The “Toasty” from Mandarin Coffee Stand in Pasadena is one of my favorite lattes of all time. It’s a latte made with rooibos-infused oat milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and espresso, and it’s so good. This drink is their take on a yuan yang drink (鴛鴦), which is a Hong Kong milk tea and coffee drink. It’s malty, creamy, not too sweet, and fragrant, and it has the perfect balance!!! Finally made it at home so I can enjoy it from 300 miles away!
If you love this drink too, here’s how to make the toasty at home!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make this amazing iced latte at home and enjoy it from however far away you are!
- It’s roasty, malted, fragrant, and creamy, all the flavors you want in a coffee milk tea combo.
- It’s a simple but delicious drink that makes you feel like a coffee shop owner.
- Experiment with this yummy infused milk and make a cafe-quality beverage.
About Mandarin Coffee Stand
Mandarin Coffee Stand is a small business in Pasadena that’s serving big brews! They’re an AAPI-owned coffee shop that highlights Chinese roasted coffees and Asian flavors. From their famous Toasty to their Gui Hua latte, Mandarin Coffee has some of the best coffee in the LA area. I always make it a point to go when I’m in Pasadena, and it’s perfectly brewed every time.
They have their iconic arcade location, but recently expanded to a larger location!
What Is the Toasty from Mandarin Coffee Stand?
The toasty is their take on the Hong Kong coffee milk tea, which is traditionally made with condensed milk, filter coffee, and Ceylon black tea. But at Mandarin, they make a rooibos-infused oat milk which they serve over ice with brown sugar syrup, a dash of cinnamon, and good espresso.
The Inspiration: Hong Kong Yuan Yang. Hong Kong milk tea is notorious for being rich, creamy, bold, and sweet. It uses Ceylon black tea, which has bright, creamy, malty, and floral notes. Not only that, Hong Kong milk tea is famously silky smooth thanks to the silk-stocking tea brewing method, where the tea is filtered from stocking to stocking.
What Does a Toasty Taste Like?
The toasty is the perfect amount of creamy, malty, sweet, and bitter, from the espresso. The iced version is made with oat milk, while the hot can be made with regular milk (I think). Since they use rooibos tea, it’s sweet, earthy, floral, and nutty, which complements the oat milk well. It also rounds out the bitterness from the coffee and makes it super pleasant. The tea masks the intense coffee aroma well and makes it much softer and refined.
Why Rooibos Instead of Black Tea?
My theory is that Mandarain Coffee Stand uses rooibos in their Toasty because it’s a softer tea flavor that makes the latte less intense and more creamy. Hong Kong yuan yang is very intense and often is a punch of flavor, which is great when you want it! But the Toasty is easier to drink more often because it’s super well-balanced.
I also like that rooibos tea is non-caffeinated, so you get a ton of flavor without the extra caffeine. If you’ve ever had a dirty matcha or Thai tea spiked with a shot of espresso, your heart feels like it’s going to jump out of your chest.
Toasty Recipe: Ingredients You’ll Need
- 2 rooibos tea bags or looseleaf tea (1 tbsp for looseleaf)
- 1 ½ cup oat milk
- 1 cup ice
- 2 shots of espresso
- 1 tbsp brown sugar syrup
- 2 – 3 dashes ground cinnamon
How to Make the Toasty from Mandarin Coffee Stand
- Infuse Milk. Heat oat milk on the stove, in a frother, or in the microwave until hot and steaming. Add rooibos tea bags and hot milk to a jar, and infuse on the counter until cool to the touch.
- Continue infusing in the fridge overnight. Once completely infused, remove the tea bags and press out any remaining liquid from the bags. If using loose-leaf, strain using a tea sifter.
- Brew Espresso. Brew 1-2 shots of your favorite espresso using an espresso machine. You can also use instant espresso powder or a stovetop coffee maker as a substitute.
- Assemble Drink. Add ice, brown sugar syrup, and infused rooibos milk to a separate glass, then stir until dissolved. Add the brewed espresso on top and garnish with a dusting of ground cinnamon.
- Mix and Enjoy!
Tips for Making the Perfect Toasty
- Leave the Tea Bag Strings Out: To make taking the tea bag out easier when the milk is done. Intentionally leave the string out, and secure it to the top of the container either with the lid or by taping it to the side.
- Use Hot Milk: Hot milk essentially brews the tea better than cold milk. Heat your milk, then pour it into a container with a spout and pour it into your jar with the tea. You can also do this in a small pot.
- Make Brown Sugar Syrup: If you don’t have brown sugar syrup, you can easily make it at home. Just combine equal parts brown sugar and hot water and stir to dissolve. For a single portion, I boil some water and add a little bit to a heatproof measuring cup and stir using a chopstick or spoon.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
If you want to make this ahead of time, just make the rooibos-infused milk a day ahead of when you want it so it’s ready to go. A great way to make a larger portion is to infuse the milk in a French Press. That way, it by default strains out the tea and has a spout for easy pouring.
You can also batch prep brown sugar syrup and store it in the fridge until ready.
How to Make Mandarin Coffee Stand’s Toasty at Home
Ingredients
- 2 rooibos tea bags or looseleaf tea 1 tbsp for looseleaf
- 1 ½ cup oat milk
- 1 cup ice
- 2 shots espresso
- 1 tbsp brown sugar syrup
- 2 – 3 dashes ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Infuse Milk. Heat oat milk on the stove, in a frother, or in the microwave until hot and steaming. Add rooibos tea bags and hot milk to a jar, and infuse on the counter until cool to the touch.
- Continue infusing in the fridge overnight. Once completely infused, remove the tea bags and press out any remaining liquid from the bags. If using loose-leaf, strain using a tea sifter.
- Brew Espresso. Brew 1-2 shots of your favorite espresso using an espresso machine. You can also use instant espresso powder or a stovetop coffee maker as a substitute.
- Assemble Drink. Add ice, brown sugar syrup, and infused rooibos milk to a separate glass, then stir until dissolved. Add the brewed espresso on top and garnish with a dusting of ground cinnamon.
- Mix and Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Toasty coffee drink caffeinated?
Yes, depending on how many espresso shots you use, it can be either 60 or 120 mg, respectively. Rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free, which means fewer jitters! If you want even less caffeine, you can use half a shot of espresso or swap for decaf.
Is the Mandarin Coffee Stand Toasty the same as Hong Kong yuan yang?
Not exactly, but it’s inspired by it. Traditional Hong Kong yuan yang has black tea with evaporated and condensed milk. The Toasty keeps the tea-and-coffee idea, but uses rooibos instead of black tea. It also has warmer flavors like brown sugar and cinnamon. As a result, it’s softer, creamier, and less bitter than classic yuan yang.
Can I make the Toasty without espresso?
Yes. You can use strong brewed coffee, instant espresso powder, or stovetop espresso instead, and it still works really well. Just make sure the coffee is concentrated so it’s still strong in the rooibos milk.
What kind of milk works best for a Toasty?
I personally have only tried it with oat milk, but I think whole milk would give a great flavor too, especially since rooibos has naturally sweet, vanilla-like notes. I’d avoid very thin milks, since the Toasty is meant to feel rich and cozy.
Can I serve the Toasty hot instead of iced?
Definitely. The hot version is extra cozy, just heat the milk until steamy, then add your espresso, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Other Delicious Lattes to Try
If you love making your favorite coffee shop’s drinks at home to save money and enjoy them more often, then here are some other amazing recipes to try next:
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