When spring comes around and your garden is overflowing with fresh mint, you’ll want this mint tea recipe at the ready! It’s super fragrant, seriously simple, and a beautiful way to celebrate this vibrant herb. Just 2 ingredients required: fresh mint and hot water — it doesn’t get more minimalist.
Enjoy hot as a soothing drink on chilly days or pour over ice for a cooling, refreshing drink to sip all spring and summer long! Let’s make tea!
How to Make Fresh Mint Tea
If you’re thinking “Don’t you just combine fresh mint and boiling water and it’s mint tea?” think again! When it comes to using fresh mint instead of dried, it won’t be very flavorful when prepared that way. Why? The drying process breaks down the cell walls of herbs, allowing more of the fragrant volatile oils to transfer to the water.
The trick to a more flavorful fresh mint tea? Break down those cell walls! We prefer to do this in a mortar and pestle, but in a pinch, you can also rub the leaves between the palms of your hands.
Keep going until they’re broken down to about half their original size.
You can then transfer to a jar, add boiling water, and cover. Covering while it steeps helps to trap the volatile oils, creating a more fragrant tea!
Lastly, strain through a fine mesh strainer and enjoy hot or over ice.
We hope you LOVE this mint tea! It’s:
Refreshing
Minty
Cooling
Comforting
& SO easy to make!
It’s a great way to use up an abundance of fresh mint, cool down on a hot summer day, or provide soothing support to the digestive system. Or, invite your herb-loving friends over for a tea party! Okay, technically an herbal infusion or tisane party, but that just doesn’t ring the same, does it?
More Herbal Teas & Tonics
- How to Make Fresh Ginger Tea
- Cinnamon Vanilla Dandelion Tea Latte
- Adaptogenic Hot Chocolate (5 Minutes, Low Sugar)
- 3-Ingredient Ginger Lemon Water
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Fresh Mint Tea (Hot or Iced!)
Instructions
- Place the mint leaves in a mortar and pestle and muddle until leaves are broken down to about half their size. Alternatively, rub the leaves between your palms until all of them are broken down.
- Transfer muddled mint to a heat-proof jar and pour hot (boiling) water over it. Cover with a lid or small plate and let steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain the tea and serve hot or pour over ice. Will keep strained in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also pour it in an ice cube tray and transfer to the freezer to keep for longer.
Michelle says
Thank you for the recipe and ideas. We had some mint left over and I wanted to use it for iced tea.
You’re welcome, Michelle! We’re so glad the recipe came in handy! xo
Beth says
Great!
I cooled it off and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day I poured them into popsicle molds, and the spearmint popsicles are just perfect!
Thank you once again for another great idea!
:o))))
Sounds delicious, Beth! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Brook says
I have a large amount of dried mint from our garden. How much dried mint would I need for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Brook, we haven’t tried it but we think ~1/4 cup dried could work. Let us know how it goes!
Janice Short says
This sounds like it would be so refreshing on a hot day! Do you have any recommendation on the best kind of mint to use? Thanks.
Hi Janice, we made this with mint from the fresh herb section at the grocery store. In our experience, this is usually spearmint. Hope this helps!