Iced Hojicha with Cinnamon (Printable)

Refreshing Japanese roasted tea blended with creamy milk and warming cinnamon spice

# What You'll Need:

→ Tea

01 - 2 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea or 2 hojicha tea bags
02 - 2 cups water

→ Dairy and Sweetener

03 - 1 cup milk, dairy or plant-based such as oat or almond milk
04 - 1 to 2 teaspoons honey or simple syrup, optional, adjust to taste

→ Garnish

05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling
06 - Ice cubes as needed

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add hojicha tea leaves or tea bags, reduce heat and steep for 5 minutes.
02 - Strain the tea into a heatproof pitcher and allow to cool to room temperature. For quicker chilling, refrigerate for 10 minutes.
03 - Fill two glasses with ice cubes.
04 - Pour cooled hojicha tea over the ice, filling each glass halfway.
05 - Stir in milk and sweetener to taste.
06 - Sprinkle ground cinnamon over each glass and stir gently.
07 - Garnish with an extra pinch of cinnamon on top and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in 15 minutes, perfect for those afternoons when you want something special but can't fuss for hours.
  • The roasted hojicha has this naturally sweet, almost nutty depth that makes you feel like you've done something sophisticated without breaking a sweat.
  • One glass tastes like a café moment captured in your own kitchen, no expensive takeout required.
02 -
  • Don't over-steep the hojicha or it turns bitter; five minutes is the sweet spot, and going beyond six is where regret lives.
  • The cinnamon needs to be fresh—old spices become dusty and musty, and that ruins the whole delicate balance you've worked to build.
03 -
  • Make a batch of hojicha concentrate the night before and keep it in the fridge—then each glass is literally four minutes away from happening, making it dangerous for how easy it becomes to make daily.
  • The golden rule I learned the hard way: always taste the cooled tea before adding milk and sweetener, so you know what you're working with and can adjust from there.
Go Back