How to Make Earl Grey Olive Oil (with Bonus Lemon Grey Ricotta Toast Recipe)

Some of the best afternoon snacks start with a jar you set up two weeks ago and nearly forgot about. Earl Grey olive oil is one of them.

How it works: steep some earl grey loose leaf tea in olive oil, let it rest, and end up with something bright and a little floral. Spoon it over ricotta toast with lemon and fresh thyme, and you have a snack that feels far fussier than it was. It sits somewhere between breakfast and a treat, which is exactly where a Sunday afternoon wants to be.

Here is how to make both the oil and the toast.

Why this pairing works

The bergamot in Earl Grey and the zest of a fresh lemon come from the same bright, citrusy corner. Put them side by side and they taste like they were always meant to share a plate.

Underneath it all sits soft ricotta. It is mild and milky, more of a calm backdrop than a strong flavor of its own. That quiet base gives the floral and herbal notes of the tea-infused oil room to come through, so nothing gets lost.

Make the Earl Grey olive oil

Here is the part that feels like a small kitchen secret. You infuse the oil at room temperature, with no heat at all. A slow, cool steep lets the bergamot and black tea open up gently over a couple of weeks, and it keeps the olive oil tasting fresh and clean.

What you need

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons loose leaf Earl Grey tea (loose leaf works best here, since more of the leaf touches the oil)
• 1 clean, dry glass jar with a tight lid

How to make it

1. Pour the olive oil into the clean, dry jar.
2. Stir in the Earl Grey leaves so they are fully covered by the oil.
3. Seal the jar and tuck it into a cool, dark spot like a pantry or cupboard. Let it steep for one to two weeks, and give it a gentle shake every couple of days.
4. Once the flavor is where you want it, strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve or a bit of cheesecloth into a clean bottle.

A quick word on storage

Keep your finished oil in a sealed glass bottle, out of direct sunlight and away from heat. Because dried tea leaves carry almost no moisture, this is one of the friendlier oils to infuse at home. For the best flavor, use it within a few weeks from the pantry, or keep it in the fridge for up to about three months. If it ever turns cloudy at room temperature or smells off, let that batch go and start a fresh jar.

Now build the toast

Once your oil is strained and ready, the toast itself takes just a few minutes. Here is what goes on top.

What you need

• 1 rustic baguette
• Soft, plain ricotta
• Your Earl Grey olive oil
• 1 fresh lemon, for zest
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Flaky sea salt

How to make it

1. Slice the baguette and toast the pieces until just golden.
2. Spread a generous layer of ricotta onto each slice.
3. Spoon the Earl Grey olive oil over the top. Finish with a little fresh lemon zest, a few thyme leaves, and a pinch of flaky sea salt.

It comes together in a couple of minutes, and it looks lovely on a plate for a friend who dropped by.

Start with the right Earl Grey

The oil is only as good as the tea you begin with, so reach for a blend with real bergamot. Our Mindful Morning Blend is our take on Earl Grey Creme, made with real Italian bergamot. It steeps into an oil that is bright and smooth, with just enough citrus to carry the lemon and thyme.

Set up a jar this weekend. In a couple of weeks, future you will have a little bottle of something special waiting in the pantry, ready for toast whenever the afternoon calls for it.

A gentle safety note: infused oils are happiest when the jar and bottle are clean and dry, and when they are stored cool and out of the light. Dried tea keeps this one low-fuss, but when in doubt about age or smell, start fresh.