Have you tried cold brewing Earl Grey milk tea before? It’s the secret to a deliciously smooth, strong, and flavorful milk tea that is extra creamy. It’s hard to get a creamy milk tea with brewed tea since the water dilutes it, but this method eliminates that problem. Plus, it smooths out the bergamot flavor, leaving the cold-brewed milk tea flavorful without any bitterness. Plus, it’s insanely easy to make!
Here’s how to make a delicious cold brew Earl Grey milk tea at home!
What is Earl Grey?
Earl Grey tea is a black tea infused with bergamot oil, which comes from the bergamot plant. It’s floral, citrusy, and herbaceous with a slightly bitter taste when brewed fresh. It’s one of the most popular teas, which I’m sure you’ve seen at cafes, restaurants, and hotels. It’s a very refreshing black tea with a light flavor as opposed to more malty black teas like Keelung or Assam.
My favorite way to have it is in milk tea, which was my first taste of milk tea, ever. But besides having it the normal way, I’ve recently discovered making it as a cold brew thanks to my experience making Japanese royal milk tea. And it’s a hit.
Can You Cold Brew Earl Grey Milk Tea?
Contrary to popular belief, you can cold brew tea in milk. The process is the same as cold brewing coffee: add the tea and milk together and let it steep overnight in the fridge. However, this method will give you more of a tea-flavored milk than a milk tea (if you catch my drift). So, to make the flavor stronger, I like to brew the tea in a little bit of hot water to essentially bloom the tea, which gives the ending brew a stronger tea flavor.
I’ve also brewed tea in hot milk, then letting it cold brew overnight in the fridge. This way is also delicious (and how you brew royal milk tea) but it gives an evaporated milk flavor to it which I like in royal milk tea, but not in Earl Grey milk tea.
With the method in this recipe, you get a delicious, strong, and creamy milk tea that’s sooooo addictive and easy!
What Does Cold Brew Earl Grey Milk Tea Taste Like?
The cold brew version of Earl Grey milk tea is smooth and creamy with notes of citrus and vanilla. The bergamot flavor isn’t as strong, and reminds me of a tea creamsicle slightly sweetened or an Earl Grey pudding. It’s really unlike any regular milk tea you’ll have since this has more milk which makes it more creamy. You could say it’s a strongly tea-flavored milk!
There’s also a subtle malt flavor as well, which really enhances the drink.
Cold Brew Earl Grey Milk Tea: Ingredients You’ll Need
- 10 g looseleaf Earl Grey tea (if using tea bags, use 2-3)
- 500 g milk
- 20-30 g brown sugar
- 60 g cup hot water
How to Make Cold Brew Earl Grey Milk Tea
- In a heatproof jar or cup, add your Earl Grey tea and hot water and brew for 3-5 minutes. Do not remove the tea leaves after.
- Dissolve the sugar in the hot tea.
- Then add milk and mix until the concentrated tea and milk combine fully.
- Let the tea steep in the mixture for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly cooled, then transfer it to the fridge to brew overnight.
- Take it out from the fridge and strain out the tea leaves before either drinking it immediately or sticking the milk tea back into the fridge to chill until ready to use.
- Pour and enjoy!
Notes: If using tea bags, ensure the tea bag string is not completely submerged into the milk. Also, you’ll want to use more tea bags than this recipe might call for.
Tips for the Best Earl Grey Cold Brew
- Use high-quality Earl Grey (not dusty bagged tea): Ever heard of the term tea dust? That’s what many tea bags have inside then! Tea dust is the remnants of tea production and the small, tiny pieces that are broken off from tea leaves. It’s easy to pack it all into a tea bag and mass-produce it. Good for the company but not for taste. It’s often not flavorful, flat, and brewed a poor cup of tea. Use loose-leaf if you have it for a much better, fresher flavor!
- Don’t over-steep (can get bitter): Have you ever had milk tea that was bitter and astringent? That’s thanks to overstepped tea. The longer you let tea brew, the more bitterness and astringency you’ll get. While it’s easier for it to happen when hot, it can also happen if you leave cold-brewed tea too long! Don’t forget about your tea!
- Add vanilla: Vanilla is one of the most popular and common pairings to have with Earl Grey milk tea. You can add a little bit for a flavor boost! To make it even fancier, you can cut and scrape vanilla bean seeds into your tea, heck, through the empty pod in too!
- Try oat milk: While I love diary myself, oat milk is honestly a great milk to use for milk teas because it’s usually extremely creamy and has a great mouthfeel. Plus, the oat flavor works nicely with a bolder tea.
- Use as base for drinks: I love using this cold brewed milk tea for other diners like an iced matcha latte or iced latte. It’s strong and smooth, but doesn’t overpower other flavors and when mixed with matcha or coffee, the flavor changes completely!
Substitutions and Variations
- Make it vegan: No milk? No problem. Swap it with your favorite non-dairy plant-based alternative milk. Try to use a milk that’s more creamy or has more fat in it for the best texture. Also use one that has a more natural flavor; something like almond or soy milk will have a strong taste.
- London Fog twist: Who doesn’t love a London fog? You can make a cold brew London fog by adding either vanilla or lavender syrup, depending on what you consider a London fog.
- Make it sugar free: Omit the sugar from the recipe or use a sugar-free sweetener if you still want it to taste sweet but not spike your blood sugar. This tea is fantastic unsweetened, too, and it’s easier to control the amount of sugar when adding it to the brewed tea rather than before.
- Make it dirty: Did you know you can also cold brew coffee in milk? Add coarsely ground coffee into the milk tea before you put it in the fridge. You’ll end up with a cold brew coffee and milk tea mix that’s super delicious and bold.
- Time-saving hack: For the ultimately milk tea hack, skip the cold brew and brew the tea regularly, then use Coffee Mate coffee creamer powder until completely combined. This is what a lot of boba shops use to get a super creamy milk tea without extra brewing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Earl Grey caffeinated?
Yes, Earl Grey tea is a black tea which is the most caffeinated tea if comparing to green, oolong, matcha, and white tea. A single serving of black tea can have up to 75 mg of caffeine in it, which is a little more than a single espresso shot. Depending on how much and how long you brew it for, it can have even more!
Can I make this with Earl Grey tea bags?
Of course! You can easily swap out the loose leaf tea for tea bags in this recipe. Just make sure to secure the tea bag strings under the lid of the jar or container so they don’t fall into the milk. You’ll also want to use double the amount of tea bags since they tend to have a weaker flavor compared to looseleaf.
How long does cold brew Earl Grey last?
This cold brew milk tea will last up to 1 week in the fridge, but it’s best consumed within 3-4 days for maximum flavor and freshness. Once the milk tea starts to go bad, you’ll know. The texture will turn gloopy and it will smell badddd.
Can I drink it unsweetened?
Yes! Just make sure to omit the sugar in the beginning so that you make an unsweetened cold brew milk tea. It tastes crisp, flavorful, and milky! You can always add sugar to your own cup before drinking. As I always say, you can always add more but you can’t take it away.
Easy Cold Brew Earl Grey Milk Tea
Ingredients
- 10 g looseleaf Earl Grey tea if using tea bags, use 2-3
- 500 g milk
- 20-30 g brown sugar
- 60 g cup hot water
Instructions
- In a heatproof jar or cup, add your Earl Grey tea and hot water and brew for 3-5 minutes. Do not remove the tea leaves after.
- Dissolve the sugar into the hot tea.
- Then add milk and mix until the concentrated tea and milk combine fully.
- Let the tea steep in the mixture for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly cooled, then transfer it into the fridge to brew overnight.
- Take out from the fridge and strain out the tea leaves before either drinking it immediately or sticking the milk tea back into the fridge to chill until ready to use.
- Pour and enjoy!
Other Cold Brew Drinks You’ll Love
Making cold brew milk tea is so easy, and once you practice the method once, you can swap out the teas to make all kinds of cold brew tea. Here are some other milk teas you need to try next:
- Royal Milk Tea
- Jasmine Matcha Late
- Cold Brew Peach Jasmine Green Tea
- Salted Maple Cold Foam Cold Brew
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
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