I love this Fresh Mint Tea for when I need a bit of a dietary reset, when my gut is grumpy, or just when I feel like cozying up with a steaming, refreshing mug of hot tea.
Or, a refreshing, tall glass of iced mint tea in the summer! Equally wonderful.
Fresh hot mint tea in the winter is so comforting, just as much as iced mint tea in the summertime could not be more refreshing if it tried!
Whether you have a bumper crop of mint in your garden or plan to pick up a bunch at the store, I’m going to show you how to transform your fresh mint into a palate-cleansing, cozy, tasty tea with mint leaves that you’ll want to sip all year long.
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- Mint Tea Benefits
- Ingredients
- Adaptations/Variations
- How to Make Mint Tea
- Tips for Success
- More Tea Recipes
The Story Behind the Recipe
Fresh peppermint is one of the first crops I ever successfully grew in my garden. All I had to do was plant a tiny start and it grew … and grew … and grew! If you’ve ever grown mint, you know. That plant throws out runners and spreads like nobody’s business, quickly turning from bumper crop to horrendous weed.
After that, I only planted fresh mint in a container.
I’m willing to bet that out-of-control-mint is a rite of passage for every gardener. Was it for you?
Anyway, a benefit to prolific mint is that you have an endless supply for mojitos and mint tea! Score!
I love to gather a big handful of mint and brew up a big mint iced tea to cool off in the summer. And then, as the weather turns chilly, I skip the ice and go straight to hot mint tea. Nothing better!
So I thought it was time I shared with you my recipe for mint tea and iced mint tea!
Mint Tea Benefits
The benefits of mint tea are countless! Other than mint tea’s refreshing taste and cozy factor, it has a few specific benefits that you might appreciate.
Me personally, I love it when my gut isn’t feeling the greatest. It’s super soothing. Hot mint tea soothes a grumpy gut and has been known to help decrease bloating.
It also uniquely has both a warming and cooling effect. It’s said to help relieve tension headaches. And it is even considered to have some anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory benefits. (source)
Ingredients
- Fresh mint leaves – Grab some out of your garden, your neighbor’s garden (with permission!), or you can find it with the other fresh herbs in the produce section of most grocery stores.
- Water
- Sweetener (optional) – If you like, you can add a bit of honey or sugar to sweeten your mint tea. Personally, I prefer it without, but I’ve provided options just in case you prefer sweeter.
Adaptations/Variations
- Mint Green Tea: In the last 3 minutes of brewing, throw in a couple of green tea bags. Remove along with the mint before serving.
- Ginger Mint Tea: Add a few slices of fresh ginger with the mint. This combo is such a cold-fighting powerhouse!
- Sweet Mint Tea: Stir in a little honey, sugar, or agave nectar if you prefer a sweeter tea.
How to Make Mint Tea
First, you’ll wash your mint leaves, then strip them from the stems. You want 1/2 cup of the leaves.
Add the water to a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the mint leaves and let the leaves steep for 5-10 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the mint flavor will be.
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into your mug, if you’re making hot mint tea, or over ice in a glass for iced mint tea.
Add more fresh mint for garnish and start sipping!
Tips for Success
- Some people like to gently crush or tear the mint leaves to release the oils. I find that the process of stripping the leaves off of their stems and pressing them into the measuring cup is enough to release the oils.
- Save out a few sprigs of mint for garnishing/tossing into the tea before serving. It looks pretty and lends even more minty flavor!
I hope you love this tea with mint leaves! It’s really satisfying to grab a few leaves, simmer them with water, and get this refreshing, soothing drink as a result. Plus, it’s just darn tasty!
More Tea Recipes
- Golden Milk Latte
- Ginger Lemongrass Iced Green Tea
- Iced Green Tea Limeade
- Iced Raspberry Green Tea Limeade
Fresh Mint Tea Recipe (Hot or Iced)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (from a good handful, about 1 ounce, lightly packed into the measuring cup; plus more mint for garnish)
- 4 cups water
Equipment
- 1 fine mesh strainer
Instructions
- Wash mint leaves and strip them from the stems. Press into the 1/2 cup measuring cup (it doesn't have to be exact). Set aside.
- Add the water to a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add the mint and stir.
- Let the mint steep for 5-10 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the fresh mint tea will be.
- Stir in a little honey, sugar, or agave nectar if you prefer a sweeter tea.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into your mug (if hot) or over ice in a glass (if iced tea). Add more fresh mint for garnish and serve.
Hi! I’m Karen – I’m a real person with real recipes. No A.I. here! Since 2009, every recipe on Kitchen Treaty is thoroughly tested and loved before I hit “publish.” I’m a home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m a vegetarian married to a carnivore, and my goal is to coexist deliciously.
