London Fog Tea Latte (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)
on Oct 29, 2022, Updated Apr 21, 2023
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A tasty Earl Grey tea latte, just like the one at Starbucks, is easy to make at home with just 4 ingredients. Get tips and step-by-step directions.
Starbucks London Fog Tea Latte
A London Fog drink is a tea latte made with Earl Grey tea (black tea with bergamot, a citrus fruit from Italy), milk, vanilla extract, and sugar.
A London Fog Tea Latte at Starbucks is made with Earl Grey tea, hot water, 2% milk, and vanilla syrup (combining vanilla extract and sugar).
The Earl Grey tea that Starbucks uses has a touch of lavender.
London Fog drinks are only made with Earl Grey tea and are not made with any other kind of tea.
This drink, which originated in Vancouver, Canada, can be made hot or iced.
RELATED: Starbucks Iced London Fog Latte Copycat
Recipe Highlights
- Starbucks London Fog Tea Latte is a hot drink made by steeping Earl Grey tea bag in hot water with vanilla syrup then adding steamed milk.
- The recipe recreates the drink using the same Earl Grey tea that Starbucks uses to make their London Fog Tea Latte.
- This Starbucks copycat drink makes a 16 ounce (grande size) London Fog Tea Latte.
RELATED: London Fog Frappuccino
Ingredient Notes
- Earl Grey tea: Earl Grey tea is a blend of black tea and bergamot, an Italian citrus fruit. Starbucks uses Teavana Earl Grey and this blend includes lavender buds.
- Vanilla syrup: Instead of adding vanilla extract and sugar as separate ingredients, vanilla syrup is an easier way to flavor and sweeten the latte. Use homemade or get vanilla syrup directly from Starbucks.
- Milk: At Starbucks, all their tea lattes are made with 2% milk, but you can use any milk you like.
- Hot Water: For better tasting tea, always use 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: Put Earl Grey tea sachets and hot water into a teapot. Cover and steep.
Boil water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting.
Step 2: Froth milk. Frothed milk can be made using an electric milk frother or by simmering milk on the stovetop, then pouring it into a French press, then pumping the plunger a few times.
Step 3: Put vanilla syrup and hot tea into a cup.
Step 4: Add frothed milk.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Recipe Notes
Add lavender to any Earl Grey tea.
If you don’t have Teavana Earl Grey tea, use any Earl Grey and steep with a pinch (1/8 teaspoon at most) of dried lavender. Only add the lavender if you want it to be like the Starbucks drink, otherwise you can leave it out since a regular London Fog drink isn’t made with any lavender.
Get vanilla syrup from Starbucks.
Vanilla syrup can be purchased at Starbucks locations if you ask the barista at the register. The only catch is that they’ll only sell it to you if they extra in stock. It’ll costs about $14.
Don’t oversteep the tea.
Steeping tea for too long will make the tea bitter. Don’t steep the tea for more than 5 minutes.
Expert Tips
- If you’re warming the milk on the stovetop, make sure not to boil it since it can easily burn. Always use low heat until it reaches a simmer and then turn off the heat.
- To microwave the milk, heat it for 30 seconds at a time in a microwave-safe cup.
- Make it decadent with whipped cream! Whisk ¼ cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup using a handheld milk frother to make whipped cream in seconds.
RELATED: How to Make Tea Lattes
Questions You May Have
For a Starbucks grande size, there is 4 pumps of vanilla syrup, steeped Earl Grey tea filling the cup halfway, and the rest of the cup is filled with steamed 2% milk.
The citrus notes from bergamot that gives Earl Grey its signature flavor is what makes it stand out from other black teas. It’s the only tea that you can use if you want to call your drink a London Fog, otherwise it’s just a black tea latte.
Yes. Earl Grey tea contains black tea, which naturally has caffeine. A grande size at Starbucks has about 40 mg of caffeine for a London Fog Latte.
The main flavor comes from the Earl Grey tea, which is a black tea with hints of citrus and some floral notes from the lavender. The latte also has sweet vanilla flavors from the syrup.
Related
- Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat
- Starbucks Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat
- Earl Grey Hot Chocolate
- Starbucks Chai Drinks (Including Secret Menu)
- Starbucks Iced Passion Tango Tea Copycat
- Easy Chamomile Tea Latte
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Starbucks London Fog Tea Latte Copycat
Ingredients
- 2 Earl Grey tea sachets
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup
- ⅔ cup 2% milk
Instructions
- Put Earl Grey tea sachets and hot water into a teapot. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.Boil water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Set the water temperature to 208°F when using the electric kettle.Once steeped, discard the sachets and set aside the tea.
- Froth milk.Frothed milk can be made using an electric milk frother or by simmering milk on the stovetop, then pouring it into a French press, then pumping the plunger until milk doubles in volume.
- Put vanilla syrup and hot tea into a cup. Add frothed milk.
Notes
- Earl Grey tea is a blend of black tea and bergamot, an Italian citrus fruit. Starbucks uses Teavana Earl Grey which includes lavender buds.
- If you don’t have Teavana Earl Grey use any Earl Grey and steep with a pinch (1/8 teaspoon at most) of food-grade dried lavender.
- Vanilla syrup can be purchased at Starbucks locations if you ask the barista at the register. The only catch is that they’ll only sell it to you if they extra in stock. It’ll costs about $14.
- Steeping tea for too long will make the tea bitter. Don’t steep the tea for more than 5 minutes.
- If you’re warming the milk on the stovetop, make sure not to boil it since it can easily burn. Always use low heat until it reaches a simmer and then turn off the heat.
- To microwave the milk, heat it for 30 seconds at a time in a microwave-safe cup.
- Make it decadent with whipped cream! Whisk ¼ cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup using a handheld milk frother to make whipped cream in seconds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
