For After-School, Swap the Candy Bars for Dessert Teas
School is back for many families across the United States. For the kids, August means a return to hours of sitting at desks, taking notes, listening to lectures, navigating social currents, taking tests and writing papers. Late afternoons and evenings become compressed: after-school activities, homework, dinner and time for bed. For most kids, regardless of whether they’re writing with crayons on craft paper, or working through physics puzzles on graph paper, back-to-school does not amount to a knee-slapping good time.
They get plenty of sweet treats, from glasses of soda to plates of chocolate chip cookies. Most of them don’t offer even a whisper of nutrition or health. Parents can offer better-for-them snacks, like fruit and granola—but the kids don’t always exactly respond with enthusiasm.
Tea for the after-school win
Pro tip: Serve them tea. Seriously. Specifically, dessert tea. A hot mug of brewed Assam might not elicit grins. But a warm cup of our Decaf Vanilla Black, spiked with sugar and cream? A glorious mug of Toasted Almond, enlivened with coconut creamer and honey? A spot of Rooibos Creamsicle topped with a little whipped cream? Now you’re talking. And now, too—they’re smiling.
Given tea’s dizzying diversity of flavors, aromas and even textures, no other beverage category compares in the context of dessert drinks. While all of our teas have the potential to satisfy sweet tooths—all you’ve gotta’ do is add sweetener—some offer hints of sweetness within the blends.
But some teas seem especially well-suited for transformations from savory to sweet. Brewing these teas for your kids not only will slake their desire for sweets—it also will introduce health benefits to them with every sip. And compared to a soda or candy bar, the volume of sweetener in the sippable treat will be far lower.
Dessert Teas: Decaf Vanilla Black Tea
Black tea and vanilla stand as a classic combination. There’s something about the black tea’s maltiness and earthiness that when paired with the one-of-a-kind flavor of vanilla yields an especially happy culinary marriage. When that union gets spiked with a sweetener like honey, and gains a silky texture due to a dairy or plant-based creamer, we think it represents a kind of edible perfection. Our Decaf Vanilla Black Tea includes high-quality black tea and real pieces of vanilla bean, for a taste sensation. A note about our decaffeinated teas: We only import decaffeinated teas that have undergone C02 processes to remove the caffeine. Many decaf teas and coffees rely on hazardous solvents to get rid of the jittery bit. Caffeine is a natural plant botanical found in just a handful of plants worldwide. Removing it from plants requires laboratory work. We think techniques that use C02 to get rid of caffeine are the healthiest, and don’t impart any other flavors to the tea.
Dessert Teas: Toasted Almond
Here’s a quintessential flavor combination, one that becomes widespread during the holidays but isn’t tied to the season of merriment: roasted almonds, cinnamon and apples. Together, they always taste ravishing, regardless of the time of year. This extremely popular tea brings the taste trio, plus some beetroot pieces for color. It’s quintessential dessert, especially when tea lovers add their favorite sweetener and creamer to the elixir. This is one the kids will clamor for after school—and after dinner. It sure beats devouring a bowl of ice cream! Not only will it contain less sugar (unless you flood it with sweetener), it also offers health benefits. Did you know that cinnamon is widely used to help regulate blood sugar levels? Now you do! And the addition of this tantalizing spice ups the health ante in this grand tea.
Dessert Teas: Rooibos Creamsicle
Ice cream makers have come up with a kaleidoscope of flavors over the years, involving everything from marshmallows to bubble gum to matcha tea, lavender and even—yes—tobacco. But we think an OG combination, orange and vanilla, is about as good as it gets. The Creamsicle popsicle was first crafted in 1905 by an 11-year-old lad who figured out a way to enrobe vanilla ice cream with fruit juice. Orange became his favorite fruit juice—and the creamsicle was born. In fact, it was the first popsicle.
This beautiful tea adds another flavor to the mix—earthy rooibos. The leaves and stems from this South African shrub subtly infuse the tea with a mysterious flavor that happens to perfectly complement the stars—orange and vanilla. The vanilla dwells within this tea’s yogurt bits, which also contribute real dairy to the final brew. Our Rooibos Creamsicle also has a little bit of sugar in the formulation, to boost its already wonderful dessert properties. In addition, the rooibos adds extreme health advantages to Rooibos Creamsicle—the plant is PACKED with powerful electrolytes and antioxidants! You won’t find those in a candy bar.
