Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat Recipe

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Creamy frothed milk and sweetened English Breakfast tea are in this tasty copycat Starbucks tea latte that’s easy to make at home.

Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat in a clear mug topped with foam.

Recipe Highlights

  • Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte is a sweetened hot tea with frothed milk. It’s rich, bold, and creamy.
  • Frothed milk can easily be made at home using an electric milk frother or with a simple French press.
  • This recipe makes a 16 ounce hot English Breakfast tea latte, which is a grande at Starbucks.

RELATED: Starbucks Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat

Ingredient Notes

Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat ingredients in labeled cups and bowls on a white marble tabletop.
  • Royal English Breakfast tea
    Starbucks uses Teavana Royal English Breakfast tea but it’s hard to find without paying a premium. Instead, use any Royal English Breakfast tea or English Breakfast tea.
  • 2% milk
    All lattes at Starbucks is made with 2% milk unless by default, but you can use any milk you like. Dairy milk with some fat will froth up the best.
  • White sugar
    This recipe uses both granulated white sugar and turbinado sugar to match the flavor from liquid cane sugar used in the Starbucks drink.
  • Turbinado sugar
    Turbinado has a molasses flavor that adds a richness to the drink.
  • Water
    Use filtered water, if you can, for a better tasting tea.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat step-by-step directions, in four steps.

For full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to see the recipe.

  1. Put tea bags and hot water into a teapot. Cover and steep.
    Boil water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting. 
  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.
  3. Pour hot tea into a cup and stir in sugars.
  4. Add frothed milk.
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Recipe Notes

Use tea bags or sachets instead of loose tea.
Tea bags and tea sachets make cleanup easier since you don’t need a separate strainer. Higher quality (and more expensive) loose tea isn’t necessary when you’re adding so much milk and sugar.

Any black tea can be used if you don’t have Royal English Breakfast tea.
Royal English Breakfast tea is a blend of black teas so you can use any unflavored black tea. Unless you’re a highly trained tea professional, you probably won’t be able to taste the difference.

Turbinado and white sugar make Starbucks liquid cane sugar syrup.
The syrup that’s added to this drink is Starbucks liquid cane sugar, which is a combo of turbinado sugar and white sugar. You can use just turbinado sugar or white sugar if you want to simplify the recipe.

RELATED: Starbucks London Fog Tea Latte Copycat

Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat finished drink in a clear glass with the milk foam being poured on top.

Expert Tips

  • When heating milk on the stovetop to froth using a French press, make sure milk doesn’t come to a full boil since it can easily burn. Just bring milk to a simmer.
  • When using a French press to froth milk, be sure to fill it so that the filter reaches the milk but not overfilled. The milk volume will almost double after you pump air into it.
  • Customize this drink by replacing the sugars with a flavored syrup, like cinnamon syrup or lavender syrup.
  • Make it even more delicious with homemade whipped cream! Whisk ¼ cup heavy cream and 2 teaspoons white sugar using a handheld milk frother to make whipped cream in seconds.

Questions You May Have

Is there caffeine in this drink?

Yes, since English Breakfast tea is a black tea, this drink contains caffeine. A grande size (16 ounces) of Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte at Starbucks has about 40 mg of caffeine.

Can I make this drink decaf?

Yes. If you use decaf English Breakfast tea, then the drink will be decaffeinated. There is always a small amount of caffeine in decaf tea, but it’s more like 2 mg versus 40 mg in the same size drink.

How many tea bags are in a Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte at Starbucks?

There is 1 Royal English Breakfast tea bag in a short and tall. There are 2 tea bags in a grande and a venti.

Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat finished drink, in a clear mug with milk foam on top.

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Starbucks Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte Copycat

Author: Jee Choe
Creamy frothed milk and sweetened English Breakfast tea are in this tasty copycat Starbucks tea latte that's easy to make at home.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 3 minutes
Steep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Course Drinks
Yield1 serving (16 ounces)

INGREDIENTS
 

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES

  • Starbucks uses Teavana Royal English Breakfast tea but it’s hard to find without paying a premium. Instead, use any Royal English Breakfast tea or English Breakfast tea.
  • All lattes at Starbucks is made with 2% milk unless by default, but you can use any milk you like. Dairy milk with some fat will froth up the best.
  • This recipe uses both granulated white sugar and turbinado sugar to match the flavor from liquid cane sugar used in the Starbucks drink.
  • Tea bags and tea sachets make cleanup easier since you don’t need a separate strainer. Higher quality (and more expensive) loose tea isn’t necessary when you’re adding so much milk and sugar.
  • Royal English Breakfast tea is a blend of black teas so you can use any unflavored black tea. Unless you’re a highly trained tea professional, you probably won’t be able to taste the difference.
  • The syrup that’s added to this drink is Starbucks liquid cane sugar, which is a combo of turbinado sugar and white sugar. You can use just turbinado sugar or white sugar if you want to simplify the recipe.
  • When heating milk on the stovetop to froth using a French press, make sure milk doesn’t come to a full boil since it can easily burn. Just bring milk to a simmer.
  • When using a French press to froth milk, be sure to fill it so that the filter reaches the milk but not overfilled. The milk volume will almost double after you pump air into it.
  • Customize this drink by replacing the sugars with a flavored syrup, like cinnamon syrup or lavender syrup.
  • Make it even more delicious with homemade whipped cream! Whisk ¼ cup heavy cream and 2 teaspoons white sugar using a handheld milk frother to make whipped cream in seconds.

NUTRITION

Calories: 141 | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 223mg | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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