Ever since trying a hojicha latte for the first time in Seattle, I’ve been obsessed with figuring out how to make it at home. Well, I finally put together a recipe that works for me! Keep reading to learn how you can make your own hojicha lattes at home.

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What is Hojicha?

Hojicha is a kind of Japanese green tea. Unlike matcha, hojicha tea leaves are roasted after steaming. What results is a sweet, smoky flavor with notes of cocoa.

{RELATED: EASY Matcha Latte Recipe}

While matcha can sometimes have some bitterness, hojicha has virtually none in my opinion! It also has significantly less caffeine, which some people might prefer. I like that because I don’t have to worry about drinking a hojicha latte at night and ruining my sleep.

Hojicha Powder and Tool Recommendations

This is the hojicha powder I get from Amazon. I like that it’s organic and made in Japan. It comes in a convenient, resealable bag for continued freshness and I keep it in the fridge! It’s also a great price for the quantity you get.

To whisk the hojicha powder to ensure there are no lumps, I use a milk frother like this one on Amazon.

When I want a hot latte, I use this electric steamer from the Instant Pot brand. I love this no-fuss, no-boiling-over method of heating up milk. It also makes milk the perfect drinking temperature. No more waiting around for your drink to cool down!

Recipe

Ingredients & Tools

• 1 teaspoon hojicha powder 
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup OR brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of hot water
• 1/2 cup ice (if making an ICED latte)
• 1 cup milk of your choice 
• Whisk/milk frother 
• Electric milk steamer (if making a HOT latte)

Instructions

1. Measure 1 teaspoon of hojicha powder and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup (or brown sugar) and put both into your drinking glass.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of hot water over the hojicha powder and maple syrup/brown sugar to dissolve (It’s not vital to measure this if you don’t want to. I just eyeball the amount of water needed to dissolve both).
3. Whisk the hot water, hojicha, and syrup/sugar until no lumps appear. Whisking as soon as the water goes in is helpful to minimize clumps.
4. Add the desired amount of ice to the glass (if making an ICED latte).
5. Pour in 1 cup of milk. Any kind of milk goes! My go-to is 2% regular milk. Steam the milk before pouring it into the cup if you’re making a HOT latte!
6. Stir and enjoy! My preferred stirring tool is a chopstick.

Have fun making your own hojicha lattes at home! It’s definitely not as popular as its green tea cousin matcha, but I think it is a highly underrated drink.