Iced Brown Sugar Tea Latte
Updated Jan 13, 2021
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A layered iced tea latte with black tea, milk, and brown sugar. It’s sweet, refreshing, and so easy to make.
Brown Sugar Iced Tea latte
This layered iced tea latte is a delicious drink that’s made with easy-to-find ingredients. The brown sugar makes it sweet, the tea makes it caffeinated, and the milk makes it creamy. It’s called a latte but there’s no coffee in the drink.
Note from Jee
Here’s the secret to making layered drinks. It’s all about the sugar.
The liquid with the highest sugar content should at the bottom since it’s the heaviest and will sink. The more of a difference there is in sugar, the more separated the layers will be. The ice helps to separate the layers even more when you pour on the next layer. Make sure to slowly pour the next liquid directly onto the ice.
Ingredient Notes
- English breakfast tea: I’m using English breakfast tea but you can use any black or oolong tea. Feel free to use loose tea, sachets, or tea bags.
- Brown sugar: I like this drink with brown sugar since it adds a richer and molasses-like taste.
- Water: Use filtered water if possible for a better tasting tea.
- Milk: I made this with 2% milk but you can use any kind of milk you like, including plant-based like soy or oat milk.
- Ice: I recommend making ice using filtered water.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Boil water on the stovetop or in an electric kettle. Combine tea sachet and hot water in a glass container. Steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea sachet and let cool.
Step 2: Make a quick brown sugar syrup by stirring brown sugar and hot water until sugar dissolves.
Step 3: It’s time to assemble the drink! Pour brown sugar simple syrup into a cup then add ice.
Step 4: Add milk, then the cooled down tea. Pouring slowly directly onto the ice and not into the liquid helps to keep the layers separated. Stir before drinking.
Expert Tips
- Because there isn’t as much of a difference in sugar content in the milk and tea, they’ll be less of a clear separation of layers. If you use a milk alternative with some sugar like oat milk, the layers will separate more.
- Any strong, dark tea would work well. Try an Assam black tea or hojicha, a roasted green tea.
- Want to try it with another sweetener? Honey, maple syrup, or date syrup will all work well. Just make sure to make it into a simple syrup by stirring it in hot water first to make it easy to incorporate into the iced drink.
Related
If you tried this Iced Brown Sugar Tea Latte recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and let me know how you like it in the comments below.
Iced Brown Sugar Tea Latte
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 sachet English breakfast tea, (or 1 tea bag or 1 ½ teaspoons loose tea)
Brown Sugar Syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Boil water.Boil water on the stovetop or in an electric kettle (set it to 208°F). Use filtered water if possible since better tea is made with better water.
- Combine tea sachet and hot water in a glass container. Steep for 5 minutes.Discard tea sachet and let cool.
- Make a brown simple syrup by combining brown sugar and 2 tablespoons hot water. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- To assemble the drink, put brown sugar simple syrup into a cup and add ice. Pour milk, then the tea. Slowly pour milk and the tea directly on top of the ice instead. Stir before drinking.
Notes
- Because there isn’t as much of a difference in sugar content in the milk and tea, they’ll be less of a clear separation of layers. If you use a milk alternative with some sugar like oat milk, the layers will separate more.
- Any strong, dark tea would work well. Try an Assam black tea or hojicha, a roasted green tea.
- Want to try it with another sweetener? Honey, maple syrup, or date syrup will all work well. Just make sure to make it into a simple syrup by stirring it in hot water first to make it easy to incorporate into the iced drink.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So delicious and so simple! And it looks so pretty!! I also appreciate that this recipe called for tea bags…loose leaf tea can be hard to find in the grocery stores around here and some tea websites view the bags as almost sacriligeous! I look forward to trying more of your tea recipes :>
I want to use almond milk and swerve brown sugar substitute will this work and cut down some of the sugar?
Hi Ruth, yes, but there’s less sugar in almond milk than oat milk so it may not layer as well.
Just tried this drink for the first time. It was amazing! One of my new favourites and it’s so easy to make.
I tried this latte today, It was soooo good!! The brown sugar gave it a taste like caramel, i love it!!
I can’t consume caffeine and I am still kind of new to the tea world. What kind of decaffeinated tea would work best for making something like this?
Hi Heather, I’m not a fan of decaf tea since it’s made through a chemical process. Give herbal teas a try instead which are all don’t contain any caffeine. Rooibos or chamomile would be a nice alternative.
Love brown sugar milk tea and layered drinks, Jee! What size glass are you using?
Hi Olivia, I’m using a 13 oz cup (https://www.cb2.com/marta-double-old-fashioned/s522333).
Thank you!! I already purchased the other glasses from Crate and Barrel that you recommended!
Hi Jee,
I really like your blog! I have tried a few milk tea recipes from you and it turned out pretty amazing from the taste to the visual. Thank you so much for sharing lots of yummy recipes. Would you please show us how to make Hong Kong milk tea too?! 🙂
Hi Teri, wonderful! I have a Hong Kong-style tea here: https://www.ohhowcivilized.com/iced-milk-tea/