It’s time for another fun hojicha latte recipe! This one was inspired by breakfast, or more specifically, tea and toast. My weekday mornings are often a quick breakfast with a cup of tea by its side. Sometimes the paired breakfast is as simple as peanut butter toast. Sliced bread is toasted until crispy golden and layered with smooth peanut butter. Warm, nutty, salty and earthy, just like a Peanut Butter Hojicha Latte. I have tried this peanut butter latte recipe with a few breakfast teas, but nothing compared to the rich and dark coffee-like flavours from the roasted Japanese green tea. If peanut butter isn’t your thing, you can make a delicious hojicha latte with salted caramel or maple syrup instead. But, before you move on to other options, let me tempt with you with this unique peanut butter tea latte first!
What does hojicha taste like?
Hojicha is not like most green teas you have tasted. The one major difference is that it doesn’t have that very vegetal/grassy aroma or taste.
Instead, hojicha has a rich, naturally nutty flavour profile with caramel undertones. Roasting the tea leaves also reduces the bitterness, so it’s often a very smooth and enjoyable cup of tea.
Sometimes, I recommend hojicha as a coffee alternative because of its roasted characteristics that can be similar to a cup of joe. This is why it’s a great base for a peanut butter tea latte.
Does hojicha have caffeine?
Yes, but very little! One cup of hojicha contains only about 7.7 mg of caffeine.
To compare, matcha has about 70 mg of caffeine per cup. I often enjoy matcha in the mornings and hojicha for the remainder of the day because of this significant difference.
Since hojicha is very low in caffeine, this peanut butter hojicha latte can be enjoyed almost any time of the day.
What’s the difference between matcha and hojicha powder?
In a nutshell, when comparing matcha and hojicha powder, the tea leaves, colour, process, taste, caffeine levels and tradition are quite different. Learn more here.
Ingredients for this Peanut Butter Hojicha Latte Recipe
– Hojicha Powder
Hojicha is available as loose leaf or powder form. Loose leaf is best for drinking on its own, hot or iced. Hojicha powder is best for lattes and baking. Find hojicha powder recommendations here.
– Hot Water
Since hojicha is a roasted green tea it is a bit more forgiving than other green teas. This means you can use higher water temperature without worrying about burning the leaves. The roasting process helps eliminate bitterness. This recipe calls for ~90 degrees Celsius or 194 degrees Fahrenheit.
– Milk of choice
1%, 2%, soy and oat milk have been tested and approved! I’m not certain how other nut milks may work with this latte (ie. almond milk). The flavours may overpower the peanut butter or vice versa. Feel free to let me know in the comments of this blog post if you tried this recipe with a different milk option though.
– Peanut Butter
Smooth and creamy peanut butter is best here! This latte recipe requires you to melt the peanut butter directly in the milk. Plus, melt extra to drizzle on top of the completed latte. If the peanut butter is not smooth or you use too much, the latte texture will be strange — almost gritty. So, please keep that in mind.
More Hojicha Latte Recipes
How to Make Peanut Butter Hojicha Tea Latte
Here is what you will need:
1 teaspoon hojicha powder
1/2 cup hot water (under boiling, ~90 degrees Celsius)
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter (plus extra to drizzle on top)
1/4 cup milk
Directions:
In a small pot on the stove, heat milk with peanut butter until it melts. Remove from the stove when hot.
Using a handheld frother, froth the peanut butter milk mixture until it has almost doubled in volume. Alternatively, you can add it to another device to froth (ie. electric frother, blender, etc.).
In a mug, sift hojicha powder so there are no clumps. Add hot water. Using a bamboo whisk (chawan) or a frother, whisk until there is a nice layer of froth.
Add the frothed peanut butter milk to the mug of hojicha.
Melt about a teaspoon more of peanut butter and drizzle it on top of the mug, if desired. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Hojicha Latte
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon hojicha powder
- 1/2 cup hot water under boiling, ~90 degrees Celsius
- 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter*
- 1/4 cup milk
- Optional: more peanut butter about 1 teaspoon melted, to drizzle
Instructions
- In a small pot on medium-heat, warm milk with smooth peanut butter until it melts. Remove from stove when hot.
- Froth the peanut butter milk mixture until it has almost doubled in volume.
- In a mug, sift hojicha powder so there are no clumps. Add hot water and whisk with a bamboo whisk (chawan) or a froth until smooth.
- Add the frothed peanut butter milk to the mug of hojicha.
- Melt a teaspoon more of smooth peanut butter and drizzle it on top of the mug, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Like this Peanut Butter Tea Latte recipe? Pin it for later here → https://bit.ly/3qb30Ng
Have you tried peanut butter with tea before? Share your experiences in the comments below!
Sounds delicious, Lu Ann! I like this because it is sort of like a bullet coffee. Adding a healthy fat to my tea is something I’ve been wanting to try….and peanut butter is good anytime, anywhere 🙂