Need a cozy afternoon cup to curl up with? Try this all-natural, caffeine-free red velvet latte with a pretty pop of color that’s creamy and warming with a mild chocolate flavor.
It’s remarkable how many colors lattes come in now, from green matcha to golden turmeric milk, to black charcoal and even blue algae you can find a latte color that suits your taste. Right now though, I’m all about red velvet lattes.
I can’t think of a better drink to lift your spirts when you’ve got the winter blahs. The color alone is enough to put you in a better mood, not to mention that it’s so soothing to sip on.
Red Velvet Latte (Caffeine-Free)
The color and flavor comes from a combination of rose hip and raspberry leaf tea, cocoa powder and beet juice blended with milk (dairy-free in this case) for a naturally colored and naturally flavored red velvet latte.
If you drink a lot of herbal tea you may have already heard of rosehips due to its vitamin C content. Beet juice adds a lovely red hue, while the acidity of the raspberry leaf tea combined with cocoa powder is reminiscent of the distinctive flavor of red velvet cake.
Now if you’re still wondering about the taste, I can assure you that it’s subtle with a mild, fruity chocolate flavor and not at all beety or earthy. Using herbal tea makes the latte caffeine-free, making it a good alternative to espresso versions, especially if you are trying to cut back on coffee drinks or caffeine gives you the jitters like me. And I love that I can drink one at any hour of the day and it doesn’t make me crash like regular tea or coffee would. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Tea – You’ll need 2 bags raspberry leaf tea and 2 Tablespoons loose rose hips tea or 2 rose hip tea bags.
- Sweetener – I’m using maple syrup but you can also use honey for a non-vegan version.
- Vanilla – Use a good quality vanilla extract.
- Beet Juice – You can use either store-bought or homemade beet juice; just make sure it’s freshly pressed for the best flavor.
- Cocoa Powder – Use a good quality cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder has a more acidic flavor while Dutch cocoa powder is milder in flavor but darker in color. I prefer natural cocoa here because the higher acidity results in a brighter red color and a fruitier flavor but either will work.
- Milk – I’m using coconut milk for a dairy-free version but you can use regular milk if you’d prefer or the dairy-free milk of your choice.
How to Make a Caffeine-Free Red Velvet Latte:
(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Bring water to a boil; add the raspberry and rose hip tea, cover and let steep.
- Add the coconut milk to saucepan and bring everything back up to a bare simmer.
- Strain and return to saucepan and whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, beet juice and cocoa powder.
- Use a handheld blender to froth directly in the pan or pour into a blender and blend on high until frothy.
- Serve warm topped with cocoa powder if desired and enjoy! I can’t think of a nicer mood boosting mug to cozy up with.
More Lattes
Red Velvet Latte
Need a cozy afternoon cup to curl up with? Try this all-natural, caffeine-free red
velvet latte with a pretty pop of color that’s creamy and warming with a mild
chocolate flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups/ 480ml filtered water
- 2 bags raspberry leaf tea
- 2 Tablespoons loose rose hips tea (or 2 tea bags)
- 3 Tablespoons/45ml maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup beet juice (fresh pressed)
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon/7g cocoa powder
- 1 can/ 400ml light coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)
- Cocoa powder for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil, turn off heat and add raspberry and rose hip tea. Cover and let steep 5 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk to saucepan and bring the mixture back to a bare simmer. Turn off heat.
- Strain and return tea to saucepan and whisk in maple syrup, vanilla extract, beet juice and cocoa powder.
- Use a handheld blender to froth mixture in pan or pour into blender jar and blend on high until frothy.
- Serve warm topped with extra cocoa powder if desired.
Notes
Make-Ahead:
Tea can be made ahead and re-heated as necessary.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo, Refined Sugar-Free
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 22mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 29gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
paleoglutenfreeguy says
That color! This looks so beautiful and delicious.