There are a lot of tea latte recipes out there that want you to start from scratch with loose spices, fresh apple slices, a saucepan, a strainer, and about 30 minutes you probably don’t have. This one doesn’t. This apple cinnamon tea latte starts with a tea blend that already has the apple and cinnamon dialed in, adds steamed milk and a spoonful of raw honey, and lands in your hands in under ten minutes. It tastes like a warm apple cider crossed with a cozy latte, and the whole thing is naturally caffeine-free.
We make this with our Cider & Spice Tea, which is built on four ingredients: cinnamon, real dried apple fruit pieces, South African rooibos, and calendula petals. No artificial flavoring and no added sugar. The rooibos base is what keeps it caffeine-free, and the real apple pieces are what give the latte actual apple flavor rather than something that just smells like apple in the bag and disappears in the cup. For the sweetener, we reach for Cranberry Honey, a limited-edition varietal from Massachusetts cranberry bogs. Its subtle tartness plays off the sweet apple and warm cinnamon in a way that a neutral honey simply doesn’t.
How to Make an Apple Cinnamon Tea Latte
This recipe is simple enough for a weekday morning and good enough to serve to guests on a weekend afternoon. The key is brewing the tea strong enough to stand up to the milk. A standard-strength cup will taste washed out once you add dairy or plant milk, so we double the tea and shorten the water.
Step 1: Brew a Concentrated Cup
Heat 6 oz of water to 206°F, which is just under a rolling boil. Add 2 teaspoons of Cider & Spice Tea to your strainer or infuser and pour the hot water over it. Let it steep for a full 7 minutes. The extra tea and full steep time matter here because you need a concentrated base that won’t disappear behind the milk. Rooibos is forgiving and won’t go bitter, so you don’t need to worry about over-steeping.
Step 2: Warm and Sweeten
While the tea steeps, add 1 tablespoon of Cranberry Honey to your mug. When the tea is finished steeping, pour it directly over the honey and stir until the honey dissolves completely. Adding the honey to hot tea rather than at the end ensures it integrates fully into the drink rather than sitting at the bottom.
Step 3: Steam or Froth Your Milk
Heat 1 cup of whole milk (or your preferred plant-based alternative) until it is steaming but not boiling. If you have a milk frother, use it to create a thick, velvety foam. If you don’t, whisk the milk vigorously in the saucepan as it heats, or shake it hard in a sealed mason jar and then microwave for 30 seconds with the lid removed. The goal is creamy, airy milk that blends smoothly into the tea base.
Step 4: Combine and Finish
Pour the steamed milk over the sweetened tea concentrate. Hold back the foam with a spoon, then scoop it on top at the end. Finish with a light dusting of ground cinnamon and, if you want to go the extra mile, a whole cinnamon stick as a stirrer. The cinnamon on top isn’t just for looks. It adds a burst of warm aroma with every sip.
Why Cranberry Honey Works in This Latte
Most tea latte recipes call for a generic honey or maple syrup, and either will technically work. But the reason we reach for cranberry honey here is the flavor. Cranberry honey carries a subtle tart edge that comes from the cranberry blossoms the bees foraged during a brief two-week summer bloom in New England bogs. That tartness does something useful in this drink: it keeps the sweetness from going flat. Instead of just making the latte sweeter, it rounds out the apple and lifts the cinnamon. A neutral clover honey sweetens. Cranberry honey sweetens and adds dimension.
If you’re curious about what else you can do with this honey, it works beautifully in mulled wine, stirred into cranberry relish, or drizzled over a cranberry curd tart.
What Makes This Tea Latte Different from a Coffee Latte
A coffee latte is built on espresso, which brings caffeine, tannins, and a roasted bitterness that the milk is there to soften. This apple cinnamon tea latte flips that structure. The base is rooibos, which has no caffeine and no tannins. There is no bitterness to cut through. Instead, the milk is there to add body and creaminess to a drink that is already smooth, sweet, and warm on its own. The result is a latte that feels rich without feeling heavy, and one you can drink in the evening without worrying about sleep.
If you are a coffee lover who wants to explore using honey in coffee, we have recipes for that too. But if you want the latte ritual without the caffeine, this is the one.
Tips for the Best Apple Cinnamon Tea Latte
Choose the Right Milk
Whole milk produces the creamiest, most balanced latte because the fat carries the apple and cinnamon flavors nicely. Oat milk is the best plant-based alternative for this recipe because it froths well and has a natural sweetness that complements the tea. Almond milk works but produces a thinner drink. Coconut milk adds richness but will shift the flavor profile toward tropical, which competes with the apple and cinnamon rather than supporting them.
Don’t Skip the Steep Time
Five to seven minutes sounds long compared to a standard tea bag, but this is loose leaf with real dried apple pieces in the blend. Those apple pieces need the full time and the high temperature to release their flavor into the water. Pull the tea early and the latte will taste like cinnamon milk. Give it the full steep and you get actual apple flavor in every sip.
Adjust Sweetness to Taste
One tablespoon of cranberry honey gives a moderately sweet latte. If you prefer less sweetness, start with a teaspoon and work up. The natural sugars from the rooibos and apple pieces already contribute a mild sweetness, so some people find they need less honey than they expect.
Variations to Try
Iced Apple Cinnamon Tea Latte
Brew the tea at double strength (3 teaspoons per 4 oz of water) and steep the full 7 minutes. Dissolve the honey while the tea is still hot, then let it cool to room temperature. Pour over a tall glass filled with ice, add cold milk, and stir. The iced version is lighter and more refreshing but still carries that unmistakable apple-cinnamon warmth.
Apple Cinnamon Tea Latte for a Crowd
Scale the recipe by steeping 2 tablespoons of Cider & Spice Tea in 24 oz of hot water for 7 minutes. Stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons of cranberry honey while the tea is hot. Pour into a serving pot or slow cooker on warm. Let guests add their own steamed or frothed milk and a dusting of cinnamon. This is an excellent option for fall gatherings, holiday brunches, or any time you want something warm and comforting that isn’t coffee.
Apple Cinnamon Dirty Chai Latte
Add a single shot of espresso to the finished latte for a caffeinated twist. The coffee adds roasted depth against the apple and spice, turning the drink into something halfway between a chai latte and an apple cider. It is bold, warming, and very good.
Pairing This Latte with Food
This apple cinnamon tea latte pairs naturally with fall-inspired baked goods and breakfast dishes. Try it alongside honey baked apples for an all-apple morning, or with cranberry orange biscotti for a pairing that brings the cranberry honey full circle. A slice of puff pastry apple tart alongside this latte is autumn in two courses. For a simpler pairing, try it with buttered toast or warm oatmeal drizzled with a little extra honey.
If you want to learn more about how different honey varietals pair with tea and why it matters, our guide to the best honey for tea covers the basics.
About Our Cider & Spice Tea
Apple cinnamon spice tea is its own category within the broader world of spiced teas. It is not chai (which is built on cardamom, ginger, and black tea) and it is not a holiday punch mix. Our Cider & Spice blend uses only four ingredients: cinnamon, apple fruit pieces, rooibos, and calendula petals. The rooibos base provides a smooth, slightly sweet, earthy foundation that carries the apple and cinnamon without competing with them. Each jar is hand-blended, packaged in recyclable glass, and contains approximately 20 servings. It is caffeine-free, vegan, and contains no artificial flavors, colors, or added sugars.
Browse our full collection of artisanal loose leaf teas to find your next favorite blend.
Apple Cinnamon Tea Latte FAQ
Is this apple cinnamon tea latte caffeine-free?
Yes. The Cider & Spice Tea blend uses a rooibos base, which is naturally caffeine-free. Rooibos is a legume from South Africa, not a tea plant, so it contains zero caffeine. The only way this latte would contain caffeine is if you add the optional espresso shot in the dirty chai variation.
Can I make this apple cinnamon latte with a tea bag instead of loose leaf?
You can, but the flavor will be different. Most apple cinnamon tea bags use apple flavoring rather than real dried apple fruit pieces. Our Cider & Spice blend uses actual apple pieces that need the full steep time to release their flavor. If you do use a tea bag, use two bags and steep for the full 7 minutes to get a strong enough base for the milk.
What milk works best for a tea latte?
Whole milk gives the richest, creamiest result. For plant-based options, oat milk froths the best and has a natural sweetness that complements the apple and cinnamon. Almond milk works but produces a thinner latte. Coconut milk adds richness but its tropical flavor can compete with the apple and spice notes.
Can I use a different honey in this recipe?
Absolutely. Any raw honey will work as a sweetener. We use Cranberry Honey because its subtle tart edge adds a flavor dimension that rounds out the apple and lifts the cinnamon. If you don’t have Cranberry Honey, Wildflower Honey or Spring Honey are good all-purpose alternatives that won’t overpower the tea.
How do I make this latte iced?
Brew the tea at triple strength (3 teaspoons per 4 oz of water) and steep the full 7 minutes. Dissolve the honey while the tea is hot, then let it cool completely. Pour over a tall glass filled with ice and add cold milk. Don’t pour the hot tea directly over ice, as it will dilute the flavor too much.
How many calories are in an apple cinnamon tea latte?
Made with 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tablespoon of Cranberry Honey, this latte has approximately 214 calories. Using a lower-fat milk or less honey will reduce the calorie count. The tea itself contributes essentially zero calories.
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