Dried Mint Tea Recipe – How to Make Tea from Loose Mint Leaves

I think it might be nearly impossible to sit down and think about mint tea WITHOUT a cup of steaming mint tea in hand. As I write, I’m enjoying a fresh cup of mint herbal tea – made with newly dried mint leaves picked just a few feet from our front door. Mint tea is the perfect choice for any time of day. It’s delicious, refreshing, caffeine free, and excellent made hot or as iced mint tea. You can brew it with fresh leaves or as a dried mint tea recipe. Feel free to skip to the recipe card at the end if you just want the recipe, or keep reading to find out more about why you should grow mint and how to dry your fresh herbs for that year-round fresh mint tea taste!

Mint has a whole bunch of potential health benefits. Some of the main reasons why people love mint are for its ability to soothe the stomach, minimize bad breath, and replenish key nutrients (like vitamin A, iron, and manganese). It’s also a good way to boost your immunity as you head into the winter season. 

Mint grows very quickly, so it’s totally doable to grow your own mint starting with a few plants and harvest enough leaves to last you throughout the year. 

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Why Grow Mint?

One of the biggest reasons why I love growing mint is because it’s just so easy to grow and so prolific! Seriously, it will take over your garden if you let it. (If you’re just getting started, here’s a cool tip for keeping your mint contained). So, it’s easy to grow a lot of it and enjoy some good tea and a delicious cooking herb all year round. 

Besides being easy to grow, it’s delicious! Mint is used quite a bit in Greek dishes, in the Middle East, and in all sorts of summer salads. But it’s especially delicious when brewed as a tea! You can enjoy it iced in the midst of the summer heat or brew it hot in the colder months. It’s really the perfect herb to have around for all sorts of uses.

And the cherry on top is that mint has lots of health benefits! It’s so good for you. Some of the top reasons to consume mint include:

• Soothing an upset stomach. Mint is excellent for relieving digestive issues and nausea. This calming herb may also help with managing IBS.
• Can reduce cold symptoms. Some studies show that mint may help with the common cold by reducing symptoms such as a sore throat or cough. The menthol in mint may also help to break up phlegm. Brewing a cup of homemade tea is one of the best ways to soothe a cold! 
• Can help manage bad breath. Unlike mint flavored gums and candies, real mint doesn’t just mask bad breath, but it can also actually help to kill the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath.
• High in vitamins and antioxidants. Mint is full of important vitamins as well as antioxidants, which can prevent or slow cell damage in your body.

Making tea from your own mint is no comparison to buying tea bags from grocery store. Fresh (or freshly dried) mint leaves from your garden or local farmer’s market are a totally different product than the low-grade “tea dust” you buy in grocery store sachets. Plus, making your own is often way less expensive per serving! 

What Types of Mint Plants Are Good for Tea?

Peppermint and spearmint are common varieties of mint that are used for tea. But you can also try:

• Chocolate mint
• Moroccan mint
• Apple mint
• Orange mint
• Lemon balm (a member of the mint family)

If you’re not sure where to start, just pick one or two types of mint and start by growing a few plants in pots. Take your first year to figure out what type of mint you like best, then go crazy with planting a whole bunch the next year. 

And enjoy some delicious homemade mint tea along the way!

How to Dry Mint for Tea

It’s so easy to dry mint leaves for tea! I like to use the paper bag method best because it’s super hands off and you can do a whole bunch at once. Then, just store in an airtight container and enjoy all year!

Harvesting Mint

But before you start drying, it’s important to know a few things about harvesting your mint for tea. Top harvesting tips include:

• Harvest fairly early in the season before the flowers bloom
• Harvest in late morning, before full sun
• Use scissors to make a clean cut
• Cut lower on the stem to encourage new growth
• Pick fresh mint leaves off the stem after the stem is cut in order to prevent disease

Read more about how to harvest mint for tea.

Drying Methods

Now that you have a few handfuls of mint, it’s time to start drying using your preferred method. The paper bag method, air drying method, oven method, and food dehydrator method are some of the most common. You can find step-by-step instructions for each one in our blog post, How to Dry Mint Leaves for Tea.

• Paper bag method: No special equipment needed – all you’ll need is a grocery-size paper bag, some string, and a cool, dark place. Takes 1-2 weeks.
• Air drying method: Allows for excellent air flow, and it’s beautiful! You’ll need some string, a dark place, and something to catch the drying mint. Takes 1-3 weeks.
• Oven method: This method is much quicker – it just takes a few hours. You’ll at least one cookie sheet. You want enough surface area to lay your tea leaves out in a single layer. The downsides of this method is that you need to stay nearby and check your mint often. The electricity cost is a bit of a downside, too. You’ll set your oven to the lowest temperature so as not to burn the mint.
• Food dehydrator method: Like this oven method, this one also only takes a few hours to dry your fresh leaves. This method is a little more hands-off than the oven method, but you’ll still need to check your mint to make sure it doesn’t over crisp. You’ll need a food dehydrator for this approach.

When you’re finished drying your mint, you can store it in an airtight jar for up to a year.

Supplies and Ingredients for Making Dried Mint Tea

If you’re used to using tea bags from the grocery store, making loose leaf tea can sound intimidating at first. But don’t be scared! You don’t need any special tools to make a cup of fresh mint tea with your own loose mint leaves.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Dried mint. I like to use about 2 teaspoons of dried mint for 10-16oz of water,
• Hot water. You can heat it in a tea pot or just a regular saucepan. Boiling water isn’t ideal – just get it nice and hot! 
• Cold water and ice cubes – if you want to make iced tea.
• Something to strain your leaves. You can use something as simple as a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Or, if you want to get fancy, try a tea ball or a french press.
• Any additional flavors or sweeteners. I love to add a bit of honey! You may also enjoy trying lemon slices or maple syrup. See more flavor ideas below!

Dried Mint Tea Recipe

Ready to enjoy a cup of tea with your own mint?

1. Heat water using a tea pot or saucepan. It doesn’t need to be boiling – just hot. 
2. For a single serving, pour 10-16oz of water over about 2 teaspoons of dried mint. Feel free to adjust these amounts to your own taste, of course!
3. Let your tea steep for 5 minutes. Again, you may like to steep it for longer or for a shorter amount of time. But too short, and you won’t get enough flavor. Too long, and it can start to taste a bit bitter.
4. Strain. Strain your dried mint leaves using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Alternatively, you can get fancy with a tea ball or use a french press if you have one. 
5. Add honey, lemon, or any additional flavors you like! 
6. For iced tea, steep 2 teaspoons of mint in 5-8oz water. After 5 minutes, strain, then fill your cup the rest of the way with ice and cold water. Basically, you’re just making it double strength and then adding ice.

Additional Flavors and Mint Tea Recipes

While mint is absolutely delicious on its own, here are some twists on your average cup of mint tea to try for next time!

• Honey citrus mint tea. You can make a honey citrus mint tea by adding honey and lemon to your cup. This is an excellent mint tea blend for cold season! 
• Mint ginger tea. Combine mint with honey and fresh ginger for another knock-out cup of tea for cold season. Ginger has a stronger taste, so start with just a little bit if it’s your first time trying it.
• Mint and lavender flowers. What could be more comforting than the soothing taste of mint combined with calming lavender? This drink tastes excellent hot or iced.
• Iced mint black tea. Combine the fresh taste of mint with a bag of regular black tea to get a twist on your average summer iced black tea. You’ll probably want to make a large pitcher of this one to enjoy for your next summer gathering! 
• Chamomile lavender mint iced tea. Another epically soothing blend. These three calming herbs blend perfectly together to create a relaxing, delicious summer mix.
• Moroccan mint tea. Moroccan mint tea is a popular drink in Morocco – combining mint, green tea, and sugar.

What’s Your Favorite Way to Enjoy Mint Tea?

Let us know in the comments! 

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