This recipe for Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea is floral, creamy, and delicately fragrant and is a cozy and elegant twist on classic milk tea.
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Lightly sweetened with homemade osmanthus syrup, this milk tea brings out the natural honeyed aroma of roasted oolong tea.
Why you'll love this recipe
Fragrant & soothing: the floral aroma of osmanthus flowers pairs beautifully with roasted oolong.
Balanced flavor: not too strong or too sweet -- just smooth and creamy.
Customizable: enjoy it hot or iced, with or without boba pearls.
Easy to make: made with a few simple ingredients and ready in minutes.
Ingredients you'll need
- oolong tea: looseleaf or tea bags
- hot water: for brewing the tea
- milk of choice: or non-dairy alternative (such as oat milk)
- osmanthus syrup: adds sweetness, and floral flavor
- dried osmanthus flowers: enhances the floral flavor
- ice: omit if serving warm
How to make osmanthus oolong milk tea
Prepare the osmanthus syrup.
Brew the tea:
Steep the oolong tea in hot water (about 90°C / 195°F) for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bag or strain out the leaves.
Assemble:
To a tall glass, add in osmanthus syrup (to taste) and ice cubes.
Pour in cooled oolong tea, milk, and give it a stir.
Garnish with a pinch of ground osmanthus flowers.
For a hot version, omit the ice.
How to serve
Serve the osmanthus oolong tea with matcha almond scones, or a slice of oolong roll cake.
Expert tips
Use a good-quality oolong tea: floral or lightly roasted types (like Tieguanyin or high mountain oolong) complement the osmanthus best.
Brew the tea stronger than you'd normally drink it.
Adjust sweetness to your liking: add more or less osmanthus syrup depending on how fragrant and sweet you prefer your tea.
Other osmanthus recipes you may like
Did you make this recipe?
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Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon loose leaf oolong tea or 2 tea bags
- ¼ C hot water about 90°C / 195°F
- ¼ C milk of your choice
- 1-1 ½ Tbsp osmanthus syrup or to taste
- ice if serving cold
- pinch dried osmanthus flowers powdered (blitz in a coffee grinder)
Instructions
Prepare the tea:
- Steep the oolong tea in hot water for 5 minutes.
- Remove the tea bag or strain out the leaves and let cool, if serving iced.
Assemble:
- To a tall glass, add in osmanthus syrup (to taste), and top off with ice cubes.
- Pour in cooled oolong tea, milk and give it a stir.
- Garnish with a pinch of powdered osmanthus flower.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
David @ Spiced
I don't think I've ever had osmanthus syrup, but I'm down to try it. This milk tea looks fabulous! (On a side note, osmanthus sounds like something out of Wicked...haha!)
Michelle
Thanks David, you'll have to give it a try! And haha, the name osmanthus is so unique!)
Healthy World Cuisine
Love how you paired this with oolong tea. We usually add a few osmanthus buds to pu-erh tea as we are brewing but this sounds extra delicious and calming.
Michelle
Oooh, osmanthus with pu-erh is a great pairing too! Thanks Bobbi!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Looks so soothing, Michelle - that floral oolong combo sounds absolutely dreamy.
Michelle
Thanks Ben, definitely a tea for floral lovers! 🙂
Raymund | angsarap.net
This Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea sounds so dreamy! I love the idea of the floral notes with oolong, definitely feels like a little cup of elegance in a glass. Can’t wait to try it both hot and iced!
Michelle
Thanks Raymund, this milk tea is such a lovely pick-me-up!