My husband Tim and I work from home, and we love to take a moment together each day away from the impending deadlines and stressful sales calls to enjoy homemade drinks together.
Currently, we love the warmth and ease of homemade ginger tea lattes!
The addition of this beverage into our daily routine while working from home creates a cozy environment the two of us can intimately share at any brief moment of the day – from early morning to late at night.
This quick, caffeine-free drink includes a simple infusion of fresh ginger, blended together with warm, frothy whole milk and sweetened with maple syrup.
You may assume a couple that works from home together shares a great deal of time together – and they do, at least in our case.
In our daily work-from-home routine, Tim and I prepare joint breakfasts, exchange in some brief conversations, share work snacks of peanut butter on celery, make healthy lunches using leftover roast chicken from the night before, and sip on plenty of drinks.
What is perhaps less obvious about married home office life is that when you sit side by side, working at your individual laptops, focusing on your individual projects, it’s painfully easy to dwell physically together, but mentally apart.
On more evenings than I can remember, I’ve looked over at Tim well past sunset, and only then, paused long enough to realize it was the first time I’d done so all day.
We are task-driven and laser-focused, but who isn’t? It’s true we savor the luxuries of a shared workspace and an eliminated commute each day.
And so, we tell ourselves to stop.
We take walks in the park with our camera. We drive to Goodwill for a project and find ourselves sewing late on a Friday night. We read aloud in bed. We grab hands in the hall.
And we converse over homemade lattes at the table together.
We ask each other between the subtly sweet sips, “What have you been thinking today?” and “How do you feel about that?” and “Do you know I love you? I do.”
We don’t do this because we’re sappy or silly romantics – we do it to purposefully seek connection, to remind ourselves of the gift that is right before us, the one we often find too easy to take for granted if we do not stop and see.
Take a small moment you can share with a loved one, even on the busiest of days – make some warm tea, sit at the table together, and enjoy each other’s company!
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Maple Ginger Tea Latte
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 drinks 1x
Description
Our maple ginger tea latte is a warm beverage to enjoy, a quick infusion of fresh ginger mixed with maple syrup and frothed milk.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup peeled and roughly chopped ginger (from about a 3-inch piece)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Combine the water and ginger together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 5 minutes and remove from the heat.
- Whisk the maple syrup into the hot ginger water until completely dissolved. Cover the saucepan with a lid and allow it to sit and infuse as you prepare the milk.
- In a separate small saucepan, heat the milk on the stovetop over medium heat just until it starts steaming, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from the heat. If desired, use a milk frother to lightly froth the warm milk.
- Strain out the ginger pieces from the water using a small mesh strainer. Pour and divide the infused water between two mugs. Pour and divide the milk over the water, finishing each drink with some of the froth.
- Serve immediately while still warm.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Tea
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Beverage
Keywords: ginger, maple syrup, tea, latte
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prep
Prep and measure your ingredients and set out your equipment and drinkware.
Set out two small saucepans, a lid for one saucepan, a whisk, a small fine-mesh strainer, and two mugs.
If you prefer a frothy beverage, set out a frothing tool. We share our favorite option in our guide of the best gifts for coffee lovers.
Peel a knob of ginger about 3 inches in length and roughly chop it using a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board. For a stronger infusion, prepare a bigger piece.
Measure out 2 cups of water, maple syrup, and whole milk.
Don’t drink dairy? Replace the whole milk with your preferred choice of dairy-free alternative, plain or vanilla-flavored. It may not foam as well as the whole milk, but it will still be just as delicious!
You’ll love our recipe for homemade almond milk.
You can also change the sweetener – choose an equal amount of your favorite liquid sweetener, such as honey or agave nectar.
Step 2 – Make the Infusion
Place the ginger and water in one small saucepan. Transfer the saucepan to the stovetop and bring the water to a boil.
As soon as the water comes to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low and gently simmer the water for 5 minutes.
Promptly remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup until it is completely dissolved in the water.
Cover the saucepan with the lid to maintain its heat, and allow this mixture to sit and infuse as you move forward to the next step.
Step 3 – Heat and Froth the Milk
As the water is infusing, prepare the milk. Place the milk in the other saucepan and transfer it to the stovetop.
Heat it over medium heat, just until it starts steaming without boiling – this will only take about one or two minutes – watch carefully!
Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat.
If you desire, you can froth it while it’s warm for a foamier serving suggestion. The easiest and quickest way to do this is with a handheld frothing wand, though you can also do this with an immersion blender or with a whisk.
If you have decided to froth, it will only take a few seconds to reach a foamy consistency.
Step 4 – Assemble and Serve
Strain out the ginger pieces from the water using a small mesh strainer. Dispose of the ginger pieces.
Carefully pour and divide the infused water between the two mugs. Pour and divide the milk over the water, finishing each mug with some of the froth.
Serve immediately while they’re still warm – sit back, relax, sip, and enjoy!
Spice Is Nice
Fresh ginger pairs beautifully with flavorful additions for a beverage that can be uniquely yours to enjoy and love.
Assorted spices and ingredients can be added along with the ginger in the water to amplify the base.
If you are sitting on some empty vanilla bean pods, ones that you may have scraped out all of the beans to use in a different recipe, don’t let them go to waste! Add one for a warm and woodsy undertone.
You can also let other popular beverages guide you for inspiration, like a chai tea. Add in a couple cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole cardamom pods, black peppercorns, and a small piece of nutmeg.
And for some heat to warm you up even on the coldest of days, consider adding in a pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes – but only if you and your fellow drinker like a little zing in your hot beverages!
How will you customize this recipe? I would love to know – leave a comment below for me.
For even more ginger recipes, particularly other refreshing beverages, I have plenty of ideas for you. Here are three of my current obsessions to share with you now:
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone. Originally published on February 12, 2013. Last updated on December 4, 2023.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
wow, the tea sounds perfect! can’t wait to try them both (using my dinky Ikea frother–an upgrade would be lovely for sure!).
I used to have a frother attachment for an immersion blender, but the blender broke (it was cheap so I didn’t replace it), so it would be great to have a frother again!
Love the idea of making lattes at home!
I’m excited to use it on this recipe! So far I’ve just used it to make cafe au lait on the weekends…which feels very indulgent.
Loving those lattes…what great flavors! 🙂
What a tasty drink!
I’ve had one of these frothers on my wish list for ages! I’d love to use one for my daily chai.
Tea lattes are one of my favorite things but I never would have thought to make them at home. This is awesome!
Frothy milk is probably one of life’s greatest little pleasures. I eat it from cappuccinos with a spoon… I need a milk frother in my life 🙂
Would be so exciting to be able to make yummy things from coffee shops but me-friendly, with lactaid milk, for example!
Thinking specifically of Earl Grey tea with milk and honey, my all-time favorite warm beverage combination.
I mix up a jar of chai concentrate to keep in the fridge for tea in the evening…this milk frothier would be the icing on the cake! Lovely post.
This sounds warming and delicious – on a Saturday morning or a long weekday afternoon. Much reminiscent of the chai tea lattes of my youth, spent trying to look mysterious in coffee shop corners… Thanks for the recipe – and the kitchen toy tip!
Oh … my stovetop-warmed milk isn’t nearly as nice as warm and frothy would be! 🙂
Yum! I’ll eat or drink just about anything with ginger in it!
Wow amazing!
How timely! I’ve recently started drinking more tea, and I bought an electric kettle so that I have hot water at my disposal whenever I want some tea and don’t want to leave my desk! I would *love* to try making tea lattes (even though it would mean heading to the refrigerator to get milk)! 🙂
Haha! I remember my office days… it’s gotta be a good reason to make you get up! : )
I love to go to starbucks with my sister and enjoy a frothed Caramel Macchiato
Love this post! It is so true that you can spend a whole day with someone and not really be spending time together.
Shanna,
You are such a model for me! Love all your recipes, thoughts, and posts. 🙂
I’d love to try this one soon!!
I will be trying this ginger tea very soon…
Just found you recently and already you are one of my favorite bloggers. Love the words you write and the recipes you share. Thank you.
Beautiful post and SO glad you’re enjoying the milk frother (such a genius invention!). Happy Wednesday to you and Tim. Xo, mg
I love the intentionality represented in this post! We all need that reminder to set aside time to be focused on our relationships.
And I’m alllllll about ginger these days. I want to put it in everything. Thanks for the great post!
I think it’s in the little rituals that we truly appreciate our partners. Every Valentines I remember why I prefer the moments when we’re waiting for our roast vegetables to roast just to tenderness (we’re both at loose ends usually and so simply talk to each other) to the overwrought dinners out for special occasions.
Teresa, I love that sentiment so much. Thank you for sharing that.
I loved this post. This is something we’ve been talking about lately – having curiosity about each other and our thoughts and feelings, and being bold and thoughtful enough to actually ask about them.
As always, you say it so succinctly.
UGH. I know. I realized recently that I am majorly guilty of not being curious about my partner’s thoughts — it’s so easy to settle into your routines and *think* you know everything about a person. When you take the time to really consider and just ask simple questions, you realize how little of that you often do. I am currently working on not taking him – or our closeness – for granted. It makes perfect, obvious sense, and yet it’s so easy to ignore.
Food for thought.
Indeed. Note to self: When I think I’ve got someone all figured out, I probably don’t. What a strange and marvelous mystery that all of us are wonderfully complex.
I love those photos!
we, too, work at home and while we spend 90% of our time together, we still don’t “connect” as often – i love how you captured this. it’s important, to look, and BE. now, for this awesome recipe. THANK YOU!
This is so sweet! It’s so easy to forget the little things when you are around someone all the time. I love that you take the time to pause and remember how much you appreciate each other.
I’ve tried frothing milk with a whisk on the stove and it just doesn’t work!
I think most married couples struggle with what you’re talking about. It takes intentionality to maintain a true connection — not easy!
Sounds delicious!
Leaving my coffee career for a new path in one week, would love to make lattes at home!
What is it about frothed milk that is just transformational? Ordinary beverage no more! Thanks again for tender insight and the always precious reminder to savor the incredible gift of my beloved husband. Ten years of marriage this summer and 13+ valentines days… and God still amazes me daily with the sheer magnitude of the gift of of our marriage and the sacred responsibility it is as we seek to pour out the great love we have been given.
I like your last line especially, Mattie, and the idea of pouring out of the love we’ve been given. That’s lovely.
Lovely post (as always). I love how much thought and care you two put into keeping your relationship strong, even when you’re working side by side every day. You’re inspiring.
Thanks, Kate. I wish we always remembered to put thought and care into loving each other and other people… but I’m always so thankful when we do.
As always, a wonderfully worded post that, this time, leaves me feeling blessed to have love in my life and inspired to find new ways to celebrate and nurture that love every day. Cheers to many more latte-filled moments!
Cheers indeed! Thank you for that sweet comment, Joanne!
This is such lovely writing. And I almost texted you just now to tell you that I love the new header, but then I realized it was 8pm on Valentine’s Day. Perhaps I’ll comment instead.
Haha! You text me anytime! We’re tucked in at home about to eat pizzas for a very late (aka, back from a movie finally!) dinner. : ) Happy Valentine’s, friend!
This recipe looks great..and I love your thoughts on marriage.
So true, Marie. Thanks for that comment!
Hello Shanna, My husband and I have recently become best friends after 30 years of marriage, we stopped to smell the coffee, together. What a great suggestion to stop and connect. Thanks
Becky
Becky, I love hearing that. It’s the kind of lesson I think we’ll keep on learning, too. Thanks for saying hi here!