Can you put brown sugar in tea? Absolutely! But should you? Most definitely. Especially when it’s spiced brown sugar, fragrant with molasses and cinnamon, and stirred into strong black tea with lashings of foam for a fabulous brown sugar tea latte.
I like using unusual sweeteners in my cup of tea, from palm sugar and raw honey to real maple syrup and even fresh stevia leaves. Each one gives a unique flavor profile and distinctive fragrance. Setting a bowl of brown sugar on the tea tray may result in raised eyebrows and doubtful questions of, “Can you put brown sugar in tea?” But try it. Seriously. It’s so good.
Making a great Cinnamon Brown Sugar Tea Latte starts by assembling the best ingredients you can source: sugar, tea, and milk.
Cinnamon Spiced Brown Sugar
Make your own beautiful spiced brown sugar by mixing freshly ground cinnamon with your favorite brown sugar. I like my brown sugar dark and rich, so I use Muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar.
Using cinnamon brown sugar in a brown sugar latte is even nicer when you turn it into a luscious brown sugar syrup. Simply place 1 cup of cinnamon brown sugar and 1 cup of water into a small saucepan. Set over medium high heat and stir gently until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof serving container, such as a small earthenware cream pitcher, and set aside until ready to use.
Black Tea
Choosing the right tea for your brown sugar latte depends on your personal preference. I prefer a strong black tea with rich flavors and heady fragrance that can pair well with the intensity of the cinnamon brown sugar syrup. Try our Full Moon Chai, Oregon Breakfast Black Tea with rich hazelnut and zesty orange, or House Blend Black Tea with fragrant vanilla. Brew it extra strong so the flavors aren’t lost when you add the cinnamon brown sugar syrup, warm milk, and foam.
Milk and Foam
The heart of a brown sugar latte is the milk and airy foam. Choose a high quality whole milk, and pour it into your milk frother. If you have a hand pump frother, be sure to heat the milk before you add it; heating afterwards will deflate the foam and make your Cinnamon Brown Sugar Tea Latte a disappointment. If you have an electric one, it should heat the milk for you as it whips it into decadent foam.
Assembling the Cinnamon Brown Sugar Tea Latte
Add the syrup first, a tablespoon per glass, then pour over the hot tea, stirring to make sure the entire drink is sweetened well. Then gently add the hot milk, pouring slowly, using a knife to hold back the foam until the very end. Carefully top each latte with foam, and serve immediately.
After one sip, you’ll know the answer to “can you put brown sugar in tea?” A resounding yes!
