Make Your Own Christmas Tea: 3 Easy Festive Tea Blends
Orange, cinnamon and cloves are some of those scents that instantly feel like Christmas. We often use them in simmer pots and natural home fragrance, but those same wintry ingredients can also be used to make your own Christmas tea.
Making a festive tea blend at home is surprisingly simple. Start with a good loose-leaf tea or rooibos, then add dried fruit, citrus peel and warming spices. Make a jar for yourself or package your blend in a pretty glass jar for an easy homemade Christmas gift.
Here are 3 simple Christmas tea recipes to try: a classic spiced black tea, a cosy apple and cinnamon rooibos, and a bright, fruity hibiscus blend.
What do you need to make Christmas tea?
Black tea, green tea and rooibos can all be used as a base. Choose a plain loose-leaf tea without added flavourings so you can build your own blend.
Good ingredients for homemade Christmas tea include:
dried orange peel
dried apple
cinnamon
cloves
star anise
cardamom
dried ginger
rooibos
black tea
hibiscus
Always make sure any herbs, flowers, spices and dried fruit you use are food-grade and suitable for consumption.
1. Classic Christmas tea with orange and cinnamon
This is the quintessential Christmas blend: warming, spicy and full of citrus.
For one small jar:
100 g loose black tea
2 tbsp dried orange peel
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
2 star anise
4 cardamom pods
Break the cinnamon sticks and star anise into smaller pieces. Lightly crush the cardamom pods, then combine everything with the loose tea.
Transfer the mixture to an airtight jar. If you can, leave it for a few days before brewing your first cup. This gives the aromas a little time to mingle.
Use approximately one heaped teaspoon per cup and steep for 3–5 minutes in hot water.
Try it with: a slice of fresh orange or a little honey.
2. Apple, cinnamon and ginger Christmas tea
This blend is softer and fruitier, with flavours reminiscent of warm spiced apples.
You will need:
100 g rooibos
3 tbsp finely chopped dried apple
1 cinnamon stick
1–2 tsp dried ginger
3 cloves
1 star anise
Break the larger spices into smaller pieces, combine all the ingredients and store the mixture in an airtight jar.
Because rooibos is naturally caffeine-free, this is a lovely Christmas tea for the evening too.
Use approximately one heaped teaspoon per cup and steep for 5–7 minutes.
If you have apples that need using up, you can also dry thin slices or peel yourself. It's a simple way to turn something you might otherwise throw away into part of your winter pantry.
3. Fruity Christmas tea with hibiscus and orange
Christmas tea doesn't have to be dark and heavily spiced. Hibiscus creates a beautiful deep-red tea with a fresh, slightly tart flavour.
You will need:
60 g rooibos
20 g dried hibiscus
2 tbsp dried orange peel
2 tbsp dried apple
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
Combine everything and transfer it to a glass jar.
Steep for around 5–7 minutes. If you find hibiscus a little tart, add a small spoonful of honey.
This blend is also delicious served cold.
How to dry orange peel for Christmas tea
Don't automatically throw away your orange peel. If you're using organic or untreated oranges, the peel can be dried and saved for tea, potpourri and simmer pots.
Remove thin strips of the orange part of the peel, avoiding as much of the white pith as possible. Too much pith can make your tea bitter.
Allow the peel to air-dry or dry it at a low temperature in an oven or food dehydrator until it is completely dry and brittle.
It's best to make small batches and always check that there is no moisture left before storing dried peel.
How to create your own Christmas tea blend
You don't need to follow a recipe exactly. Once you've made a couple of blends, experimenting is half the fun.
A very simple formula is: tea base + fruit or citrus + warming spice + accent
For example: black tea + orange + cinnamon + cardamom or rooibos + apple + cinnamon + ginger
Start cautiously with powerful spices such as cloves, star anise and cardamom. You can always add another piece, but rescuing a tea that tastes almost entirely of cloves is considerably harder.
Turn your Christmas tea into a homemade gift
A homemade Christmas tea blend makes a lovely little festive gift.
Spoon your dry mixture into a clean glass jar or tea pouch and add a label with the ingredients and brewing instructions.
For example: Winter Orange Tea
1 heaped teaspoon per cup. Steep for 3–5 minutes. Lovely with honey or fresh orange
Tie some ribbon or natural twine around the jar and add a dried orange slice or small cinnamon stick as decoration.
If you're giving your tea to someone else, make sure all the ingredients are clearly listed.
Use the same ingredients for natural Christmas fragrance
Many of the ingredients that make Christmas tea smell wonderful can also be used to scent your home naturally.
Orange, cinnamon, cloves and star anise are perfect for a Christmas simmer pot. So when you're drying oranges, make a little extra: some for your tea and some for natural home fragrance.
With just a handful of simple ingredients, you can create a little winter pantry for tea, seasonal scent and homemade gifts.
Frequently asked questions Make Your Own Christmas Tea
1. What is the best tea to use for Christmas tea?
Black tea gives you a classic, robust Christmas tea, while rooibos is softer and naturally caffeine-free. Both pair beautifully with orange, apple and warming spices.
2. Can I use fresh orange peel in a homemade tea blend?
Not if you're making a dry blend to store. Fresh orange peel contains moisture, so use completely dried peel for a tea mixture you plan to keep.
3. How long does homemade Christmas tea last?
Keep your tea dry, away from direct sunlight and in an airtight container. For the best flavour and aroma, make relatively small batches and use them within a few months.
4. Which spices are best for Christmas tea?
Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise and ginger are all good choices. Use cloves and star anise sparingly as they can quickly dominate a blend.
5. Can I make caffeine-free Christmas tea?
Yes. Simply use rooibos instead of black or green tea. It works especially well with dried apple, orange, cinnamon and ginger.
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