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This London Fog drink is a delicious tea latte, and makes an excellent alternative to coffee if you’re trying to cut back on caffeine. This recipe is a little healthier than the version from Starbucks, made without refined sugar or cream.
What is a London Fog?
London Fog is a drink made with Earl Grey tea, steamed milk, and sugar. Starbucks makes it by adding vanilla syrup to the drink, so I’ve included a splash of vanilla in my version, too.
How Much Caffeine is in a London Fog?
The caffeine in a London Fog will vary based on the type of tea you use. The average 8 oz. cup of Earl Grey tea has roughly 45-50mg of caffeine, but there are decaf versions available if you’d prefer a caffeine-free drink.
Keep in mind that the longer you brew the tea, the more caffeine it will have. According to this chart, Earl Grey tea can have anywhere from 14mg of caffeine (when brewed for just 1 minute) to 47mg (when brewed for 5 minutes.)
What does a London Fog taste like?
If you love the flavor of Earl Grey tea, you’ll love the taste of a London Fog. It tastes like a sweet vanilla latte, with savory hints of floral black tea swirled through it.
Earl Grey tea gets its signature flavor from the addition of bergamot, which is a bitter citrus fruit found all over Europe. Thanks to its complex bitter & floral flavor, I find it to be a satisfying alternative to coffee.
How to Make a Healthy London Fog Drink
Similar to my Instant Vegan Latte (which is made with coffee), you can make a healthy London Fog using dates as a sweetener and a spoonful of almond butter for creaminess. It might sound strange adding these two ingredients to your tea, but when you blend them together they become a magical latte!
What I love about this method is that you don’t need to buy a special non-dairy creamer, or even make your own homemade almond milk. Those would just dilute the flavor of this drink, anyway. You get maximum flavor by adding the sweetness and creaminess directly to the tea. No extra liquid needed!
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- 2 Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 teaspoon almond butter (or cashew butter)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Earl Grey tea by pouring 8 to 12 ounces of boiling water over the tea bags in a mug. I like to use 2 tea bags for an extra-strong tea flavor, but you can use just 1 bag if you prefer a more mild drink. Cover the mug with a tea saucer, to lock in the heat.
- After the tea has brewed for 3 to 5 minutes, remove the tea bags and pour the hot tea into a blender. Add in the dates, almond butter, and vanilla, and blend until very smooth and creamy.
- If you have a powerful blender, like the Vitamix, you can pour the mixture directly into your mug and drink it right away, as the dates should be totally pulverized. If you are using a regular blender, I recommend holding a fine mesh strainer over your mug as you pour the blended mixture into your cup, so the strainer will catch any stray pieces of dates. (You don't want chunks in your drink!)
- Serve the hot tea latte right away and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Per cup: Calories: 166, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 37g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 1g
Recipe Notes:
- If you don’t have dates on hand, feel free to use another natural sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup to taste. I use two dates in this recipe to create the sweetness I remember in the original drink, but feel free to use only 1 date, if you prefer something less-sweet.
- If you don’t want to use almond butter, you can experiment with any other nut butter, or try a spoonful of coconut cream for another non-dairy alternative. Just keep in mind that substitutions will change the flavor a bit.
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Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried a London Fog before? Let me know what you think about this version in the comments below!
HI! how do you figure the carb content. I see dates have 6g carb each? Where do the rest of your carbs come from?
This recipe is soooo delicious! I have been making it everyday since I came across it. I have tried different variety of teas ands it’s always so good. I also lobe to add cinnamon. Thank you for this recipe!
Absolutely delicious! So comforting and satisfying!
Thanks for another AMAZING recipe! I love tea but sometimes I want more flavor. This is exactly what I was looking for!
This is delicious! Thanks for all your recipes. They are my go to. I have made this recipe many times but today I wanted a iced drink without coffee so after I brewed the tea I let it cool in the blender with the almond butter and maple syrup (since I was out of dates) blended it and poured it over ice. Yum! Oh with the tea I steeped some of my lavender. 😋 keep up the good recipes 👌 thank you
Great recipe, as good as Starbucks but without all the refined sugar!
This is so delicious. I even forgot the vanilla and it was super. Thank you for the recipe.
This drink is wonderful!!