Earl Grey Milk Tea has all flavors of Earl Grey with no animal ingredient. Made with cold brew tea and sweetened with brown sugar syrup, this iced milk tea is perfect for waking up on hot summer days.

What is Earl Grey Milk Tea?
Earl Grey Milk Tea is an iced tea beverage made with milk, Earl Grey tea, sugar and sometimes tapioca pearls. This version has less sugar than its store-bought version, and you can even make it with no sugar at all.
I love having iced Earl Grey with milk, but never found the right measures to have a beverage as delicious as one from a milk tea shop.
After a lot of experimenting, I have finally the recipe that is perfect for me! This milk tea:
- Has a lot of Earl Grey flavor;
- Don’t get watery as the ice melts down;
- Is super creamy; and
- Costs a lot less than buying from a milk tea shop.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Earl Grey Tea. Both tea bags and loose Earl Grey tea work for this recipe.
Milk. My favorite plant-based milk for this recipe is almond milk. Cashew milk is also a good call. Oat milk will change a bit of the taste, and I don’t recommend using coconut milk for this recipe.
Ice cubes. Using earl grey ice cubes is my secret for a drink that doesn’t get watery after sitting for some time.
Brown Sugar Syrup. You can use store-bought or simply make your own. Brown sugar syrup gives hints of caramel that’s just perfect for milk tea.
You can turn this recipe into a Earl Grey Boba Milk Tea by adding cooked tapioca pearls to it. When I use them, I soak boba pearls into brown sugar syrup for 30 minutes before making the drink.
Cold Brew Milk Tea
Making cold brew milk tea is easier than you might be thinking.
To make it, we’ll need:
- A recipient/jar with a lid that can hold 2 cups of liquid;
- Earl Grey (loose or tea bags);
- Almond milk.
Fill the jar with 2 cups of almond milk, add the tea bags or loose tea and close the lid. Refrigerate overnight, or for 12 to 16 hours.
Remove tea bags or strain cold brew tea if using loose earl grey.
Tea Ice Cubes
The secret for a milk tea that burst with flavor is using ice cubes made with brewed tea. One cup of tea makes enough ice cubes for this recipe.
Pour one cup of hot water over a bag of Earl Grey (or 1 tablespoon of loose Earl Grey tea). Wait for it to cool and fill an ice cube tray. Store in the freezer until ready to use.
How to Make It
Got everything ready? Let’s make the best Earl grey milk tea!
This recipe makes enough for 2 tall glasses of milk tea.
Add about 6 ice cubes to each glass. Pour cold brew milk tea over ice, dividing it evenly between glasses. Add 1 and a half tablespoon of brown sugar syrup to each drink, and stir to mix.
Enjoy while cold!
Storing
Consume Earl Grey milk tea fresh for the best result. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Cold brew milk tea is good for 2 to 4 days. After that time, it starts to lose its flavor.
More Milk Tea Recipes
Iced London Fog
Brown Sugar Milk Tea
Earl Grey Milk Tea
Earl Grey Milk Tea has all flavors of Earl Grey with no animal ingredient. Made with cold brew tea and sweetened with brown sugar syrup, this iced milk tea is perfect for waking up on hot summer days.
Ingredients
Cold brew milk tea
- 2 tea bags Earl Grey (or 2 tablespoon loose Earl Grey)
- 2 cups almond milk, vanilla-flavored and unsweetened
Earl Grey ice cubes
- 1 tea bag Earl Grey (or 1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey)
- 1 cup hot water
Earl Grey milk tea
- 2 cups cold brew milk tea
- earl grey ice cubes
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar syrup
Instructions
- Start by making cold brew milk tea. Fill a jar with almond milk and add Earl Grey tea bags or loose tea. Close the lid and refrigerate overnight, or for 12 to 16 hours.
- After that time, remove tea bags, or strain cold brew tea if using loose Earl Grey.
- For the ice cubes, pour one cup of hot water over a bag of Earl Grey, or 1 tablespoon of loose Earl Grey tea. Steep for 5 minutes and remove tea bags, or strain tea if using loose tea leaves.
- Wait for tea to cool and fill an ice cube tray with it. Store in the freezer until ready to use.
- Fill 2 tall glasses with about 6 Earl Grey ice cubes each, or enough to fill ⅔ of the glass.
- Pour cold brew milk tea over the ice cubes, dividing it evenly between glasses. Add 1 and a half tablespoon of brown sugar syrup to each drink, and stir to mix.
- Enjoy right away!
Notes
You can substitute brown sugar syrup for your favorite sweetener if you can’t consume sugar. You can also have it unsweetened if you like.
Almond milk can be substituted for cashew milk. Oat and coconut milk have a flavor that’s too strong for the Earl Grey to stand out. I never tried with rice milk.
You can buy brown sugar syrup or make your own with this quick recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 222Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 6mgSodium 61mgCarbohydrates 51gFiber 0gSugar 39gProtein 2g
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and/or brands used.
Dessi
Hiya, I tried with normal milk but it seemed that the earl grey didn't really brew overnight. Do you know if using normal milk the recipe has to be altered? Thank you!
Milk and Pop
Hi Dessi!
I've tried with normal milk once and it went ok. But I've noticed that shaking the jar a few times can help when using something other than water, especially if you're using tea bags.
You can also squeeze the tea bags before removing them from milk, but that can be controversial. I've never noticed a bitter taste when doing that.
Cheers!