This iced brown sugar hojicha latte is easy to make at home. Japanese brown sugar syrup lightly sweetens the roasted green tea flavor of hojicha. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.
I’m a pretty much a tea fanatic, and hojicha is one of my absolute favorites. Sadly, I have tried some hojicha lattes from cafes that were subpar. Weak in flavor and watery, this hojicha latte recipe is NOT that. If you want something with a perfectly roasty tea flavor but brightened up by cold nondairy milk and lightly sweetened with brown sugar, this recipe is for you.
What is Hojicha?
Hojicha is a Japanese roasted green tea. Because it’s roasted, the tea flavor is less bitter, less grassy, and also has less caffeine. Hot, hojicha makes a great winter drink to make you feel warm and toasty inside. Iced, hojicha is super refreshing for warm weather as well. Plus, the decreased caffeine content means you can drink it later in the day. Hojicha is one of my absolute favorite teas, and I drink it year round!
How to Make Hojicha Latte
While I typically use hojicha tea leaves for regular hojicha tea, for a hojicha latte, you really need hojicha powder. Hojicha has a pretty light flavor, so if you brew a regular hojicha tea, your latte will taste very watered down. You can use hojicha powder in the exact same way as matcha powder, except it’s even less finicky. Mix it with water to dissolve it, then add your milk of choice. You can have a hojicha latte hot or cold.
I think a hot hojicha latte would pair great with toasted marshmallows (future recipe idea?!), but this cold hojicha latte is perfect with Japanese brown sugar syrup.
My hojicha powder is from a local Japanese cafe. You can find hojicha powder on Amazon, but since I’ve never tried those brands, I can’t vouch for any one product in particular.
About Japanese Brown Sugar Syrup
Japanese brown sugar syrup is also called kuromitsu. It’s essentially just brown sugar dissolved in an equal amount of water. However, kuromitsu uses a super dark brown sugar called kurozato, or black sugar. It’s got a strong molasses flavor. The end result is a brown sugar syrup that tastes similar to the brown sugar syrups used for boba drinks!
Kuromitsu is a common ingredient in Japanese desserts. You can buy kuromitsu at a Japanese market or online. If you can’t find any, I do have a recipe for homemade kuromitsu! It’s really easy!
More Asian Drink Recipes
If you enjoyed this hojicha latte recipe, check out these other Asian inspired drinks!
Iced Brown Sugar Hojicha Latte
Ingredients
- 1 tsp hojicha powder
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) See notes
- 3/4 cup milk of choice (oat or coconut is recommended)
- ice
Instructions
- Line a 12 oz glass with brown sugar syrup and fill with ice. Set aside.
- Put hojicha powder in a heatproof bowl or chawan. Heat water until hot but not boiling (aim for 176 degrees F or 80 degrees C) and pour into your bowl. Mix hojicha powder with a bamboo whisk, frother, or spoon until fully dissolved.
- Pour milk of choice into your glass filled with ice. Add hojicha on top. For a layered look, aim for your hojicha to hit the ice cubes rather than directly into the liquid.
- Stir your latte until all ingredients are well mixed and enjoy!
Notes
- Kuromitsu is a brown sugar syrup that can be bought at Japanese markets, or I have a recipe for a homemade version. If all else fails, you can also just dissolve brown sugar into an equal amount of water for a brown sugar simple syrup.