Honey Lemon Tea: A Simple Recipe (Hot or Iced)

Honey lemon tea is about as simple as a drink gets: hot water or tea, fresh lemon juice and a spoonful of honey. Made with a good floral honey, it is a warming, sweet-sour cup for a cold evening, and over ice it makes a refreshing summer drink. Here is our basic ratio and the variations we like.

Honey lemon tea recipe

Serves: 1 mug. Prep: 5 minutes. Cook: none (just boil the kettle). Total: 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) water, or brewed black, green or herbal tea
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon), or to taste
• 1–2 tsp honey, such as our Kalymnos thyme honey
• 1 thin slice of lemon
• Optional: 2–3 thin slices of fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, or a sprig of fresh lemon thyme

Method

1. Bring the water to the boil. If you are making tea, brew it as the packet directs and remove the tea bag or leaves.
2. If using ginger, cinnamon or lemon thyme, put them in the mug first and pour the hot water or tea over them. Leave to steep for 3–5 minutes.
3. Let the drink cool for a minute or two, so it is hot but not boiling, which keeps more of the honey’s aroma.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and honey until the honey dissolves. Taste and add more of either.
5. Add the lemon slice and serve.

Getting the ratio right

Our starting point is 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1–2 teaspoons of honey per cup of water or tea. Lemons vary a lot in acidity and honeys in sweetness, so taste and adjust. If you like it sharper, add more lemon; if it tastes thin, add a little more honey rather than sugar.

Waiting a minute or two after boiling before you add the honey and lemon is mainly about flavour. Delicate floral honeys, such as Greek thyme honey, lose some of their aroma in boiling water, and the drink is easier to sip.

Which honey and which tea?

Any liquid or crystallised honey works; crystallised honey simply takes a little longer to dissolve (see how to decrystallize honey). A strongly flavoured honey, like thyme or pine honey, gives the drink more character than a mild blend. Read about Greek thyme honey and pine vs thyme honey.

Base	What it adds
Hot water	The cleanest honey and lemon flavour; caffeine-free
Black tea	Body and a little tannin; contains caffeine
Green tea	Lighter and grassier; brew it with water just off the boil
Greek mountain tea (Sideritis)	Herbal and caffeine-free; a classic pairing with honey in Greece
Chamomile or other herbal teas	Floral and caffeine-free

Variations

• With Greek mountain tea: simmer a small bundle of Olympus mountain tea for 5 minutes, strain, then add honey and lemon. Our mountain tea brewing guide has the details.
• Honey, lemon and ginger: steep a few slices of fresh ginger in the hot water for 5 minutes before adding the honey and lemon.
• With lemon thyme: a sprig of lemon thyme adds a gentle herbal note; ordinary thyme works too.
• With cinnamon: add a cinnamon stick while the drink steeps.
• Iced honey lemon tea: dissolve the honey in a small amount of hot tea or water first (honey doesn’t dissolve well in cold liquid), then top up with cold tea and pour over ice with lemon slices.
• For a crowd: make a honey-lemon syrup by stirring equal parts honey and warm water until smooth, keep it in the fridge, and add lemon juice and hot water to taste.

A note on health

Honey and lemon drinks are often recommended at home when someone has a cold or a sore throat. This page is a drink recipe, and we don’t make claims about treating or preventing any illness. If you are unwell, talk to a pharmacist or doctor.

Two practical points. First, honey should not be given to babies under one year old: the National Honey Board explains that honey can contain spores that cause infant botulism, a rare but serious illness in young babies. Second, honey is a sugar. USDA FoodData Central lists honey at 304 calories per 100 g, or about 21 calories per teaspoon (7 g). Our honey nutrition facts page has the full figures.

More ways with honey

Honey also sweetens hot drinks beyond tea: see honey in coffee. For breakfast, try Greek yogurt with honey or a full Greek breakfast. Browse our Greek honey collection and Greek mountain tea.

Sources

• National Honey Board: Honey FAQs (honey and infants)
• USDA FoodData Central: Honey (FDC ID 169640)

Honey lemon tea: frequently asked questions