This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Fresh mint tea is easy to make hot or iced and always tastes so refreshing. Feel free to add sweetener or citrus too if you’d like.
On those days when you’re craving a light and refreshing drink, try brewing some fresh mint tea! ♡
It’s just about the easiest thing ever. Simply steep some fresh mint leaves in hot water for about 5 minutes, strain them out, stir in any extra sweetener if you’d like, and serve hot or over ice. On chilly days, I adore brewing up a warm mug to cozy up with in the evenings. But when I’m craving a chilled drink, I love adding in a few generous squeezes of lime to make a fun mojito-ish iced mint tea. It’s such a lovely drink, and the flavor is notably fresher than dried mint tea bags!
Fresh mint is, of course, rich in nutrients and commonly used to help sooth an upset stomach or indigestion. It may also help with inflammation, allergies, and the common cold.¹ Mainly, though, I love it because it’s healthy, calming, caffeine-free and delightful in tea. So the next time you find yourself with a few extra sprigs on hand, heat up some water and let’s brew a quick batch of mint tea together.
Fresh Mint Tea Ingredients
Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need to make fresh mint tea:
- Fresh mint: Peppermint or spearmint are both delicious, or you’re welcome to try any other varieties of fresh mint that you love best.
- Water: You can bring your water to a boil however you prefer — in a kettle (electric or stovetop) or in a saucepan.
- Lime or lemon (optional): If you like a hint of citrus in your tea, you’re welcome to add in a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.
- Sweetener (optional): If you like your tea sweetened, add in a squeeze of honey or whatever sweetener you prefer.
How To Make Mint Tea
I’ve included options below for three different ways that you can brew mint tea — either in a French press, in a saucepan, or directly in the serving mug(s) that you will be using. The three methods differ slightly, but in general you will simply:
- Steep the tea. Combine the mint and boiling water and steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain out the mint. Either using the French press plunger or a strainer (or you can even just use a fork in a pinch), strain out and discard the mint.
- Add in sweetener and/or citrus. Add in a hint of sweetener or a squeeze of citrus juice if you’d like, to taste.
- Serve. Then you can either serve the tea hot, or you can pour it over a glass full of ice to serve cold. Garnish with extra mint and/or citrus if you’d like.
Mint Tea Tips
Release the oils in the mint. Before you add the mint leaves to the tea, bundle and roll them together with your fingers and give them a brief twist to release their oils.
Experiment to find your favorite ratios. Everyone prefers different concentrations of tea, so I recommend following the recipe as written the first time. Then if you prefer to add more/less mint in the future, you can! If you’re planning to steep and immediately serve the tea over ice, it will of course be diluted a bit, so you may want to add more mint.
Refrigerate leftover tea. Any (strained) leftover tea can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Favorite Tea Recipes
Looking for more homemade tea recipes to try? Here are a few of our faves:
Description
Fresh mint tea is easy to make hot or iced and always tastes so refreshing. Feel free to adjust ingredient ratios to your liking.
- 1 ounce fresh mint leaves
- 4 cups boiling water
- honey or other sweetener, to taste (optional)
- fresh lemon or lime wedges (optional)
- Steep the mint. Bundle and roll up the mint leaves with your fingers and give them a brief twist to release their oils. Add the mint leaves to a French press. (Or see alternate instructions below for using a saucepan or mug.) Pour in the boiling water and let it steep for 5 minutes, or until the tea reaches your desired strength. Plunge the French press.
- Add sweetener and/or citrus (optional). If you would like to sweeten the tea, stir in your desired amount of honey until dissolved. If you would like to add some citrus, add in a squeeze or fresh lemon or lime.
- Serve hot or iced. Pour the tea into a mug and serve hot, or pour over a glass full of ice to serve iced. Garnish with extra mint and lemon/lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
Saucepan instructions: Bring the water to boil in a saucepan, then turn off the heat. Bundle and roll up the mint leaves with your fingers and give them a brief twist to release their oils, then stir them into the water until submerged. Let the tea steep for 5 minutes, or until it reaches your desired strength. Use a fine mesh strainer to remove the mint leaves, then proceed with the recipe.
Mug instructions: Bundle and roll up the mint leaves with your fingers and give them a brief twist to release their oils. Divide the mint leaves between 2 large mugs. Pour in the boiling water and let it steep for 5 minutes, or until the tea reaches your desired strength. Use a fine mesh strainer to remove the mint leaves, then proceed with the recipe.
){kind=link}