Bored with your same old tea? Get ready to branch out and explore an exciting world of new flavors. Many tea drinkers know that one of the most common supplements to add to a cup of tea is milk from casual dabbler to the seasoned connoisseur. Many will also choose to add sugar depending on their sweetness preference, leading to the inevitable question of “One lump or two?”
There is a fantastic variety of things besides milk that can transform your regular cup of tea, and all of them are completely natural. If you’re struggling to give up dairy in your tea completely, many additives can be used along with milk.
But first,
Start with a good quality tea. 
Choose from black tea, green tea, oolong, or caffeine-free rooibos. Unflavored loose leaf tea is the best, but quality tea bags are also a good option.
We feature the most reputable tea vendors online and earn a commission from qualifying purchases: Affiliate Disclosure>>
Flavors You Can Add to Your Tea
Sometimes you just need a bit of a kick to your everyday brew. Spices, fruits, herbs are good companions for black or green teas, as well as chocolate, flowers, ginger, and even alcohol.
Here are 12 things to put in your tea in place of (or along with) milk:
Citrus
Citrus fruits gel well with either black or green tea. There are various options for adding some citrus to tea; all of them lend a brighter tone to the brew. You can either drop beautiful slices in your cup or squeeze in the juice. While tea with lemon is classic, lime, grapefruit, or orange are also great choices depending on your tea base. And if you want to delve into the exotic, consider some passion fruit or yuzu.
Citrus green tea makes for a refreshing iced tea, even better combined with mint, peach, honey.
If you are fond of fresh and bright notes, don’t overlook Earl Grey, the world-famous citrusy tea with its iconic bergamot flavor.
 Vanilla Tea Classic. Delicious Vanilla Tea as a twist on a classic. We started by creating a fantastic loose leaf Earl Grey with a blend of Assam, Ceylon and Nilgiri teas seasoned with the oil of bergamot. Next, we added bits of vanilla bean and cornflower petals to round it off and bring you Vanilla Creme Earl Grey. Buy Vanilla Creme Earl Grey with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.Use 1 level tablespoon per cup of boiling filtered water and steep for 3 minutes. Throw in some steamed milk and rock sugar to make it a dessert. |
Cinnamon
Cinnamon will provide your black tea with some depth and warmth. Cinnamon spiced tea will make you think of a cozy autumn day. You can use the powdered version, but we suggest brewing your tea with a cinnamon stick, which will infuse the flavor without leaving behind any gritty texture from the ground spice.
 In the Middle Ages, having cinnamon in one's home was a status symbol for Europe's elite. A combination of spicy cinnamon with bright, full Ceylon black tea, having our Cinnamon Black tea in your cabinet today is equally as prestigious. Very warm and high cinnamon flavor, with a clean, richly aromatic freshness. Spicy, crisp finish. Great blended with other teas, too! |
Cardamom
Another spice, cardamom, has an even more powerful flavor than cinnamon. The smell of it will instantly transport you to the streets of Mumbai. Spicy, rich, warm, and aromatic, cardamom is one of the most sensational additives, but be careful not to overdo: the flavor is intense. You can also go the whole nine yards by adding cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and making a cup of Masala Chai tea. Cardamom and other spices traditionally go well with black teas. However, the green tea version of spicy chai is also gaining popularity. Spicy types of tea are lovely with a splash of milk.
 A superior green tea blend with the finest, aromatic Indian spices for a unique Chai experience! A skilfully curated blend of the best green teas from the splendid region of Darjeeling blended with the choicest, aromatic Indian spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and black peppercorns. Indulge in a bright liquor carrying an energising aroma, the signature flavour of fresh greens, and tantalising warm tones of fresh spices in every sip. A unique chai tea blend, fit for the likes of connoisseurs and beginners alike! |
Herbs
By adding herbs, you can naturally provide your tea with earthy, effervescent tones. Some herbal choices include lavender, lemongrass, lemon verbena, mint, all the way to tulsi basil, and rosemary. Herbs often go best with lighter teas such as green or white tea and even unaccompanied.
 Starwest Botanicals is happy to provide you with the highest quality Peppermint Leaf as part of our extensive offering of bulk organic herbs and spices. Depending on how you would like to use it, you can select from natural or organic cut and sifted (C/S) Peppermint Leaf or Peppermint Leaf Powder Peppermint Leaf, which also known as Mentha piperita, Brady mint, balm mint, curled mint and lamb mint, has many useful properties. |
For ultimate relief and multiple health benefits, try adding CBD oil to your tea>>
Flowers
Not only will this addition give you a gorgeous cup of tea, adding flower buds or dried petals can deliver an incredibly aromatic and inviting flavor. Flowers are often used in tea blends. The most pronounced and flowery is probably Jasmine green tea. Rose, hibiscus, and honeysuckle lend more subtle, intriguing flavors to both black and green teas.
 Buttery, fresh, lilac. We've taken the guesswork out of measuring out the perfect pitcher of iced tea with convenient biodegradable iced tea pouches. Drop one bag into your 2 quart iced tea pitcher, fill with the appropriate amount of water and you're good to go! Passionfruit Jasmine This award-winning blend of select black and green teas, jasmine blossoms, and passionfruit essence has a long-lasting, sweet flavor and astounding aroma for a perfect well-rounded cup. Comes in packs of 4 pouches. |
Maple Syrup
Instead of the usual sugar, or even honey, try pouring a bit of maple syrup into your tea for both sweetness and the unique taste of maple. One benefit of this natural sweetener is that it dissolves easily in cold and hot drinks, unlike honey, which will seize up and crystalize in cold temperatures.
Fresh or Dried Fruits
Sangria doesn’t have to be the only drink with the wow factor of fruit. Try sliding in some cut up stone fruits like peach or nectarine, or plop in some pitted cherries, raspberries, or pomegranate seeds. Even apple can work! Just add a few thin slices to a hot cup of tea and let it steep for a couple of minutes. As a bonus, after you finish the tea, you get the pleasure of digging out all those delicious fruity chunks. When fresh fruits are not available, use dried strawberries, blueberries, or fruit jams
 Sweet Cherry Sencha Green Tea. Chunky Cherry green tea takes the smooth, healthy taste of Japanese Green Sencha tea and throws in some hearty cherry pieces and a handful of rose petals. This is Will's all time favorite blended loose leaf green tea. He says, "If you're going to drink healthy, it might as well taste like this!" Buy Chunky Cherry green tea with our 100% satisfaction guarantee. Use 1 heaping tablespoon to each cup of just under boiling mineral water and steep for 1 to 2 minutes. |
Vanilla
Vanilla makes everything taste good, doesn’t it? Well, tea is no different. Scrape in a bit of fresh vanilla bean if you have a gourmet palette, or mix in a splash of vanilla extract if you’re in a pinch, but remember – less is more. Real vanilla extract is a concentrated flavor.
 Creamy, smooth, sweet. This vanilla rooibos tea is a delectable infusion of enticingly sweet and tangy flavors harmoniously complimented by the soothing smoothness of fresh cream. Our Vanilla Berry Truffle tea is an enjoyable dessert blend at any time of day. This product contains the following allergenic ingredient(s: chocolate, egg, milk, soy lecithin |
Ginger
To deliver a spicy kick to your tea, brew it with grated or thinly sliced fresh ginger. A perfect tea for stuffy nose, sore throat, or even calming an upset stomach, ginger brew supplies endless health benefits on top of zesty taste. A cup of tea with ginger is guaranteed to increase your blood flow, wake you up, and get you ready for the day.
Alcohol
Looking for something to help you truly relax? Try spiking your tea with rum, bourbon, or perhaps some Bailey’s Irish Cream (or really whatever else you feel will blend well). Your tea experience is sure to be heightened to new levels. Now, it can be ‘happy hour’ at any time. It could also work great with iced teas.
 We took three of our favorite unflavored teas and tisanes and created an iced sampler that's perfect for all ages and any time of day. Total weight 2.1 oz, makes 6 quarts. This set includes:peppermint iced tea - A Mediterranean native, revered for its cool, crisp aroma, deeply fresh flavor, and smooth finish.rooibos iced tea - Very forgiving - won't over-steep. Steep hot or refrigerate overnight in cold water.ceylon sonata iced tea - Fresh, bright, citrusy aroma balanced with sweet juicy notes of mandarin peel or grapefruit. |
Chocolate
Last but not least, this option is probably the most daring and unexpected. Still, chocolate-infused tea might just become your new favorite hot beverage, whether you stir in a bit of melted chocolate or sprinkle in some cocoa powder or cacao nibs. You can choose how sweet or dark you want the chocolate flavor. It also pairs well with milk. Just be aware that this flavor goes better with certain types of tea, namely black or chai. It is not recommended to use chocolate with lighter teas like green and herbal tisanes
 Bold flavor, rich color, full body with hints of chocolate are what you'll get from our award-winning, top-selling breakfast tea. We blend our favorite strong black and pu-erh teas with chocolate essence to create the a smooth, robust flavor. A perfect choice to help kick your coffee habit! |
What to put in black or green tea?
Add warm, sweet, and welcoming flavors to your black teas and rooibos. Try cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, maple syrup, whiskey, or a combination of them for welcoming and relaxing black tea blends. For a brighter and uplifting cup of black tea, use red fruits, berries, and citruses.
Juicy fresh accents such as mint, jasmine, peach, basil are great to put in green and white teas. All kinds of edible flowers and herbs, either fresh or dried, can be used for this purpose.
However, there are no strict rules when it comes to tea making. Your tea experience can only be limited by your imagination.
More tea, please!
6 Nilgiri Teas: Rich Flavors At Bargain Prices
Hojicha: Japanese Tea with Unique Roasted Flavor
Indian Green Tea: easy guide, top 7 best teas
Isabelle is a freelance writer, self-taught tea nerd, and tea blending enthusiast. She is a herbalist with a strong interest in Ayurveda. Each year Isabelle travels extensively, returning with tea samples from around the world. She is a big fan of handmade teaware and Japanese green teas.