Vanilla Earl Grey Tea with Milk (London Fog Tea)

Simple. Delicious. Earl Grey Tea.

Earl Grey tea is worth savoring. It’s a combination of black tea and bergamot orange. Depending on the brand of tea, it may include other ingredients like lavender. Earl Grey tea was my pathway to discovering bergamot.

Bergamot orange is a citrus fruit commonly grown in the Mediterranean (different from bergamot herbs, perennial plants native to North America sometimes grown as ornamentals to attract pollinators). Due to bergamot’s sour flavor, they’re not eaten fresh like you would eat an orange. Rather, it’s the essential oils extracted from the rind or the rind itself that’s used in Earl Grey tea. Bergamot orange gives Earl Grey tea its distinguishing citrusy flavor. (Farmers Almanac 2021).

Add a little vanilla and milk in Earl Grey tea to take this flavorful sipper to a whole other level. No wonder this classic has become so popular!

I discovered this sipper at a local coffee stand and was instantly smitten. They call it a London Fog Latte – I had to ask what that was before ordering (gah!). The barista shared with me how easy it is to make.

When researching how to properly name this classic milk tea sipper for the blog, I found it’s referred to by several different names (let me know in the comments if you know of others!):

• Earl Grey Latte
• Earl Grey Tea with Milk
• London Fog Latte
• London Fog Tea
• London Fog Drink

There are a few variations, from added lavender, to sweetener of choice like honey, maple syrup or vanilla syrup. But, they have three things in common: black tea, milk and vanilla. The difference comes down to how the milk is prepared, and if vanilla (always in a London Fog) and/or sweetener is involved.

Whether enjoyed simply with frothed, warmed or cold milk, Earl Grey with milk is soothing when a little comfort is needed. I would go as far to say it’s luxurious. Talk about self care!

Ingredients for Vanilla Earl Grey Tea with Milk

• Earl Grey Tea: You’ll need two tea bags of Earl Grey or 2 1/2 teaspoons of loose tea. I like Numi brand Earl Grey tea. It’s organic (flavorings free) and only contains two ingredients. They offer loose leaf tea leaves and tea bags.
• Vanilla: When ordering a London Fog Latte at the local coffee shops, vanilla syrup is typically used to sweeten and flavor the tea. However, when making Earl Gray tea with milk at home, use just a drizzle of pure vanilla extract and sweeten to taste.
• Milk of Choice: The sky is the limit here. Use your favorite plant milk like oat milk, cashew milk or almond milk. I use homemade unsweetened cashew milk because it’s thick and rich, and I always have it on hand. If using plant milk, you’ll notice a bit of separation of milk and tea after setting for a few minutes, but it’s easily swirled back together again. You can also use dairy milk of choice.
• Sweetener: Enjoy honey, maple syrup or sugar of choice. I’ve read brown sugar is quite lovely in an Earl Grey latte. My favorite is maple syrup.

Quick Guide: How to Make Earl Grey Tea With Milk

With just a few ingredients you can whip up the most delicious homemade Earl Grey tea with milk! In summary, here’s how to do it (see recipe card for details):

• First, add the loose tea or tea bags to just boiling water.
• Second, steep the tea for four to five minutes. Remove the tea bags or strain the tea if using loose tea.
• Next, add sweetener of choice to the milk and either froth the milk with a frothing wand or other frothing method (recommended) for a latte or simply warm the milk without frothing.
• Last, add a touch of vanilla extract to the tea, then pour in the milk and foam from the frothed milk if using.

This Earl Grey tea recipe is best enjoyed warm.

Variations on Earl Grey Tea with Milk

• Simply: After steeping the tea (strain if needed), add your sweetener of choice, then pour in warmed milk.
• Earl Grey Tea with Honey or Maple Syrup: The honey or maple should either be added to the hot tea or to the warmed or frothed milk so that it dissolves.
• Frothed Milk for an Earl Grey Latte or London Fog Latte: There are several ways to approach frothing. You can use a frothing wand on the steamer valve of an espresso machine (this is what I use), blender, jar shaker method or whisk, to name a few. For a tutorial on the many ways to froth milk, check out this video from Buttered Side Up.
• DIY Vanilla Syrup: So simple to make and convenient to have on hand. You can make this with honey, maple or sugar. In a small sauce pot combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Stir on low heat until the honey/maple/sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in two teaspoons of vanilla extract or scrape the beans from 1/2 a pod of vanilla bean. Cool in the fridge, then enjoy in the tea.

A Few Recipe Notes

• Regarding Tea: Look for high quality tea in the bulk bins for best value and to reduce waste. Or, look for high quality tea bags or loose leaf tea in packets. I recommend Numi Tea Aged Earl Grey.
• Milk: This recipe calls for half a cup of milk. Reduce to taste if a stronger tea is desired. Plant or dairy milk works well in this recipe. My favorite is homemade unsweetened cashew milk.
• Milk Frothing: There are many ways to accomplish homemade frothy milk. Buttered Side Up has a helpful DIY video to show us all the ways.
• Vanilla Extract: Look for high quality vanilla extract, not imitation. I like Frontier Co-op brand.

More Tea Infused Recipes to Try

• Ginger Orange Matcha Green Tea Smoothie
• Sweet Tea Prosecco Cocktails
• Matcha Mango Coconut Popsicles
• Autumn Spice Smoothie
• Honey Chamomile Tea Popsicles