typical black tea steep time is 3-5 minutes, I give it an extra minute or two to infuse even more flavor without turning the tea bitter.

Can I microwave my water?

In short, no! Make sure you boil your water in a stovetop kettle, electric kettle, or a small pot on the stove. Microwave water does. not. cut it. EVEN if it looks like it’s boiling.
A microwave heats unevenly and you’ll end up with pockets of water that bubble and boil, surrounded by pockets of cooler water. The water won’t be an adequate temperature to steep your tea properly.

My favorite Earl Grey tea bags are Bigelow. I used to drink a thermos-full every morning at work with a splash of cream! You can use your favorite brand of tea bags or loose leaf Earl Grey if you prefer — just double up your typical amount of leaves.

Labeled photo of ingredients for London Fog Earl Grey Vanilla tea latte.

Vanilla syrup

Make sure to use a vanilla syrup like Torani or a homemade version, rather than just vanilla extract. You really need the sweetener for this latte.

Milk

I always have 2% milk on hand, but whole milk would be an even more rich and flavorful option. You could also use your favorite non-dairy milk, if you prefer.

Frothing the milk

You have a few options for frothing your milk.

Dedicated steamer/frother: The easiest method that will give you the best results is using a dedicated milk steamer and frother, like if you have an espresso machine. I use the milk steamer on my Gaggia Classic Pro.

Handheld milk frother wand: If you don’t have an espresso machine, my next top choice would be to use a handheld milk frother wand. They don’t take up much space, you can snag one for about fifteen bucks, and you can even use it to make single servings of whipped cream whenever the urge strikes! Just heat your milk first (microwave is fine for the milk) and then use the frothing wand until you have some nice fine foam on top.

Other options: Okay, but if you don’t have an espresso machine or handheld milk frother, but you still want this latte now, you’re in luck! There are several other ways you can froth your milk. With each of these, you’ll want to heat your milk to the desired temperature first.

  • Put it in a jar, put the lid on, and shake it, shake, shake it, shake it (foam won’t be very fine)
  • Put your hot milk in a blender and whirl away
  • Use a hand mixer and a large bowl
Milk being poured from stainless steel pitcher into glass mug of tea.

Putting your London Fog latte together

One or two? First, decide if you’re making one latte or two. This makes about 16 oz. of latte total. If you’re using teacups or small mugs like what I have pictured (8 oz. capacity), this will make two lattes. If you’re using a coffee mug, it will make one.

Brew your tea. Brew your 8 oz of extra strong Earl Grey tea, as described above, and fill your cups or mug a little over halfway.

Sweeten the deal. Add the vanilla syrup (1 tablespoon each for small cups or 2 tablespoons in a single mug) and stir well. If you prefer your lattes less sweet, you can reduce the amount of syrup by a third (two teaspoons per small latte or four teaspoons for a large latte).

Heat your milk. Then heat your milk to about 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the sweet spot, literally, for your milk to have its maximum natural sweetness while being a pleasantly-hot-but-still-drinkable temperature for a latte. I use my Thermapen instant read thermometer to check the temperature as I steam my milk. In a microwave, this takes around a minute and a half.

Froth it! Froth the milk using your method of choice (listed above). Once your milk is heated and frothed, tap the milk container on the counter a couple times. This pops any of the larger bubbles and helps your foam be more even.

Put it together! Divide the milk and froth between your two small cups or pour into your one large mug. The thin milk will pour first and the foam will hang out in your frothing cup until the end, so if you’re dividing it be sure to alternate between cups so you don’t end up with only milk in one latte and all the foam in the other. If you’re doing one large latte and you’re approaching the top of the mug, you can stop pouring and spoon on the foam instead.

Serve with a scone, cookie, or biscotti and enjoy!

London Fog latte in a glass mug on a dark wood background with tea bag in front and biscotti behind it.

London Fog variations

Lavender London Fog Latte

Use a lavender Earl Grey blend or add a teaspoon of culinary lavender or lavender tea to your brew for a floral variation on the traditional latte!

Paris London Fog Latte

One of my other favorite teas is Harney & Sons Paris tea. Like Earl Grey, it’s a black tea infused with bergamot; however, Paris tea also contains oolong tea, black currant, vanilla, and caramel flavors. Swapping out the Earl Grey for Paris tea gives an extra decadent dessert-like quality to your London Fog latte!

Dutch Bros., Stash, and I’m sure some other brands also have Paris tea blends with similar but not identical flavors. Check the ingredients to see which one strikes your fancy!

What goes well with a London Fog tea latte?

These little treats are the perfect accompaniment to your hot Earl Grey and vanilla latte!

More Earl Grey recipes

If you love Earl Grey tea as much as I do, check out some of these other recipes!

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5 from 3 votes

London Fog Tea Latte (Earl Grey Vanilla Latte)

Cozy up with a homemade London Fog tea latte — made with hot Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup, and steamed frothed milk. With only three ingredients, this can be made with or without a dedicated milk frother! Perfect for enjoying alongside a biscotti!
Print Recipe Save Recipe
Course: Dessert, Drinks
Cuisine: American
Yield: 2 servings
Calories: 106kcal
Prep Time:15 minutes
Total Time:15 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 Earl Grey tea bags, or 2 teaspoons loose leaf Earl Grey tea I use Bigelow – see note
  • 8 oz water
  • 6 oz milk
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup for example, Torani

Instructions

  • This recipe makes two small lattes (for an 8 oz cup) or one large latte (for a 16 oz. mug).

For two small 8-oz. lattes

  • Boil 8 oz. water in a kettle or on the stove (see note), and pour over both tea bags in a liquid measuring cup. Steep tea for 6-7 minutes and remove tea bags. Divide between two cups.
  • Add 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup to each cup and stir. For a less sweet latte, use 2 teaspoons each instead.
  • Heat and froth milk with a dedicated milk steamer to about 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit, or heat milk in a microwave safe liquid measuring cup for 90 seconds and froth using the method of your choice. I recommend a handheld milk frother, but if you don't have one you can shake it in a jar (froth will not be as fine), use a hand mixer in a bowl, or whirl it around in a blender until frothy.
  • Divide milk and froth evenly between two cups. The milk will pour out first, followed by the froth, so make sure one cup doesn't get all the milk and the other all the froth!
  • Enjoy with a scone, cookie, or biscotti on the side!

For one large 16-oz. latte

  • Boil 8 oz. water in a kettle or on the stove, and pour over both tea bags in a 16-oz mug. Steep tea for 6-7 minutes and remove tea bags.
  • Add 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup to mug and stir. For a less sweet latte, use 4 teaspoons instead.
  • Heat and froth milk with a dedicated milk steamer to about 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit, or heat milk in a microwave safe liquid measuring cup for 90 seconds and froth using the method of your choice. I recommend a handheld milk frother, but if you don't have one you can shake it in a jar (froth will not be as fine), use a hand mixer in a bowl, or whirl it around in a blender until frothy.
  • Pour milk and froth into mug. Depending on the amount of froth you get, you may have to stop pouring the milk at some point and spoon the froth over top!
  • Enjoy with a scone, cookie, or biscotti on the side!

Notes

Boiling water: Do not microwave your water to boil it! Microwaves don’t heat evenly so even if your water appears to be boiling, it will have pockets of cooler water throughout. The water will not be hot enough to properly steep your tea.
Variations:
For a lavender London Fog tea latte: dd a lavender tea bag or a teaspoon of culinary lavender in a tea ball when you steep your tea. 
For a Paris tea London Fog: Use a Paris tea blend instead of Earl Grey tea. Harney & Sons has an excellent one!
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinchmeimeating or tag #pinchmeimeating on Instagram!

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 125mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 1mg

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