Lemon Tea from Scratch
Updated Aug 29, 2023
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This soothing caffeine-free lemon tea is made with just 3 ingredients. Sip on a cup whenever you want a comforting, warm drink.
Hot Lemon Tea
Perfect on colder days, hot lemon tea can be made from scratch at home in just a few minutes.
Though it’s called a tea, this drink doesn’t actually contain any tea leaves, making it naturally caffeine-free. Instead, lemon tea is made by infusing hot water with lemon juice and honey.
Note from Jee
I worked on this recipe a few times, tweaking the amount of honey and lemon juice so that the drink wouldn’t be too tart, too weak, or too cloyingly sweet.
I think I nailed it with this final version!
I like to heat the water just to simmering so that I can drink the tea right away without having to wait until it cools down.
Recipe Summary
- Lemon tea is a 3-ingredient hot drink made with hot water, lemon juice, and honey.
- Instead of using lemon tea bags, fresh lemon juice is used, which has the best flavor.
- This recipe has the perfect ratio of lemon juice to honey for a tea that’s perfectly tart and sweet.
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Ingredient Notes
- Lemon juice: This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, which is about ⅔ of a medium lemon. You can also use bottled lemon juice but fresh lemon juice will taste better.
- Honey: Any kind of honey can be used.
- Water: Filtered water is best for making any tea.
- Lemon slices (Optional): For a nice finishing touch to the cup.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Put lemon juice and hot water into a mug.
Step 2: Stir in honey. Stir to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
Optional: Garnish with slices of lemon.
Expert Tips
- If you prefer drinks less sweet, you can use less honey, but the tea will be more tart.
- If you don’t want to use honey, use date syrup or maple syrup to sweeten the drink.
- Use a citrus juicer to make squeezing lemons fast and easy. It catches both the pulp and seeds.
- There’s no need to find a pot or use the stove to make lemon tea. To quickly heat up water, use an electric kettle.
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Lemon Tea
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, (about ⅔ medium lemon)
- 1 ¾ cups hot water
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 slices lemon, (optional)
Instructions
- Put lemon juice in a mug. Pour in hot water.Simmer water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Set water temperature to 170°F.
- Stir in honey.Optional: Garnish with slices of lemon.
Notes
- This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, which is about ⅔ of a medium lemon. You can also use bottled lemon juice but fresh lemon juice will taste better.
- Use a citrus juicer to make squeezing lemons fast and easy. It catches both the pulp and seeds.
- If you prefer drinks less sweet, you can use less honey, but the tea will be more tart.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
