You’ve found what you thought was a great recipe for peppermint tea, but now that you’ve made it once, you are wondering how to make peppermint tea taste better. It’s a great question! Happily, we can help.
The spicy and sweet combination of peppermint brings a surprising flavor to the tea. You will notice the peppery notes more than the minty notes if you use straight peppermint leaves. This is why people often add mint leaves to their tea as well, to balance out the spicy, peppery taste.
What is Peppermint Tea?
Let’s start with the basics. Tea is a drink made from tea leaves soaked in water until they flavor the water. Hot tea is made using boiling hot water and tea leaves for the brewing process. Cold brew tea is made using cold or ice water to brew the tea instead. Both of these kinds of tea can be made into peppermint tea that tastes amazing!
Peppermint tea is simply any form of tea that has peppermint leaves added for flavoring during the brewing process. A little bit spicy and a little bit sweet, this tea flavor is becoming more and more popular.
What to Put Into Peppermint Tea
To make peppermint tea, you will need to start with dried peppermint leaves. You can put these peppermint leaves into a tea diffuser by themselves and have straight peppermint tea. Alternatively, you can brew the peppermint leaves with your favorite tea blend or a blend of spices to create a unique peppermint tea experience according to your taste. You will also need to add a sweetener.
How to Sweeten Peppermint Tea
A neutral sweetener like white sugar or agave syrup is best for sweetening peppermint tea. If you want an artificial sweetener, try Stevia to make a low-calorie version that still tastes great. Always add less Stevia than if you were adding sugar. Honey or maple syrup can be used, but they bring their own flavor profile to the tea party. Add your sweetener to the tea while it is still very hot so that the sugar can easily dissolve.
What to Add to Peppermint Tea to Make it Taste Better
If you aren’t in love with straight-up peppermint tea with your sweetener of choice, you can learn how to make peppermint tea taste better by experimenting. Here are some things you can add to peppermint tea to make it taste better. These ingredients should be added during the brewing process. Each of these ingredients has a different brewing time, so make sure to add your ingredients in the proper order.
For instance, if one ingredient needs to brew for ten minutes and another ingredient needs to brew for five minutes, place the first ingredient in the tea infuser and brew for five minutes, then add the second ingredient to the tea infuser and continue brewing for an additional five minutes to complete your tea.
- Chocolate: For a fun twist on peppermint tea, add cocoa nibs to your tea infuser.
- A cinnamon stick: Not only does it add great flavor, but it also looks fun too!
- A peppermint stick: See above. This doesn’t really need to brew, it’s just a cute way to dress up the tea, and it will melt into the tea naturally as you drink it.
- Raw ginger: Sliced or grated adds a nice flavor to peppermint tea.
- Vanilla syrup: Syrups should be added after the brewing process.
- Peppermint syrup: Add this if you want an extra oomph to that peppermint flavor.
- Mint leaves: This adds a few different flavor notes that round out the peppermint flavor.
- A splash of milk: This softens the acidity in tea. Milk does not need to brew; it is added to the end to dilute the tea.
- A slice of lemon: This provides a great balancing flavor. Just add a single slice of lemon to your peppermint tea.
How to Brew Peppermint Tea so that it Tastes Better
Getting the right temperature is essential for great-tasting tea. Different teas have different ideal temperatures for brewing. Boil your water to 212ºF for peppermint tea. If you are adding peppermint leaves to a different kind of tea, follow the brewing instructions for that tea. You can use an electric tea kettle or a stovetop tea kettle or simply boil water in a saucepan. Pour the boiling water over your peppermint leaves and/or tea mixture in a tea infuser.
Peppermint Tea Recipes We Love
Any of these choices is going to give you a great recipe for peppermint tea.
- How to Make Peppermint Tea by Sencha Tea Bar has several different options for you, including how to make your own chocolate mint tea blend.
- Earth to Kathy has an Easy Peppermint Tea Recipe you will love.
- Try this recipe for peppermint iced tea from Nerdy Mama for a different take on this classic.
FAQ
What Tea Is Good for Nerve Pain?
Suffering from nerve pain can be a daunting experience, but did you know that certain teas might provide relief? Tea contains compounds that help reduce inflammation and provide antioxidant benefits. These properties can provide relief to your nerve pain. The polyphenols found in tea, like flavonoids, help combat inflammation and offer protection for your nerve cells.
As you dive into the world of herbal remedies, you’ll find various teas with potential benefits for alleviating nerve pain.
- Chamomile tea has a gentle, soothing effect on your nervous system and helps reduce stress and anxiety, which may, in turn, alleviate your nerve pain.
- Ginger tea has strong anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation, a common cause of nerve pain.
- Turmeric tea is yet another anti-inflammatory option. The curcumin found in turmeric helps modulate the body’s pain receptors, making it a potential ally in your fight against nerve pain.
- Peppermint tea contains menthol, which has a numbing effect, helping to alleviate pain.
- Passionflower tea can reduce anxiety and improve sleep, potentially easing nerve pain.
- Green tea is rich in the antioxidant EGCG; green tea could promote nerve repair and regeneration. Drinking it regularly may provide relief for your nerve pain.
- Black tea has a high content of theaflavins and thearubigins and boasts various health benefits. These include reducing inflammation and helping protect nerve cells.
- Rooibos tea from South Africa is abundant in antioxidants that may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation related to nerve pain.
