10 Ways To Enjoy a London Fog Beyond the Mug

A classic London Fog starts with strongly brewed Earl Grey tea softened with steamed milk and a little vanilla, creating a cozy drink that’s creamy, fragrant and just sweet enough. Some versions add lavender, which plays especially well with Earl Grey’s distinctive floral and citrusy notes. But there’s no reason to limit that combination to a mug. These recipes enjoy the tea-infused flavors of a London Fog and turn them into everything from delicate shortbread and chewy blondies to panna cotta, crème brûlée and even individual pies.

If you’ve never made a London Fog at home, start here. Earl Grey tea is steeped until fragrant, then sweetened with vanilla and topped with warm, frothy milk for a drink that falls somewhere between a cup of tea and a latte. A little dried lavender is optional, but adds another floral note that complements the tea beautifully.

These buttery cookies capture the London Fog flavor profile especially well. Loose Earl Grey leaves go directly into the dough alongside vanilla, while orange zest accentuates the tea’s citrusy character. A generous addition of butter gives them the rich element you’d normally get from the milk in the drink.

Chocolate might not be a traditional London Fog ingredient, but it makes an unexpectedly good backdrop for its flavors. These tender mini cakes are made with plenty of butter and a touch of vanilla, then topped with fluffy icing flecked with Earl Grey tea leaves. The result is a richer, more dessert-forward interpretation of the classic drink.

Brown butter brings plenty of richness to these chewy blondies, while finely ground Earl Grey tea and vanilla echo two of the defining flavors of a London Fog. Lemon zest and white chocolate brighten the bars and complement the tea, making this an especially easy way to turn your favorite café order into dessert.

Of all the desserts on this list, panna cotta may come closest to recreating the experience of a London Fog by the spoonful. Heavy cream and half-and-half are infused with Earl Grey and vanilla before being set into a silky custard, resulting in what Valerie Bertinelli aptly describes as a dessert reminiscent of milky tea. A crunchy, buttery cereal brittle gives each serving a playful finishing touch.

A chocolate truffle is essentially a rich cream-based canvas, which makes it particularly well suited to Earl Grey. Here, tea bags steep directly in heavy cream before it’s combined with semisweet chocolate, butter and vanilla. The chocolate makes this a decidedly decadent departure from the original drink, but the creamy tea-and-vanilla foundation is pure London Fog.

Few things pair with tea as naturally as buttery shortbread, so putting Earl Grey directly into the cookie makes perfect sense. These crisp, tender cookies combine a full quarter cup of tea leaves with butter and vanilla, then get a little milk for additional richness. Keep a batch around and you can enjoy your London Fog flavors with or without an actual cup of tea.

Crème brûlée already delivers the luxurious creaminess you want from a London Fog. This shortcut version pairs heavy cream with strongly brewed Earl Grey, then finishes each custard with its signature crackly caramelized sugar topping. Candied lemon makes a smart garnish, highlighting the citrus notes that naturally complement Earl Grey.

This elegant cake takes the London Fog concept and runs with it. Earl Grey is infused into both butter and a citrusy syrup, while vanilla and heavy cream enrich the cake itself; even the topping combines whipped cream with Earl Grey syrup. Candied kumquats, orange and lemon turn up the citrus notes for a bright counterpoint to all that creamy richness.