One of my favorite things about herbal and chamomile teas is the calming effect they have. I started drinking tea when I was in college and found myself extremely stressed from coursework, exams, and overall life in general. It was my sophomore roommate who introduced me to chamomile tea, who drank it religiously every night to help her sleep. I quickly followed her lead and began drinking a nightly cup to wind down and destress, and found that not only did I sleep better, but my overall anxiety was reduced and my mood was better!
Chamomile tea, in particular, has a wonderful calming effect. Not only is it caffeine free, but it contains apigenin, a chemical that induces sleepiness when it binds to the GABA receptors in the brain (science truly is amazing). As I got older, drinking tea was a habit I never gave up. I love trying new tea flavors, blends, and concoctions, and eventually started creating my own.
That’s how this chamomile tea latte was born. After perfecting my London Fog, or Earl Grey tea latte, I tried many attempts to nail the perfect chamomile tea latte recipe. Well, I finally did it and am sharing it with you today.
What is a chamomile tea latte?
Similar to a regular latte, the primary ingredient is frothed milk. However, the base of the flavor comes from chamomile tea instead of espresso, as well as a few other ingredients, like honey and spices.
Chamomile tea latte ingredients
To make this beverage, you’ll need just a few ingredients, including:
- Loose chamomile tea (alternatively, you can use 3 chamomile tea bags): This is the base of our latte, and I personally LOVE using Art of Tea’s Egyptian Chamomile Tea, but any brand will do.
- Honey: For sweetness. While you can use granulated sugar, I prefer the flavor of honey.
- Milk of your choice: The milk is the body of the drink and is steeped with all the warm, delicious, flavors.
- Ground or whole cinnamon
- Ground or whole cloves
- Vanilla extract
Source: https://www.artoftea.com/products/egyptian-chamomile-caffeine-free-1
How to make a chamomile tea latte
- Heat. Combine milk with the tea, vanilla, honey, and spices in a pot over medium heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Strain. Strain the milk through a fine sieve so the tea is removed. If you are using whole spices, you’ll want to strain those out, too.
- Froth. You can use a handheld frother, electric frother, or even a French press to do this. Once your mixture is frothed and has body, pour it into a preheated mug. I like to sprinkle it with a dash of ground cinnamon before enjoying!
Tips for making the best chamomile tea latte
- Use real vanilla extract. The artificial vanilla flavoring doesn’t complement the flavors of the chamomile and spices well.
- While you can use any milk to make this drink, the higher the fat content, the more body it will produce when you froth it. The best milk to use is anything above 1%. Alternatively, pure coconut milk froths well if you want to make your chamomile latte vegan.
- Do not overheat the milk mixture on the stove. This can cause it to burn.
- Additionally, it’s important not to heat the mixture for too long, which can cause the tea to over steep and make the latte bitter.
- To keep your latte warm as you drink it, I like to pour boiling water in my mug as I’m preparing the latte. Right before you serve, dump the hot water out and you’ll have a warm and toasty mug ready to keep your drink warm!
Chamomile tea latte recipe
Yield: 2 lattes
Time to prepare: 10 minutes
2 cups (16oz) milk
2.5 tablespoons loose chamomile tea (or 3 tea bags)
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3 teaspoons honey (depending on how sweet you like your latte)
1 cinnamon stick or ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 whole cloves or ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan along with the tea, vanilla extract, honey, and spices.
- Bring to a full boil and immediately turn the heat down to allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Over the sink, strain your tea so you’re left with only liquid,
- To froth the latte, I prefer using an electric frother. If you don’t have one, you can use a handheld one or a French press. To froth with a French press, fill it halfway with the tea mixture and pump the presser until the drink almost doubles in size.
- Pour into warm mugs and sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon.