There is a very specific kind of evening that calls for this drink. The sun has not quite let go of the day, the kitchen is too warm to think about turning on the stove, and what you want is not exactly coffee and not exactly dessert. It is something in between: cold, a little rich, a little bitter at the edges, sweet enough to feel like a treat but not so sweet that you regret it by the second glass. That is the gap the Iced Chocolate Tea Latte was built to fill.
This recipe uses Tealayas Landour Chocolate Iced Tea as its base, a single-origin Darjeeling black tea blended with real cocoa and a whisper of cinnamon. Cold brewed slowly and finished with milk, it drinks like a cocoa forward iced latte without a single espresso shot or added gram of sugar.
What You Need
- 2 tablespoons Tealayas Landour Chocolate Iced Tea (whole leaf, not crushed)
- 500 ml filtered cold or room temperature water, for the base cold brew
- 120 ml milk of choice (whole milk, oat milk, or almond milk all work well)
- A handful of ice cubes
- Optional: a pinch of cinnamon or a few shavings of dark chocolate for garnish
- Optional sweetener: 1 to 2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or a few drops of stevia (the blend is already sugar-free, so this is entirely to taste)
How to Make It
Step 1: Cold brew the base. Add the 2 tablespoons of Landour Chocolate Iced Tea to a glass jar or pitcher with 500 ml of cold water. Stir gently so the leaves are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. This slow, cold extraction is what pulls out the cocoa and cinnamon notes without the bitterness that hot brewing can bring out in black tea.
Step 2: Strain. Pour the cold brew through a fine mesh strainer or infuser into a clean jug. You should have a deep amber liquid with a soft chocolate aroma. Store any extra in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Step 3: Build the glass. Fill a tall glass three-quarters full with ice. Pour in 200 ml of the cold brew, leaving room at the top.
Step 4: Add the milk. Slowly pour 120 ml of milk over the ice and tea, letting it layer naturally before stirring. If you like a frothier top, froth the milk first with a handheld frother for about 20 seconds.
Step 5: Sweeten and finish. Stir in your sweetener of choice if using, dust with a pinch of cinnamon or a scatter of dark chocolate shavings, and serve immediately.
Two Ways to Riff on the Base Recipe
Make it a mocktail. Swap the milk for chilled coconut cream and add a splash of orange juice. The citrus cuts through the cocoa in a way that feels closer to a spiked dessert drink than a tea, minus the alcohol.
Batch it for the week. Cold brew a full liter (4 tablespoons of tea to 1 liter of water) on Sunday night and keep it strained and chilled in the fridge. Each morning, pour 200 ml over ice with milk for a five-minute breakfast treat that needs zero prep. It holds its flavor well for up to 3 days before the cocoa notes start to fade.
Why This Works
Cold brewing extracts tea differently than hot steeping does. Heat pulls tannins out of tea leaves quickly, which is part of what gives hot-brewed black tea its brisk, sometimes astringent edge. Cold water extraction is slower and more selective: it draws out the sweeter, rounder flavor compounds first and leaves more of the tannins behind in the leaf. For a chocolate and cinnamon blend like this one, that means you get the cocoa depth and the warm spice note without the bitterness fighting for attention. It is the same principle that makes cold brew coffee taste smoother than a hot drip, applied to tea instead of coffee beans.
Brewing Tips and Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It Happens | The Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cold brew tastes weak | Not enough leaf-to-water ratio, or brew time too short | Stick to 2 tablespoons per 500 ml and brew a full 8 hours minimum |
| Milk curdles slightly | Cold brew is too acidic or milk is added too fast | Pour milk slowly over ice, not directly into concentrated tea |
| Drink tastes flat after a day | Cocoa aromatics fade once strained tea sits too long | Batch brew no more than 3 days ahead, store airtight and chilled |
| Too watery | Diluting with plain ice instead of using tea ice cubes | Freeze extra cold brew into ice cubes so melting ice does not dilute flavor |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this with hot brewed tea instead of cold brew?
You can, but expect more bitterness. Steep 2 tablespoons of the blend in 500 ml of just-off-boil water for 4 minutes, then cool completely and refrigerate before building the drink. Cold brewing remains the gentler method for this particular blend.
Is this recipe caffeinated?
Yes. Landour Chocolate Iced Tea is built on a Darjeeling black tea base, so it carries a moderate, naturally occurring caffeine content, generally lower than coffee but noticeable enough for an afternoon lift.
Can I make it fully dairy-free?
Absolutely. Oat milk and almond milk both work well here. Oat milk gives the creamiest texture and pairs especially well with the cocoa notes.
How long does the cold brew concentrate keep?
Up to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. After that, the cocoa and cinnamon aromatics start to fade even though the tea is still safe to drink.
Do I need a special infuser?
No. A simple fine mesh strainer works fine, though the steel infuser that comes with select Tealayas iced teas makes the process a little easier for daily brewing.
If you want to try this recipe with the exact blend it was built for, the Landour Chocolate Iced Tea is available in loose leaf form, with real cocoa and cinnamon and zero added sugar. It is worth keeping a jar cold brewing in the fridge all week, ready whenever the evening calls for something in between coffee and dessert.
