London Fog (Earl Grey Tea Latte)

If you’ve yet to try a London Fog, there’s no time like the present. This 4-ingredient Earl Grey Tea Latte recipe features strongly brewed tea, a hint of vanilla flavor, and the creamy, cozy embrace of a steamed milk topper. In other words, it’s the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up!

As the days grow longer, warmer, and sunnier, my intense need for a coffee in my hand at all times is slowly starting to wane. Do you all get more energy in the springtime, too? Even though we’re losing an hour of sleep, the extra hour of daylight completely reinvigorates me.

But, while I’ve definitely cut back on the caffeine, mama still needs a little caffeine boost in the afternoon. Enter Starbucks’ London fog tea. When a friend first introduced me to this delightful beverage a few years ago, I was gobsmacked. How could I have gone this long without it?!?

For all of you yet to be initiated into the tea latte club, let me put it this way: what the iced pumpkin spice latte is to fall, the hot London fog is to spring. I’m talking ICONIC. Featuring the bright, bergamot-perfumed magic of Earl Gray tea, a generous drizzle of vanilla coffee syrup, and a frothy cloud of steamed milk, it’s spring sunshine in a mug.

Jump to:

• What is a London Fog Tea Latte?
• What does it taste like?
• Why You’ll Love This London Fog Recipe
• Ingredients Needed
• Substitutions
• How To Make London Fog Lattes
• Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe Success Tips
• FAQs
• Homemade London Fog Nutrition
• Other Starbucks Spring Menu Items
• London Fog (Earl Grey Tea Latte)

What is a London Fog Tea Latte?

If you remember, a basic hot latte is made with about 1 part espresso to 3 parts steamed milk. In the case of a tea latte, we’re replacing the espresso with highly concentrated tea. 

Tea lattes can come in as many flavors as there are teas, but the London Fog is right up there with matcha lattes and chai lattes in terms of popularity. It’s not hard to see why — it’s made with Earl Grey tea, one of the most beloved and well-recognized teas of them all! 

What does it taste like?

I think the most recognizable first note is citrus, thanks to bergamot — a deliciously fragrant citrus native to Southeast Asia (though is primarily grown in Italy). 

When you first open your tin of Earl Grey, do you smell the floral, bright, and slightly musky perfume? That’s bergamot. As they say, taste is 80-90% smell, and with bergamot what you smell is what you get. The mildly floral, grapefruit bitterness and lemony zest of bergamot harmonizes beautifully with the mild, bitter tannins of black tea. For some, Earl Grey comes across as too citrusy, floral, or bitter when taken plain. If that’s you, not to worry! 

This copycat recipe for the Starbucks London fog tea latte is much softer thanks to the richness of milk and sweet vanilla syrup. It’s the same kind of transformation that happens when you make a vanilla latte with espresso — black espresso might not be your cup of tea (ha! I crack myself up), but hot, sweet Starbucks drinks? Whole different story! 

So, my take is this — if you love the smell of Earl Grey, but find the taste overwhelming? Try a London Fog. It’s a revelatory experience. At least it was for me!

Why You’ll Love This London Fog Recipe

• Mild & Cozy - If an iced pumpkin tea latte is something you crave on a warm fall afternoon, think of this Starbucks London fog recipe as the seasonal opposite. This is the drink you reach for on a cold, rainy spring afternoon. It’s the liquid definition of “lovely.”
• Low-Octane - If you’re trying to shift your circadian rhythm, or if you’re sensitive to the effects of caffeine, this London fog drink recipe is what your afternoons have been missing. It has about half the dose of a 2-shot latte, so you get a little boost that won’t keep you up too late.
• WAY Cheaper at Home - Even if you get yourself some nice loose-leaf tea – which TBH tastes so much better than the Starbucks London fog tea bags – you’ll still be spending less than half the $5+ of what you’d spend in-store. 

Ingredients Needed

As promised, you only need a few ingredients to make a London fog at home:

• Loose-leaf Earl Grey Tea - In my experience, you usually get better bang for your buck if you buy loose-leaf. If you only have an Earl Grey tea bag, use enough to equal a tablespoon. For regular Twinnings or Bigelow-sized bags, it’s usually about 3 of them. Feel free to leave the tea in the pouches for easy clean-up! 

• Water - If possible, use filtered water for the best taste. If you don’t have any and your tap water has a chlorine smell/taste, you can bring a gallon of water to a boil for 15 minutes, or let it sit uncovered for 24 hours before drinking it. #Lifehack.
• Whole Milk - If you love ordering the Starbucks London fog latte without any modifiers, you’re getting whole milk in your mug. To replicate it at home, do the same!
• Vanilla Syrup - My homemade version tastes just like the Starbucks version, but it’s just sugar, water, and vanilla! If you don’t want to make a big batch, decrease to ⅓ cup each water and sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Substitutions

• Loose-leaf Earl Grey Tea - As I mentioned above, you’re welcome to use prebagged tea. Using Lady Grey is a fun flavor twist if you like orange and lemon. You can also play around with other tea varieties, though it won’t be a true “London fog” outside the Grey family. 
• Whole Milk - You’re welcome to swap in your warm milk of choice. If you opt for plant-based, I recommend using a barista blend for the best foamy milk and mouth-feel. Use your favorite milk!
• Vanilla Syrup - Feel free to use the sweetener of your choice. My honey syrup or lavender syrup are particularly tasty alternatives for this spring-inspired wonder. You can also use the liquid sweetener of your choice (e.g. agave or maple syrup), but note that any underlying flavors in the sweetener will affect the final flavor of your latte. 

How To Make London Fog Lattes

If you’ve been wanting to know how to make a London fog latte at home, here’s the answer:

Step 1: Set-up. Place the loose-leaf tea in a tea infuser, then put the infuser in a coffee mug.

Step 2: Boil & Steep. Pour boiling water over the tea infuser and steep for 5 minutes. Once done steeping, remove the tea infuser and discard the loose-leaf tea.

Step 3: Heat Milk. Meanwhile, pour the milk and vanilla syrup into a small saucepan and stir. Heat until steaming, then remove from heat and froth with a milk frother.

Step 4: Pour the frothed hot milk into your tea (froth and all) and drink up!

Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments

• Lavender London Fog - If you want to double down on the floral appeal of Earl Grey, try sweetening your London fog with lavender syrup or using lavender grey tea instead.
• Iced London Fog - Brew your tea hot (or make a cold-brew version over 12-24 hours), then add cold milk and syrup. Stir the iced tea latte to combine, then add a few ice cubes as needed.
• Vegan London Fog - Use your absolute favorite plant-based alternatives, like oat milk or vanilla almond milk.

Serving Suggestions

• Afternoon Meditation Break - Sometimes I like to take a 10-15 minute me-time break in the middle of the afternoon. One kiddo is down for a nap, the other isn’t yet home from school, I *just got done* shooting a recipe, and there’s a magical window of opportunity to indulge in something that’s just for me. Come. Join me. Refill your cup, literally and proverbially, by making a London fog. 
• Tea Time - There’s something so quaint and wonderful about tea time, especially when you have a little girl. This sweet, light, lower-caffeine latte is something I don’t mind sharing (in moderation) with a little after-school snack and some stuffed animals. 
• Sunday Brunch - There’s nothing like a leisurely brunch to put me in a good mood, especially when I get to pick the music, the people, the food, and the attire. 😂 Whether you’re taking it easy with your fam in PJs or spicing it up with your pals, this recipe for London fog latte is sure to impress.

Recipe Success Tips

• Invest in a milk frother. The difference in how light and fluffy the milk gets with how little effort it takes is 100% worth the $10ish investment. It’s also really tiny, so it stores easily.
• Use loose-leaf tea and a tea infuser. Loose-leaf tea is usually fresher tasting, and is often a better deal in terms of how many cups you can get out of it. With high-quality tea, you can usually steep at least 2 separate times.
• Be Goldilocks. Don’t rush the steep time, but don’t let it steep too long, either. You want the tea to fully infuse the water, more strongly than you would were you to drink it black. That said, you don’t want to let it go for too long or the bitter undertones will start becoming more pronounced.
• Use the right temperature of water for your tea. For most black and herbal teas, boiling (212F) is ideal.

FAQs

Homemade London Fog Nutrition

This London Fog Latte is my current drink obsession, and it's pretty decent nutrition-wise.

Here's the breakdown: we're looking at around 139 calories per cup, which is pretty darn good for a latte. Plus, it's got 4 grams of protein to keep you feeling full, and only 4 grams of fat – win-win! 

The sugar content is a bit higher at 23 grams, most of which is from the vanilla syrup, but a few grams of naturally occurring milk sugars are in there as well.

So, the bottom line? This London Fog Latte is a delicious way to warm up without totally derailing your healthy eating goals. Just maybe pair it with a protein bar or some almonds for a more balanced snack situation. Enjoy, friends!

Total nutritional content per serving is:

• Calories: 139 calories
• Total Fat: 4 grams
• Protein: 4 grams
• Sodium: 59 mg
• Carbohydrates: 23 grams
• Sugar: 23 grams

*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

Other Starbucks Spring Menu Items

xoxo Megan