This is an easy homemade tea recipe that doesn’t require tea bags, is caffeine-free, and uses ingredients that you may already have in your pantry and spice cabinet! It tastes like a fancy designer tea blend with a subtle sweetness, but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg either.
While this recipe may not fit the strict definition of a “tea” as it doesn’t require tea leaves, it does brew a tasty beverage! If you’re all out of tea bags, or you’re looking for a caffeine-free tea option besides chamomile or peppermint, give this recipe a try.
A Kitchen Experiment Turned RElaxing activity!
Since I can’t drink regular caffeinated tea past noon (without affecting sleep), I’ve been experimenting with making my own blends.
I started with dried flowers like rose, jasmine, and hibiscus. They can be pretty strong, and the flavors are pretty distinctive. Then I moved onto experimenting with pantry staples like cinnamon, cloves, and dried orange peel, as well as dried and fresh fruit that I had on hand—apple, lemons, dates, and dried goji berries.
Eventually, my tea recipe evolved into the one I’m sharing today. This pot of homemade tea is what I consider a little “me time” treat that I like to make whenever I can.
Sometimes, self-care can seem like just another thing on the to-do list. But grabbing some ingredients I already have and dunking them into a pot with some boiling water feels easy. And what you get for those few minutes spent is a tasty tea that you can enjoy at all times of the day.
Naturally Sweet, with Surprisingly Complex Flavor
Trust me, you will find this tea “mix” very agreeable and hopefully fall in love with it just like me. I was so surprised at its complex flavor.
The lemon really brings everything together and really enhances the aroma of all the ingredients. (Don’t be tempted to use lime, which I’ve found makes the tea bitter.) The taste of this tea is so pleasant, and better yet, it is naturally sweetened with goji berry, dried Chinese red dates (also known as jujubes), and apple slices. No sugar or honey needed.
Many of the ingredients in this tea have a warming effect on the body according to traditional Chinese medicine, making it ideal for enjoying during the bitter cold of winter. It will warm you up nicely.
I like to enjoy it in my little glass tea pot, with a candle warmer. Though you certainly don’t need this set-up (you could even just brew the tea in a regular pot and pour it through a strainer), this pot of tea can last me all day if I just keep adding hot water. The ingredients have strong flavors that can make several batches, though the taste does get lighter.
It’s a true enjoyment during a quiet afternoon with a good book, or when sharing it with your favorite people.
Homemade Tea Recipe Instructions
For this tea, you’ll need:
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 small pieces cinnamon stick (4g)
- 4 dried licorice root slices (5g)
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 large slice ginger (3g)
- 4 dried Chinese red dates (jujubes), halved
- 1 tablespoon dried goji berries (6g)
- 1 piece dried mandarin orange peel (1g)
- ½ apple (sliced)
- 2 slices of lemon
- 4-5 cups boiling water
Combine all the ingredients in a teapot (or any pot), and allow to steep for about 10 minutes before enjoying.
These ingredients can make several batches of tea; keep adding hot water and steeping as needed.
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Recipe
Homemade Tea (Caffeine-Free!)
Ingredients
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 small pieces cinnamon stick
- 4 dried licorice root slices
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 large slice ginger
- 4 dried Chinese red dates (also known as dried jujubes; halved)
- 1 tablespoon dried goji berries
- 1 piece dried mandarin orange peel
- ½ apple (sliced)
- 2 slices fresh lemon
- 4-5 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a teapot (or any pot), and allow to steep for about 10 minutes before enjoying. These ingredients can make several batches of tea; keep adding hot water and steeping as needed.
