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Barista-Style Iced Hojicha Latte

By • Updated September 2026
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If you've mastered the café-quality iced matcha latte, it's time to meet its quieter, more roasted cousin. Hojicha – roasted Japanese green tea – brings toasted, nutty warmth to this iced latte without any bitterness. Unlike grassy greens, hojicha's gentle caramel notes pair beautifully with creamy milk, making it perfect for autumn afternoons when you want something cosy and refreshing. A good milk frother is the secret to silky microfoam that sits like velvet on top of the ice, transforming this from a simple tea-and-milk into something genuinely barista-level.

This recipe is straightforward: steep strong hojicha, chill it (or use tea ice cubes to avoid dilution), froth your milk to creamy perfection, then layer over ice. The result is smooth, nutty, lightly sweet, and wonderfully photogenic. Whether you're a fan of hojicha over matcha or new to Japanese green teas altogether, this latte is an easy win.

Barista-Style Iced Hojicha Latte
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time3 mins
Servings1 Latte
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp Hojicha Loose Leaf (or 1 hojicha teabag)
  • 150 ml boiling water
  • 150 ml Whole Milk (or oat milk for a dairy-free version)
  • 1–2 tsp Maple Syrup or honey (optional, to taste)
  • Ice cubes (or hojicha ice cubes)
Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 95
Fat: 4g
Sugar: 9g
Protein: 5g

Instructions

1
Brew: Steep the hojicha in 150 ml boiling water for 2–3 minutes. You want a strong, concentrated brew that won't get lost under the milk. Strain and let it cool to room temperature, or refrigerate for 10 minutes if you're in a hurry.
2
Froth: Pour the milk into your milk frother (cold milk works best for iced drinks) and froth until thick and creamy with fine microfoam. If your frother has a cold-froth setting, use it; otherwise, froth warm then chill briefly. The texture should be silky, not stiff.
3
Sweeten: Stir the maple syrup or honey into the cooled hojicha if you're using it. Taste and adjust – hojicha is naturally quite mellow, so a touch of sweetness lifts the roasted notes beautifully without masking them.
4
Assemble: Fill a tall glass with ice cubes (or hojicha ice cubes to prevent dilution). Pour the chilled, sweetened hojicha over the ice.
5
Layer: Slowly pour the frothed milk over the back of a spoon so it floats on top of the tea, creating a two-tone layered effect. Give it a gentle stir before drinking, or leave it layered for that café look.

🫖 Equipment You'll Need

A milk frother is essential here for creating the velvety microfoam that makes this latte feel luxurious rather than just milky. Hand-whisking rarely achieves the fine, stable bubbles you need, and a good electric frother – whether a handheld wand or an automatic jug – gives you barista-quality texture in seconds, cold or warm. For iced drinks, a frother with a cold-froth function is ideal, but even a quick warm froth then chill works beautifully.

See our milk frother picks →

Expert Tip: Make It in Batches

Brew a whole pot of strong hojicha in the morning, sweeten to taste, and keep it chilled in the fridge. Then you can froth and assemble individual lattes in under a minute whenever the craving strikes – perfect for busy weekday afternoons or impromptu guests.

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