Dandelion Root Tea Latte | Quick & Easy to Make

Dandelion root tea latte is a lightly sweet, earthy alternative to a regular morning mug of caffeine. It boasts more nutrition than coffee and doesn’t leave a person feeling perky one minute and sleepy the next. Even better, Mother Nature freely provides this perfect herb, making this latte better for your pocketbook and overall well-being.

In the heart of every winter when I’m planning my garden, I long for that breezy sea of yellow signaling spring’s return. I love listening to the birds sing the season’s praises while I forage through the fresh crop of dandelions as the world whirls by on our county road.

In my garden is where I find the real gold, though. I can easily pull the whole dandelion plant revealing the precious root responsible for its luscious condition. Every part of the plant gets preserved in my kitchen, but I especially cherish the root.

It’s highly detoxifying and helps lure me away from my coffee affection. While coffee is delicious in its own right, unfortunately it makes the body acidic, which increases the chance of disease. Dandelion root provides the body with alkalinity, which is a healthier status for the body.

As a long-serving barista, I’m quite obsessed with having a warm beverage in hand at all times. Thus my new love affair with this amazing dandelion root tea latte. It checks all the boxes and satisfies my need for warm sipping comfort especially in the morning.

As you read on, my hope is that you’ll embrace the dandelion for its true nourishing powers instead of loathing its arrival every spring. Its roots taste amazing especially in this latte.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Full of flavor – You’ll soon crave a dandelion root tea latte as much as your morning joe once you give this recipe a try. The deep flavor of this full-bodied tea pairs perfectly with warm frothy milk sweetened with raw honey and vanilla. Topped off with a pinch of cardamom and cinnamon, it’s now as luxurious as that espresso latte from your favorite coffee shop. Minus the price tag, of course.

Non-caffeinated and low-sugar – If you’re looking to cut ties with caffeine or lay low on it for awhile, this latte will satisfy your need for a morning beverage. It’s worked for me, which is why I’m encouraging others to give it a try too. It’s also lower in sugar than traditional coffee shop sweetened lattes, so it stabilizes your blood sugar and it’s easier on your waist line too.

Versatile – Much like espresso, dandelion root tea is the base for this latte. From there, it’s easily customized like a beverage you order at a coffee shop. Instead of regular dairy milk, use a non-dairy alternative like coconut milk. Substitute maple syrup or stevia for a sweetener and sprinkle your favorite spice of choice on top. Anyone else think it’s pumpkin spice season all year long like me?!

Why You Should Forage Your Own Dandelion Root

The whole dandelion and its parts are a true life-giving plant. The roots in particular offer miraculous benefits to both the soil and human health. A yard without pesticides provides many dandelions and their roots for you to forage and dry for use. Mother Nature provides them for free, so there’s no need to purchase them.

Dandelion Roots as Food

The whole dandelion can be used as food, but the root in particular is full of nutrition. Its deep taproot uptakes nutrients from the soil and brings them closer to the surface for other plants to grow from. They are rich in chlorophyll and antioxidants like beta-carotene and flavonoids. Both work together in the body to keep cells healthy and cancer-free.

For a tasty side dish, sautee chopped roots in butter and garlic and serve with a sprinkle of salt. You can also toss this with pasta too. Others like to roast dried roots and make into a tea or brew like coffee for a non-caffeine alternative. That’s why they’re perfect for this latte recipe!

Dandelion Roots as Medicine

Medicinally, dandelion root is a powerhouse. Its healing properties are many, and as a natural remedy, I highly encourage you to pick this vital herb and preserve it for year round use.

Dandelion root is most notably known for aiding liver health. The environment we all live in is a really polluted place, making our livers sluggish and dysfunctional. Poor liver health leads to many ailments in people including eye sight problems, jaundice, gallbladder issues, improper hormone synthesis, poor weight and blood sugar management, digestive problems and much more.

And while Western medicine looks at each organ as an individually functioning body part, logic and natural medicine knows that the whole body is connected both physically and emotionally. The liver is often connected to the negative emotions of anger, depression, jealousy, etc. As one takes dandelion root and physically detoxes the liver, these negative emotions tend to disappear as well.

Here are more specific ways that the nutritional compounds from dandelion roots aid healing in the body.

• Dandelion root is high in phytosterols, which help break down luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormones, especially helpful for pre-menopausal women. Did you know that your hormones are processed in the liver and digestive system? Now you know! If you have digestive and hormone problems, they are directly related. The liver is directly related to your digestive system, so it’s important to keep it healthy.

• The liver also directly communicates with the gallbladder, which is responsible for bile production. Bile helps the digestive system break down fats. The high choline content in dandelion root helps the liver to tell the gallbladder to contract and release bile. Without this symbiotic relationship, you’ll have an inflamed gallbladder and painful digestive problems. For prevention or if you currently have symptoms, lean in on the power of dandelion root to help correct the problem instead of rushing to remove the gallbladder.

• Weight issues are often a symptom of metabolic disease, or simply put when your body’s organs are not properly functioning due to lack of proper nutrition. Again, the nutritional compounds in dandelion root detox the liver and act as a diuretic and natural laxative. In other words, it helps the digestive system keep moving and heal so the body can properly balance blood sugar levels and appropriately use nutrients consumed.

For more information on dandelion root and the plant as a whole, check out the book “Dandelion Medicine, Forage, Feast and Nourish Yourself with this Extraordinary Weed” by Brigitte Mars. You’ll soon fall in love with dandelions and their herbal powers as much as me!

Helpful Hints for Dandelion Root Tea Latte

• Save money by foraging for dandelion roots, especially in the fall. Cut them from the leaves, wash, slice length wise, chop and lay to dry for two weeks. Store in an airtight jar.

• For a deeper, earthier flavor, roast the dandelion roots in the oven on the lowest setting or in a cast iron skillet. When steeping, cover the mug with a plate so that the essential compounds don’t escape and the flavor remains rich.

• Customize this latte with your preferred milk and sweetener of choice. Add more or less depending on personal preference. Make it yours!

• Steep the tea and warm the milk mixture separately before combining. If the tea portion is too hot, the milk will curdle.

How to Make Dandelion Root Tea Latte

What You’ll Need

Dandelion root – Forage for this herb in an area of your yard that hasn’t been sprayed in three years or more. Or you can order it from Azure Standard or Mountain Rose Herbs.

Milk – Either regular dairy milk or an alternative works well for this latte. If you want to froth your milk, be mindful that not all milks froth equally.

Vanilla – Extract or paste beautifully flavors this latte. I personally prefer the richer flavor of paste.

Honey – Honey provides a balanced sweetened flavor compared to maple syrup or another sugar substitute, but however you sweeten your latte, it’s up to you!

Spices – A dash of spice on top of your latte is optional and versatile. I prefer cardamom and cinnamon, but you could try each alone or perhaps clove, nutmeg or all-spice. Be creative!

Frother and glass jar – Both are optional. If your frother is gentle you can use it straight in your mug. Mine is not, so I transfer it to a wide-mouthed mason jar and froth inside there.

Reusable tea bags – I prefer to use cotton reusable tea bags to avoid plastics and other chemicals that lie within “paper” tea bags. I purchase them through Azure Standard.

Step-by-Step Instructions

FAQ’s

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If you make this latte and love it, please stop back and give it a 5-star review! Tag me with your photos on Instagram @beckybuttlesamericana

Cheers! –Becky