Herbal Tea Benefits & Easy Herbal Tea Recipes

Updated May 19, 2020

Looking for a thoughtful and easy homemade gift that’s not only inexpensive, but healthy, too? These simple, nourishing herbal tea blends make wonderful presents. You’ll also want to make some for yourself and enjoy it all year long. Find out about herbal tea benefits and check out these nourishing herbal tea recipes!

If you’re reading this at the holidays, tossing together some herbs in a jar is a frugal but thoughtful way to cover the many people you might like to give gifts this season. A jar full of fragrant and beautiful herbs makes a great last-minute gift for teachers, friends, and family. What could be better than a health-supporting jar packed with herbal tea benefits?

If the recipient hasn’t already jumped on the loose-leaf tea bandwagon, throw in a simple tea ball or infuser teapot to make brewing their loose tea easier. Here are some glass jars for packing your herbs into, including a few that come with their own labels. You can also upcycle pretty jam or honey jars.

BENEFITS OF HERBAL TEA

Besides being delicious, herbal teas are a super-easy way to tap into the powers of plants to support health. Some herbs support the immune system, while others help manage stress, promote sleep, or give you a healthy dose of disease-fighting antioxidants. A daily cup (or several!) of herbal tea can add important phytochemicals to your diet.

And of course, they’re a wonderful way to kick a sugary drink habit, which may contribute to disease risk. (Here’s how much sugar per day is OK.)


 WHY MAKE YOUR OWN HERBAL TEA?

Sure, you could buy expensive herbal tea bags, but there are some compelling reasons not to. First, what you’re getting in the tea bag would cost SO much less if you use loose herbs instead. While 20 single-serve tea bags will run you $3–$7, a 1-pound bag of loose herbs costing $12 will last you the better part of a year, depending on your tea-drinking habits.

Second, many tea bags are made of plastic, not what you want leaching into your hot tea. Tea bags made of paper often include glues, which may also contain plastic and other chemicals that make that lovely cuppa a little less awesome for your long-term health.

Apart from the savings and reduced chemical exposure, loose-leaf tea lets you make your homemade herbal brew zero waste, a win for the environment. You can bring your own jars to your local natural food store to get just as much as you need for your herbal tea blends, and you’ll save money and resources.

If you’re going to make a lot of herbal tea blends, you might want to order your herbs online by the pound. Yes, there’s a plastic bag, but there’s just one for the whole pound instead of all those individually-wrapped tea bags. These are the same pound bags most natural food stores use to refill their herbal tea jars.

You can also forage a number of these herbs, or try growing some yourself. Several are easy perennials that can be worked into ornamental landscapes or garden beds. Here are some ideas for sneaking herbs into a small garden, even if you don’t have a dedicated place to grow food.

WHAT HERBS TO USE IN YOUR DIY HERBAL TEA RECIPES

You can choose your herbs for herbal tea blends according to flavor or according to the herbal tea benefits you’re after. Here are some of my favorites, which I keep in my cabinet and mix into teas regularly. Click the linked text to find out more about them if you’re curious.

• Chamomile — Relaxing and fruity, a perfect bedtime tea. (Avoid for people with ragweed allergies.)
• Lemon Balm — Delicious and lemony, it can be enjoyed anytime, but is especially popular for promoting sleep.
• Hibiscus — A yummy tart tea rich in antioxidants, it’s utterly gorgeous as well! (Not recommended during pregnancy.)
• Nettle — This nourishing tea is rich in minerals and may help with pain and allergies. I find the flavor a lot like green tea and mix it with my hibiscus or lemon balm regularly.
• Oat Straw — Another mild-tasting nutritive tea, oat straw is noted for its beneficial effects on the nervous system.  Great for people trying to counteract stress!
• Elderflower — This fruity flower is packed with antioxidants and is noted for its usefulness in respiratory illness. Some dried elderflower you can buy comes with a lot of stem material, so do what you can to pick it out before mixing with other herbs. 
• Yarrow — A traditional remedy for fever and cough, yarrow is also antimicrobial. (Also avoid for ragweed allergies.)
• Peppermint — A popular herb many people like, peppermint is great for digestion and treating colds. It’s also easy to grow yourself and dry for holiday gifts or to throw in delicious homegrown herbal sun tea. “Gypsy Cold Care” combines peppermint, elderflower, and yarrow to banish colds quick.

Other herbs to consider: Lavender, catnip, lemongrass, calendula, raspberry leaf, tulsi (holy basil), or rose petals. Mixes of leaves and flowers look beautiful in a jar. Toss in some nutrient-rich orange peels to make the most of your produce.

Many of these herbs, like lemon balm, nettle, chamomile, and hibiscus, taste wonderful on their own — the health benefits are just a bonus. But they can easily be combined to make even more medicinally-useful blends for supporting better sleep or treating a cold.


HERBAL TEA RECIPES TO TRY

The recipes below use “parts” rather than amounts so you can mix up in the quantities you need. If you’re making multiple large jars, you might use a cup-size scoop as a part, or for smaller quantities, maybe you’ll use a 1/4 cup. Don’t worry about getting the quantities exactly. These proportions are merely a guideline.

Be sure to label your homemade tea blends when you give them as gifts, as not all herbs are recommended for everyone. Hibiscus, for example, is not recommended in pregnancy or for people with peanut allergies. Read up on the herbs before adding them to tea blends.

Your label should include ingredients as well as brewing instructions. To get the most from your herbal tea blends, make a strong infusion of 1–3 tablespoons per cup and allow to steep for several hours. You can also make weaker brews, using less herb and steeping only ten minutes.

Your label might read something like: “For a simple tea, combine 1 teaspoon herb per cub water and steep ten minutes. For a stronger infusion, use 1–3 tablespoons herb and steep up to 8 hours.”

Relaxing Herbal Tea Blend

2 parts lemon balm OR chamomile
1 part nettle
1 part oat straw

Combine 1–3 tablespoons herb per cup of boiled filtered water in a large teapot or French press. (Here’s why I recommended filtering your water.) Steep at least ten minutes and up to eight hours.

If you’re dealing with sleep issues and want to make the most powerful blend possible, check out the other options explained in this post on herbs for sleep.

Cold Care Herbal Tea Blend

1 part elderflower
1 part peppermint
1 part yarrow or oat straw

Combine 1–3 tablespoons herb per cup of boiled filtered water in a large teapot or French press. Steep at least ten minutes and up to eight hours.

Uplifting Hibiscus Blend

2 parts hibiscus
1 part oat straw or nettle

Combine 1–3 tablespoons herb per cup of boiled filtered water in a large teapot or French press. Steep at least ten minutes and up to eight hours.

Some people like to combine hibiscus and mint to this mix, so add an additional 1 part mint if you like. Elderflower and hibiscus also pair well and make a nice combination for treating cold symptoms.

Remember, these are just suggested mixes. You can absolutely try your own blends with whatever herbs you have in your cabinet.  A mainly oat straw and nettle mix with some hibiscus or mint would work, as would some lemon balm and chamomile. Play around with different herbs to find out what you like.

Do you make herbal tea? What are your favorites?

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Love experimenting with ways to get super healthy food into your daily diet? You might like these recipes as well!

Disclaimer: I’m a health enthusiast, not a medical professional. Content on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide personalized medical advice. I draw on numerous health sources, some of which are linked above. Please consult them for more information and a licensed professional for personalized recommendations.

Photo credits: Okan Caliskan, Kevin bölling, Michele De Vivo, Anna Taskaeva