Hojicha Latte (Iced and Hot)

Hojicha Latte (Iced or Hot) is a non-caffeinated Japanese roasted green tea with a robust chocolatey, nutty flavor. Serve it iced for a refreshing drink or hot for a cozy treat.

A hojicha latte is a versatile drink that can be made iced or hot and tastes equally delicious. It's made with roasted Japanese green tea and has a natural sweetness and caramel flavor. It tastes very similar to a hot chocolate with notes of toffee.

This recipe is similar to our Vanilla Matcha Latte, but is non-caffeinated and has a much toastier, nuttier taste. It's a great option for those who want something refreshing or cozy without the caffeine, and can be made with ground hojicha powder or loose leaf hojicha. Make this cafe-worthy drink in minutes at home!

Jump to:

• What is a hojicha latte?
• What is hojicha?
• What is the difference between hojicha and matcha?
• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Instructions
• What to Serve with Hojicha Latte
• Recipe FAQs
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Related Recipes
• Did You Like This Recipe?
• Hojicha Latte (Iced and Hot)

What is a hojicha latte?

A latte typically includes espresso and steamed milk. In a hojicha latte, we replace espresso with hojicha tea. The blend of hojicha and steamed milk is uniquely delicious, earthy, and light.

What is hojicha?

Hojicha is a Japanese roasted green tea. Unlike other green teas, it has a reddish-brown color. This is because hojicha leaves are roasted while other green tea leaves are steamed. Hojicha has a mildly sweet and smokey taste and is delicious in a variety of foods and drinks.

What is the difference between hojicha and matcha?

Both hojicha and matcha are Japanese green teas, but there are some distinct differences between them:

• Color - While both matcha and hojicha are green teas, hojicha is brownish in color while matcha is bright green.
• Taste - Hojicha is earthy and sweet while matcha has a stronger vegetal flavor.
• Caffeine content - Hojicha contains much less caffeine than matcha. Typically, we enjoy matcha at the beginning of the day and hojicha in the afternoon when we don't need much of a caffeine boost or want to unwind.

Ingredients

• Hojicha powder - Hojicha powder is a fine powder made of Hojicha green tea leaves. Hojicha green tea leaves have a light earthy sweet taste.
• Milk - You can use dairy or non-dairy milk, but we prefer oat milk for its rich and silky flavor.
• Sweetener - We use honey, agave syrup, or maple syrup because they are delicious natural sweeteners.
• Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste - Vanilla extract adds complexity and sweetness to the latte. Use vanilla bean paste for a stronger vanilla flavor.

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions

• Matcha powder - Use matcha powder instead of hojicha powder to make a matcha latte.
• Milk and milk alternatives - Use regular whole milk, cream, half and half. Or use a milk alternative like almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, or soy milk. All of these milks will taste delicious with hojicha.
• Hojicha tea - Brew hojicha tea for the lattes instead of using ground hojicha powder. Use 1 teaspoons of hojicha tea leaves and brew with ½ cup of hot water. Allow the tea to steep then strain and follow the additional steps listed in the recipes.

Variations

• Extra sweet - Add extra simple syrup, maple syrup, or honey to make this latte extra sweet.
• No sweetener - We sometimes enjoy our lattes with no sweetener for truer hojicha flavor.
• Cinnamon - Add a sprinkle of cinnamon for a warm and lightly spicy flavor.
• Frothed milk - Add additional milk to a frother then pour the milk foam over the latte.
• No vanilla - Omit the vanilla bean paste or extract if you don't want the vanilla flavor.
• Extra vanilla - Add vanilla syrup for extra vanilla flavor.
• Hojicha ice cubes - Make hojicha ice cubes to make an iced hojicha latte to prevent the drink from diluting.

Instructions

Hot hojicha latte

• Warm milk in a saucepan on the stovetop over low-medium heat. Stir in sweetener and vanilla if desired. Remove from heat and set aside. Alternatively, add milk, sweetener, and vanilla to a milk frother and turn on to mix the ingredients.
• Add 1 gram of ground hojicha to 4 oz of hot water in a bowl. Whisk until foamy and frothy using a bamboo whisk, electric frother, or small metal whisk. Pour into a mug and top with the warm milk. Enjoy immediately.

Iced Hojicha Latte

• Add 1 gram of ground hojicha to 4 oz of room temperature or cold water in a chawan bowl (tea bowl). Whisk until foamy and frothy using a bamboo whisk, electric frother, or small metal whisk.
• Fill a glass with ice, add your milk of choice, and stir in sweetener and vanilla if desired. Pour in hojicha and stir to chill. Enjoy immediately.

Pro tip: Make sure the ground hojicha powder is sifted so it doesn't clump after you add it to the latte.

What to Serve with Hojicha Latte

Enjoy this homemade hojicha latte on its own or with a delicious brunch or lunch. We love to drink it with Blackberry Lemon Bread, Homemade Cheddar and Bacon Biscuits, Brioche French Toast, or Spam Musubi.

Recipe FAQs

Equipment

This hojicha latte recipe requires a few common kitchen essentials. For both the hot and iced hojicha latte, you will need a whisk and mixing bowl or chawan (tea bowl). For the hot hojicha latte, you will need a small saucepan to warm up the milk. A milk frother is also a fantastic investment to add to your kitchen collection.

Storage

Hot hojicha lattes are best enjoyed fresh. Iced hojicha lattes can be refrigerated and enjoyed the following day. In order to do so, just make the iced hojicha latte then store it in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to enjoy the latte, top it with fresh foam.