Starbucks London fog latte is yummy! I love the tea-based drink due to the exceptional bergamot flavor. Blended with other robust flavors, I always find the need to visit Starbucks for a cup.
Sometimes, I love to make my copycat London fog at home since its easy. Since I only need Earl Grey and other simple ingredients and frothed milk and vanilla syrup.
By looking at the recipe, you can make a fabulous London fog latte. If you feel motivated, let me share how to go about it.
What is a London fog?
London fog is a drink that traces its origin in Vancouver, Canada. It’s pretty new since it was introduced in the 1990s. The tea-based latte has 3 ingredients namely Earl Grey, steamed milk and vanilla syrup.
What’s in a London Fog?
Earl Grey: This is a tea that is prepared using hot water and blended black tea. The tea is a mixture of black tea, bergamot essence, and lavender flower.
The bergamot adds a solid citrusy flavor which makes the drink super refreshing. Additionally, the lavender flowers provide minty and earthliness essence.
Steamed milk: The latte contains low-fat dairy milk. However, you can choose to use alternative dairy-free milk. You can always select Starbucks soy, coconut, oat, and almond milk.
Vanilla syrup: The vanilla syrup used at Starbucks consists of sugar, which is why your latte tastes sweet. Further, the natural flavors and citric acid improve how your earl gray latte tastes.
Is it possible to substitute tea bags with loose leaves?
When you don’t have Teavana tea bags, you can use regular tea leaves at your home. However, you need to blend the tea leaves with bergamot oil. It’s the oil that gives your earl grey tea a definitive and unique flavor.
The good thing is you can get bergamot oil from online stores.

How to make a London fog at home?
If you want to make London fog at home, you can enjoy a seamless and straightforward process.
I will show you how to make it from scratch using regular ingredients available at home. It’s one of my best London fog recipes this year.
London fog ingredients
- Loose black tea leaves
- Bergamot oil
- Water
- Milk
- Vanilla syrup
Preparation
Preparing London fog is now easier than you can ever imagine.
- Prepare Earl Grey tea
Put 10-15 drops of bergamot oil in a jar and shake for 2 minutes to distribute the oil well.
Add tea leaves into the jar and shake for about 5 minutes to ensure proper oil and tea leaves mix. The tea bergamot blend is ready for use, but you can cure it for a few days.
Heat water to a simmering point and add the tea leaves to make a tea brew. Let it simmer for 2 minutes but don’t boil the infusion.
- Sweeten milk with vanilla syrup
As the tea leaves simmer, heat milk and vanilla syrup for London fog in a saucepan or microwave for about 1 minute. Do not let it boil!
- Frothing the milk
Using a milk frother or French press, froth the milk until it is foamy. To ensure enough foam, froth until foam and milk form equal layers.
- Assemble the Earl Grey latte
Sieve the hot Earl Grey tea into a cup. Start pouring the frothed milk into the tea beverage while holding foam back using a spoon.
Using the spoon, add the foam to the top of the drink.
You can garnish your drink with mint leaves
Secrets for best and smooth London fog latte
- Once you make Earl Grey tea leaves, it is advisable to store them in an airtight container to maintain aroma. Avoid keeping more than six months; the flavor will fade.
- If you don’t love dairy milk, you can use plant milk. Similarly, you can substitute vanilla syrup with vanilla powered, but you must add sweetener separately.
- You can garnish your drink with the spice of your choice. There are no restrictions.
Starbucks London Fog Latte Recipe (Earl Grey Latte)
Course: Drinks115
kcal16
oz7
minutesThis recipe offers simple steps for making the perfect copycat Starbucks Earl Grey latte. It has a similar taste, and you will enjoy making it in less than 8 minutes. The ingredients are easy to make. But for the sake of saving time, I bought some ingredients online.
Ingredients
2 Earl Grey teabags
1 cup milk
1 cup water
4 tablespoon vanilla syrup
Directions
- Put water in a saucepan and heat to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the Earl Grey tea bags and let them simmer under the same temperature for 2-3 minutes.
- As the tea steeps, mix milk and vanilla syrup, then steam.
- Froth the steamed milk using a frother until the foam is the same thickness as the milk.
- Transfer the tea into a cup and add frothed milk while holding back the foam with a spoon. Top up the drink with the foam and enjoy.
Notes
- Steaming milk is essential to encourage an easy foaming process. Do not let the milk boil.
Simmering tea for 2-3 minutes is the ideal time. Letting it boil or simmer for long will make it taste bitter.
If you love the vegan option, it’s easy to use alternative milk.
Nutrition Facts
2 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories115
- % Daily Value *
- Cholesterol 10mg 4%
- Sodium 63mg 3%
- Potassium 91mg 3%
- Total Carbohydrate
20.2g
7%
- Protein 4g 8%
- Calcium 149%
- Vitamin D 1%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.