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London Fog Latte (Hot or Iced)

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This cozy London Fog Latte recipe is easy to make hot or iced and brewed with a lovely hint of lavender.

London Fog Latte (Earl Grey Latte)

Once upon a time, this was the very first latte recipe I ever posted here on Gimme Some Oven. And now — over a decade and countless lattes later — it continues to be one of my absolute favorites. ♡

If you happen to be new to London Fog lattes, there’s actually zero coffee involved here. Rather, this is a simple tea latte brewed with classic earl grey, your choice of milk, a hint of vanilla extract to warm things up, and a drizzle of honey to sweeten. The version that I originally fell in love over a decade ago at Latte Land in Kansas City was also brewed with a subtle hint of lavender, whose flavor I’ve come to adore in this latte and am going to insist that you try here. It plays beautifully with the bergamot orange in the earl grey and the floral notes of the honey and, in my opinion, really elevates this drink to something extra-special. I’ve probably brewed hundreds of these lattes over the years, and always joke with friends that it’s my hug in a mug. Sooo cozy and comforting!

That said, as much as I adore a good hot London Fog, I’ve come to also really enjoy serving this latte over ice in the warmer months, so I thought I would update this recipe today to include both versions. This latte is also easy to make vegan with whatever dairy-free plain milk you most prefer. And if you happen to be avoiding caffeine, there are some lovely decaf earl grey teas on the market nowadays that will work perfectly in this recipe too.

Alright, let’s make some lattes!

London Fog Latte Ingredients

London Fog Ingredients

Before we get to the full London Fog latte recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need:

  • Earl grey tea: Earl grey tea blends can vary fairly significantly from brand to brand, so please choose whichever you love best. If you would like to make this a decaf latte, there are now some lovely decaf earl grey options on the market too.
  • Dried lavender: As always when cooking with lavender, be sure to purchase culinary-grade dried lavender. (Not all of the 47 species of lavender flowers are safe to be used in cooking.¹) I adore the subtle floral hint that a half teaspoon adds to this latte, but feel free to experiment with the amount and use however much you prefer or omit the lavender entirely if it’s not your thing.
  • Honey: Usually I list a bunch of different sweetener options for warm drinks, but I’m really going to recommend you try honey in this particular recipe! It’s floral flavor pairs so perfectly with the earl grey and lavender, and you’re of course welcome to add however much you prefer to taste. (That said, maple syrup, cane sugar, or any other sweetener will work just fine too.)
  • Vanilla extract: A tiny hint of pure vanilla extract brings out the best of the earl grey and makes the drink extra cozy.
  • Plain milk: And finally, you’re welcome to choose whatever dairy- or non-dairy plain milk you prefer as the “latte” (milk) for this drink. I’m partial to a good creamy oat milk right now, but the options here are open.

Brewing a hot London Fog Latte Hot Earl Grey Latte in Mug

How To Make A London Fog Latte

To make a hot London Fog latte, simply…

  1. Brew the tea. Combine the water, tea bags and lavender in a heat-safe measuring cup and stir briefly to combine. Steep the tea for 3 minutes.
  2. Froth the milk. While the tea is steeping, use a milk frother (or a French press or a whisk) to froth the milk.
  3. Strain. Add the honey and vanilla extract to your serving mug. Strain the hot tea into the mug, discarding the leftover tea bags and lavender. Stir the tea until the sweetener is dissolved. 
  4. Add milk. Add the frothed milk to the tea and stir briefly to combine.
  5. Serve. Serve warm, garnished with extra dried lavender buds if desired, and enjoy!

Brewing an Iced London Fog Latte

Iced London Fog Latte

How To Make An Iced London Fog Latte

To make an iced London Fog latte, simply…

  1. Brew the tea. Combine the water, tea bags and lavender in a heat-safe measuring cup and stir briefly to combine. Steep the tea for 3 minutes. 
  2. Strain and chill. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain out and discard the lavender and tea bags. Add the sweetener and vanilla and stir until dissolved. Transfer the tea to the freezer and chill for 10 minutes.
  3. Add milk. Fill a large glass full of ice. Add the tea, followed by the chilled milk, and briefly stir to combine.
  4. Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with extra dried lavender buds if desired, and enjoy!

Holding a mug of London Fog Latte

More Cozy Latte Recipes

Looking for more hot or iced latte recipes to try? Here are a few of my favorites…

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London Fog Latte (Earl Grey Latte)

London Fog Latte (Hot or Iced)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 26 reviews
  • Author: Ali
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving (about 12 ounces) 1x

Description

This London Fog tea latte recipe is so simple to make homemade, and it is full of rich, comforting flavor.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

How To Make A Hot Latte:

  1. Brew the tea. Combine the water, tea bags and lavender in a heat-safe measuring cup and stir briefly to combine. Steep the tea for 3 minutes.
  2. Froth the milk. While the tea is steeping, use a milk frother (or see alternate methods below) to froth the hot milk.
  3. Strain. Add the sweetener and vanilla extract to your serving mug. Strain the hot tea into the mug, discarding the leftover tea bags and lavender. Stir the tea until the sweetener is dissolved. 
  4. Add milk. Add the frothed milk to the tea and stir briefly to combine.
  5. Serve. Serve warm, garnished with extra dried lavender buds if desired, and enjoy!

How To Make An Iced Latte:

  1. Brew the tea. Combine the water, tea bags and lavender in a heat-safe measuring cup and stir briefly to combine. Steep the tea for 3 minutes. 
  2. Strain and chill. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain out and discard the lavender and tea bags. Add the sweetener and vanilla and stir until dissolved. Transfer the tea to the freezer and chill for 10 minutes.
  3. Add milk. Fill a large glass full of ice. Add the tea, followed by the chilled milk, and briefly stir to combine.
  4. Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with extra dried lavender buds if desired, and enjoy!


Notes

Alternate ways to froth milk: If you do not own a milk frother, you can also froth warm milk in a French press by making short, quick plunges. Or alternately, you can froth the milk briefly by hand with a whisk.

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157 comments on “London Fog Latte (Hot or Iced)”

  1. I work in a coffee shop and actually you don’t need to add sugar. You just add 1 or 2 pumps of vanilla syrup and it should be enough. 
    London fogs are my favourite!! 

  2. This is seriously mu favorite way to drink tea. I usually do not add sweetener but when I do I add honey, and it is so good! I don’t drink alcohol, but a friend said this is really good with rum on a cold, wintry day.

  3. This is my most favorite drink but the $4+ pricetag at the coffeeshop makes me wince.  I never mastered the homemade version…till now!   Thank you!   I made this as I was rushing out the door yesterday and it totally made the snowy KC morning commute so much better!  I stopped off and bought some lavender last night so I can try that addition.  Another fab recipe, Ali!    

  4. Hello, I can’t wait to try this. It looks delish! However, I was wondering if you could substitute lavender essential oil in place of the herb itself? I use a very high quality essential oil that can be ingested.
    Thanks! Elizabeth

    • Hi Elizabeth! Hmmm, we haven’t tried this with culinary lavender oil, so we’re really not sure. Our concern is that it might be too strong though? You could certainly give it a try — if you do, definitely let us know how it turns out! :)

  5. This was Delicious.

  6. I believe it have you have Lavender in it then it’s Paris Fog instead of London Fog. If use Irish Breakfast tea that it’s called Dublin fog

  7. Stash Tea recently came out with “Paris Breakfast” which is Earl Grey with Lavendar! SOO good!

  8. Just enjoying one now! Thanks for the awesome recipe.

  9. London Fog latte was invented in Victoria British Columbia about eight years ago. But became popular about four years ago when Starbucks added it to their menu. The original drink was made with coconut or almond milk which gives it a richer and creamier texture. I also find it requires less sugar when made this way. I haven’t tried it with lavender yet but I can’t wait to try it. 

    • Thanks for sharing with us, Debbie — we’ll definitely have to try it with coconut milk sometime — yummy! :)

  10. Can you please tell me the name of the coffee shop in Kansas City where you got this London Fog you mentioned? Would love to try that too. And thanks for the tips :)

  11. I just wanted to chime in. There is actually a tea blend Twinings makes called Lady Grey. It’s actually Earl Grey with lavender added. As a loose tea it is just beautiful. I’m not a big Earl Grey fan, but the Lady Grey is the perfect blend!

  12. This sounds wonderful!  I’m not a big fan of Earl Gray Tea. I’m going to try it with English Breakfast Tea. Has anyone tried it this way?  

    • Thanks, we hope you enjoy this and we bet it would be just as yummy with English Breakfast Tea! :)

  13. Lavender Early Grey looks so good!
    Actually the Organic DIY kit is available on Etsy.
    https://www.etsy.com/listing/504107330/

  14. I looooovveeee this, so good! I’ve never had tea with milk before, but now I think I’m going to put milk in everything! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

  15. so u mix all the tea 8oz and the 4oz of milk together.. yes..

  16. Earl Grey tea with lavender is known as “Lady Grey” tea and is fantastic!

  17. Yummy. I highly recommend steeping with the lavender. The Starbucks Earl Grey tea bags include lavender essence.

    • So yummy on a winter day! The Stash tea brand makes “Breakfast in Paris” teabags that feature Earl grey, vanilla and lavender. Delish.

  18. Just made this delicious tea latte, and will heading to my local market later today to pick up some lavender to add when I make it tomorrow (or a little later on this evening). Thank you so much!






  19. If you love lavender and don’t have it readily available you can use Stash Breakfast in Paris which is pretty much Earl Grey with lavender added.

    LOVE the London Fog / Earl Grey latte. Thanks for the recipe!!






  20. i just made it a couple of minutes ago; really nice recipe! Thank you for sharing. I’ll try adding lavender next time.






  21. I’ve been wondering how to make my London Fog taste more like the ones I’ve had at coffee shops. This recipe is delicious – thank you!






  22. I am going to try this first thing tomorrow! I cannot wait!

    I have a question about the tea you used in the picture. What brand is that? It looks like a tea I had in Kenya. I would love to find it in the US, but I don’t remember the brand. And DOUBLE bergamot?!? That sounds divine!!

    • She got the double bergamot from stash tea. It is super yummy. I get all my tea from them.

  23. Thank you for sharing your easy to make London Fog.

    Sincerely,
    Angela A

    • I first tried one of these at a local hole in the wall deli and also…immediately fell in love! They used hazelnut syrup in their version…I have a Mr. Coffee brand cafe latte machine that let’s you steep the loose tea in from the top like a drip coffee maker and froth and steam the milk in a glass pitcher simultaneously. I also had lavender jelly in the fridge so I used that as my sweetener/lavender component. Came out nice! I think the loose tea always kicks it up a notch.

  24. I live in KC and currently can’t stop my London Fog addiction – though my bank account would appreciate it if I did. Which coffee shop did you get it from with the lavender in it?

    • I live in KC too and was wondering the same thing? Did you ever figure this out?

    • The shop I go to is in Lee’s Summit at Gusto (near Longview). They have a tremendous selection of delicious fogs, NCL using the London Fog. My current favorite is the Black Pearl Fog. Mmmmmm.

  25. Starbucks used to use Tazo Earl Grey tea to make their London Fog, but apparently Tazo made a special blend just for Starbucks that had lavender in the tea bags. You could actually see the lavender. If you tried to buy Tazo Earl Grey at the store, it did not contain the lavender, so that’s why I said it must have been a special blend for Starbucks. When they bought Teavana, they started using their Earl Grey tea to make the London Fog. It evidently doesn’t have the lavender in it, as it is a bit different. It’s good but not as good. Miss that and I’ve purchased many London Fogs. I have found some other places that put lavender in their Earl Grey. I agree that lavender makes a difference.

  26. What coffee shop did you get this from in Kansas City?

  27. I finally asked the Starbucks manager why I can not get the exact same taste and texture of my London Fog drink. She said their milk is different in that it has nut butter in it (I ask for almond milk) which off the shelf almond milk doesn’t have. Makes the drink much creamier. Any ideas on how to get that???

  28. Easy and yummy!






  29. Love the recipe! I live close to KC, what coffee shop did you get the London Fog with Lavender? I would love to stop by and try it.

  30. This recipe is so delicious and really quick and easy to make! I definitely recommend.






  31. Hi I am an individual who has trouble sleeping so I tried this tea as a way to relax and I have to say it was amazing.
    Thanks for putting it up on the net!






  32. Hi! Tried this recipe before and LOVED it!! I was wondering, if I don’t have milk readily available, could I use something in place like heavy cream or half and half ?? Or would it be best to wait until I get milk?

    Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe!






  33. I love London Fogs w/lavender, but they always use syrups. Thank you for a homemade healthier alternative. Going to make one today!

    I recommend Numi Earl Grey w/Bergamot. A true, authentic London Fog uses an Earl Grey w/ bergamot. I learned that from the coffee house that created the drink in WA!

  34. I’m Lactose intolerant vut i made this using some sweetened vanila almond milk and my goodness it was just as good!

  35. My favourite!!






  36. I can’t wait to make it at home. I had one at brunch this morning and they had a bit of lemon in theirs, along with lavender, it was magnificent.

  37. The coffee shop you’re referring to wouldn’t be Gusto! in Lee’s Summit would it? If so, I agree! Incredible ❤️






  38. What a wonderful idea. Why have I never thought about it? Thank you so much. Can I use non-dairy milk for this recipe? almond milk for example?






  39. Just made for myself and husband on a cold damp morning. Perfect!






  40. Really enjoyed this lovely recipe. Thought it would be difficult to make it on my own. I don’t have lavender on hand but will get some to try it next time or get the Stash tea I see mentioned in the comments. I haven’t experimented with different milks yet either but I think it would be fun to try! So far I’ve made this recipe with only oat milk since that’s what I have on hand.






  41. Thank you for sharing your lovely recipe. The tea turned out beautifully. Even better than from my favorite cafe. I’ll be enjoying this creamy treat often. It was quick and easy to make with excellent results. Rich, creamy and decadent. BK






  42. I’ve been a lover of hot tea for a long time and Earl Grey is maybe my #2 favorite tea. I recently tried a London Fog (made with almond milk) at a local coffee shop on my college campus. Definitely too expensive to purchase regularly, but now I should be able to make one whenever I want! I’m going to give this a try!!

  43. I use lavender syrup in mine and leave out the sugar. I also substitute vanilla almond milk for the milk and vanilla. Makes it easier to do at work every day!

  44. The lavender really sets this recipe apart from other London fog drinks that I have had. This was really delicious! Thanks for sharing!






  45. The most strangest but delicious latte, ever. I drink mine by the mason jar, topped with arosol cream.

  46. If you are a fan of honey, you can add it into this latte. I always ask to add honey when I order this at Starbucks, and it makes it even more delicious.

  47. I used russian earl grey as that is what I had on hand. Russian earl grey has notes of citrus, so i didn’t use the lavender. But the basic recipe is still pretty amazing! and I love that I can adjust sweetness Starbucks is way too syrupy for my palette. Will definately try lavender, when I have regular earl grey!






  48. This is a great recipe! I love the ratio of milk to water! If you are using granulated sugar, I recommend using A LOT less sugar. I used a tablespoon and a half because 2 seemed like too much, and it was still very sweet for me. I also recommend putting a little cinnamon on top of your frothed milk! It gives it a little extra flavor and spice!






  49. May I use a drop or two of lavender essential oil in this?

  50. On a Vitamix forum, someone makes this with ‘Earl Grey tea, a couple dates, a splash of vanilla, and cashew butter.’ It is so good!
    They didn’t list how much butter, but it’s something to play with.