Name: Fresh Mint Tea
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3 cups water; 1 cup fresh mint leaves (packed)

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This fresh mint tea is made by steeping a packed cup of fresh mint leaves in just-boiled water for 5 to 10 minutes. Use spearmint or any edible mint, homegrown or store-bought, and serve it warm or over ice with a little honey, maple syrup, or lemon if you like.

Glass teapot with strainer holding fresh mint tea leaves, filled with hot water, sits on a wooden surface with a few loose mint leaves nearby.

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Mint tea is something we make regularly as a family, usually with dried mint, to enjoy in the evening. But there's something special about fresh mint tea. It tastes different from the dried version, lighter and greener, and it's one of the easiest things you can make with a bunch of fresh mint.

All you need is a packed cup of mint leaves and hot water. You can use mint from your garden or from the grocery store, and you can drink it warm or pour it over ice when the weather heats up!

Glass teapot and teacup with hot fresh mint tea on a wooden table, scattered mint leaves, and sunlight casting gentle shadows.

What Mint to Use for Fresh Mint Tea

Any edible mint you would cook with works for this tea. I'm partial to spearmint, but peppermint, apple mint, and chocolate mint all make a good cup. If you want to compare flavors, I break down the most common types in my guide to mint varieties and how to use them.

The one mint to skip is pennyroyal. It's part of the mint family, but it isn't safe to drink as a tea.

Homegrown or Store-Bought Mint

Both work. If you grow your own, snip the leaves and tender sprigs from the top of the plant. Here's more on how to harvest herbs without setting the plant back. If you're buying mint, a bunch or clamshell from the produce section is plenty for one pot.

A clear glass cup of fresh mint tea with mint leaves floating on the surface, placed on a wooden table with sunlight streaming in.

Fresh Mint Tea vs. Dried Mint Tea

We drink a lot of dried mint tea at home, and I love it. Fresh mint tea just has a different character. The flavor is brighter and closer to what you smell when you rub a mint leaf between your fingers.

If you end up with more mint than you can use, dry the extra for tea later. You can air dry or oven dry herbs, or use my air fryer method for a faster batch.

Glass teapot with a metal infuser brewing fresh mint tea on a wooden table. Light reflects off the teapot, and a few mint leaves are scattered nearby.

How to Make Fresh Mint Tea

A small pile of fresh spinach leaves on a brown wooden surface, illuminated by natural light—perfect for pairing with a cup of fresh mint tea. — While the water comes to a boil, gently rinse the mint and lightly crush a few leaves between your fingers to release their aromatic oils.

Top view of fresh mint tea leaves inside a metal infuser in a glass teapot, with steam droplets visible on the teapot’s surface. — Place the mint in a teapot.

A glass teapot with yellow-green fresh mint tea sits on a wooden table, with a few green leaves placed nearby. — Pour the hot water over the mint, cover, and let it steep.

Glass cup filled with fresh mint tea on a wooden table with two mint leaves beside it. Sunlight casts shadows and reflections across the scene. — Pour into cups and enjoy warm, or serve it over ice.

How Long to Steep

Steep for 5 to 7 minutes for a lighter tea, or up to 10 minutes if you want it stronger. Keeping the pot covered holds in the heat and the aroma while it steeps.

A glass cup of fresh mint tea with mint leaves sits on a wooden table, next to a glass teapot and scattered mint leaves, in natural sunlight.

How to Serve It

I like my mint tea plain, but a little honey or maple syrup, or a squeeze of fresh lemon, are all good additions. Use maple syrup if you want to keep it vegan.

It's also great iced. Pour the tea over a glass of ice for a refreshing warm weather drink.

More Herbal Teas to Try

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Fresh Mint Tea

Fresh mint tea made by steeping a packed cup of spearmint or any edible mint in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve it hot or over ice, plain or with honey, maple syrup, or lemon.

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 10

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: Global

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 16kcal

Author: Kristen Wood

Follow Schisandra & Bergamot on Google Search

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 cup fresh mint leaves packed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring the water just to a boil. Meanwhile, gently rinse the mint and lightly crush or rub a few of the leaves between your fingers to help release their aromatic oils.
Place the mint in a teapot.
Pour the hot water directly over the mint. Cover and steep for 5–7 minutes, or up to 10 minutes for a stronger tea.
Pour into cups and enjoy warm or serve over ice.

Video

Notes

Mint: Any edible mint works. I like spearmint best, but peppermint and other garden mints make good tea too. Avoid pennyroyal, which isn't safe to drink as tea.

Fresh mint: Homegrown and store-bought mint both work.

Steeping: Steep 5 to 7 minutes for a lighter tea, or up to 10 minutes for a stronger one.

Iced: For a warm weather drink, pour the tea over a glass of ice.

Add-ins: I like it plain, but you can add honey, maple syrup, or a squeeze of fresh lemon. Use maple syrup to keep it vegan.

No teapot? A French press works great. You can also steep the mint in a heatproof glass jar or pitcher and pour it through a fine mesh strainer.

Nutrition

How to Make Fresh Mint Tea (Hot or Iced)