No need to wait in line at the coffee shop with this simple and delicious London Fog recipe! Make your own earl grey tea latte quickly and easily with a handful of basic ingredients. | Vegan + Low FODMAP options
What is a London Fog?
A London Fog is a hot drink made with Earl Grey tea, steamed milk, sweetener and vanilla.
Despite the name, the inception of the London Fog is actually traced back to a Maria Loria in Vancouver, Canada as way to get her caffeine fix while satisfying pregnancy cravings.
Though the origins of the London Fog drink can be easily traced, the name developed over time on its own.
London refers to Earl grey tea and its popularity in Britain and Fog refers to the steamed milk in the drink.
How to Make a London Fog Drink
You’ll need:
- kettle or small pot to boil water.
- small pot to heat the milk
- french press or milk frother to froth the milk
- a mug to enjoy your homemade London Fog.
Traditional London Fog drink Ingredients:
- Earl Grey Tea: It’s a type of black tea blend made with citrusy bergamot. It also usually has some lavender, but not always.
- Lavender: Check if your earl grey blends contains lavender. If not you can add a 1/4 teaspoon to your brew. Just make sure to strain it out before serving.
- Milk: You can make this with your milk of choice.
- Honey: Honey is the traditional sweetener used to make an earl grey latte, but you can use maple syrup if you’d prefer a vegan or Low FODMAP option. You can also use white or brown sugar, just make sure to stir and dissolve the sugar fully first.
- Vanilla: Vanilla pairs wonderfully with the black tea and citrus notes in a London Fog.
Recipe Steps
- Boil water then steep earl grey tea.
- Warm milk, sugar and vanilla to simmer.
- Froth milk in a french press.
- Pour hot milk to tea and top with frothed milk.
- Enjoy!
Brew Time: Brew about 3-5 minutes. The longer you brew the stronger the flavor. For best results, check the recommended brew time for your particular tea.
A note about frothing the milk: Keep in mind that lower fat milk and many dairy free milk substitutes made without added emulsifiers (like homemade almond milk) won’t froth up as well as semi-skim or whole milk. You can however look to barista oat milk or almond milk which have more stabiliser’s in the ingredients to make them easier to froth.
FAQ’s
Does a London Fog contain caffeine?
- Yes – it’s made with Earl Grey Tea which is a type of black tea. On average, Earl Grey has about half the amount of caffeine as a basic cup of coffee. You can buy decaf Earl Grey if you’d like to make a caffeine free version.
Do I have to froth the milk?
- No! Feel free to skip this step and just add the milk warmed milk to your tea and enjoy.
Can I make it with loose leaf tea?
- Yes! Replace the earl grey tea bags for 4 teaspoons loose tea or 2 teaspoons for every 1 tea bag. Make sure to strain the tea leaves before serving.
How can I make an iced tea latte?
- To make an iced version, brew the tea as usual. Add sweetener and vanilla while still warm and stir to dissolve. Cool completely: cover and refrigerate to chill and speed things up. Before serving, stir in 1 cup milk, serve over ice during warmer months.
Alternative Sweeteners
- Sugar: Use white or brown sugar in place of the honey or maple. Just make sure to stir the sugar into the hot milk until dissolved
- Simple Syrup: Replace the honey/maple with a simple syrup. Stick to a basic water + sugar mixture or try making a flavored syrup with added herbs and spices.
More Homemade Latte Recipes & Warming Drinks
- Coconut Milk Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Dairy Free Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Whipped Pumpkin Spice Coffee With A Pumpkin Butter Caramel
- Salted Cashew Latte
- Ginger Turmeric Tea With Lime
- Instant Pot Cranberry Orange Juice
- Mulled Apple Pear Cider (Non-Alcoholic)
- Chai Spiced Hot Chocolate
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this London Fog recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
London Fog Recipe
Get your caffiene boost with this simple, homemade earl grey tea latte!
Ingredients
- 2 cup water (480ml)
- 2 earl grey tea bags
- 1/4 tsp culinary lavender (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 2-3 tsp honey or maple syrup or to taste
- 1 cup milk, dairy or non dairy (240ml)
Instructions
- Boil the water in a kettle or on the stove top.
- Add one tea bag to each large mug then pour 1 cup of water into two large mugs. Let steep 3-5 minutes or whatever time is specified for your specific tea.
- While the tea is steeps, heat the milk in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Warm to a simmer, not a boil. Once simmering, stir in the honey or (maple syrup) and vanilla.
- Pour the warmed milk into a clean French press. Push the plunger down then lift up, but make sure to keep the plunger always below the surface of the milk so it foams up. Do this for a minute or two to create your foam.
- Remove the tea bags if you haven't already. Use a spoon to hold back the milk foam and pour the un-frothed milk into the brewed tea. Spoon the foamy milk over each mug.
- Taste and sweeten with extra honey or maple if needed and enjoy.
Notes
- Type of Milk: Higher fat milk will create a thicker, dense milk foam while low fat milk (most plant based milks) will make a more airy foam that will disappear faster. Try using a barista oat or almond milk if you want a foamier latte that's also dairy free.
- Lavender: Check if your earl grey blends contains lavender. If not you can add a 1/4 teaspoon to your brew. Just make sure to strain it out before serving.
- Low FODMAP: Use maple syrup, white sugar or brown sugar instead of honey. If using white or brown sugar, use 1-2 tablespoons.
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