Turmeric tea is a golden, earthy drink you can make with a few simple ingredients. Serve it warm, keep it plain, or add a little honey and lemon to suit your taste.
Making tea at home gives you room to experiment with flavors and find a combination you enjoy. Turmeric has a stronger, earthier taste than many floral or fruity teas, so start with a small amount and adjust from there.
If you’re exploring drinks made with herbs and spices, my guide to what herbal tea is explains how these infusions differ from traditional tea. To learn more about different types of teas, read my tea brewing guides.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 2 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 12 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 4 small cups
- ⚡ Calories: about 4kcal per cup, before honey
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Earthy and warm, brightened with lemon or softened with honey
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, one saucepan
Quick Answer
To make turmeric tea, combine turmeric powder and water in a saucepan and gently simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour into cups, let it cool slightly, and add honey or lemon if desired. Ground turmeric can settle at the bottom, so stir before sipping.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique
- A gentle simmer, not a hard boil. Ten minutes of gentle heat draws out the turmeric’s earthy flavor.
- A mild starting amount. Two teaspoons in four cups of water keeps the first cup approachable. You can add more next time.
- Sweeten after brewing. Adding honey at the end lets you taste and find your balance.
- Strain the whole spices. A tea strainer removes ginger slices and cinnamon, while a little turmeric powder passes through.
- Stir before sipping. Ground turmeric does not dissolve completely, so it settles as the tea sits.
Why You’ll Love This Turmeric Tea
- It uses pantry ingredients.
- You can adjust the strength and sweetness.
- It tastes good with several different spices and citrus flavors.
- The basic recipe contains no tea leaves, so it is an herbal infusion rather than a true tea like black tea. Here is how true tea is made.
- It is ready in about 12 minutes from saucepan to cup.
- It works hot or iced, like my butterfly pea latte.
Key Ingredients
- Ground turmeric: This gives the drink its golden color and earthy flavor. Use culinary turmeric powder from the spice aisle.
- Water: Water keeps this version light and lets the turmeric flavor stand out.
- Black pepper, optional: A small pinch adds a peppery note. Leave it out if you prefer a milder drink.
- Honey, optional: Add a little sweetness after brewing, then taste before adding more.
- Lemon, optional: A squeeze of lemon adds a bright, tart flavor.
- Fresh ginger, optional: A few thin slices give the tea a stronger, spicy flavor. Add them while the tea simmers.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
Variations & Substitutions
- Turmeric ginger tea: Add a few thin slices of fresh ginger while simmering. Strain before serving.
- Lemon and honey turmeric tea: Stir in a squeeze of lemon and a little honey after brewing.
- Cinnamon turmeric tea: Simmer with a small cinnamon stick and remove it before serving. Love warm spices? Try my homemade chai spice mix.
- Maple sweetened tea: Use maple syrup in place of honey.
- Iced turmeric tea: Cool the brewed tea, refrigerate, and serve over ice. Stir well before pouring. For more chilled ideas, see my cold brew tea.
- Creamy turmeric drink: For a different version, experiment with milk or an unsweetened plant based milk. A milk based turmeric drink is commonly called golden milk. Leave out the lemon in this variation.
How to Make Turmeric Tea
- Add 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric to a small saucepan. Add a small pinch of black pepper, if using.
- Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat. If you added sliced ginger or other whole spices, strain them out.
- Pour into four cups. Let the tea cool slightly, then add honey or lemon to taste.
Ground turmeric does not dissolve completely. A regular tea strainer will remove ginger slices and whole spices, but some turmeric powder will pass through.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Start with a milder cup. You can add more turmeric next time if you prefer a stronger flavor.
- Stir before serving. Some powder may settle as the tea sits.
- Taste before sweetening. Add honey a little at a time so you can find the balance you enjoy.
- Wipe up spills promptly. Turmeric can stain towels, counters, and some containers.
- Storage: turmeric tea is simplest to prepare fresh. If you make extra, cool it promptly and refrigerate it in a covered container. Stir before serving and warm only the portion you plan to drink. Wondering how long it keeps? Read does brewed tea go bad.
- Freezing is optional. You can freeze cooled tea in an ice cube tray and use the cubes in an iced version.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
A cup of turmeric tea pairs nicely with a little something sweet. Try these Lemon Poppy Seed Scones for a citrus pairing, or serve it with Pumpkin Scones when you’re in the mood for fall flavors.
If you’re sharing a pot with a friend, my Tea for Two ideas can help you turn a simple tea break into a special afternoon, and here is how to make a pot of tea for a crowd.
If you enjoy exploring different tea flavors, The Tea Book by Linda Gaylard includes brewing guidance, tasting notes, and recipes for tea and herbal infusions. It’s an option to explore when you’re ready to try something beyond your usual cup. You might also enjoy my Beginner’s Guide to Herbal Tea, my guide to chai tea, lavender tea, floral teas and how to make loose leaf tea.
Turmeric Tea FAQs
Turmeric tea has an earthy, slightly bitter flavor. Ginger adds spice, lemon adds tartness, and honey softens the flavor with sweetness.
This recipe contains no caffeinated ingredients. If you buy a packaged turmeric tea blend, check whether it also contains black or green tea.
No. Black pepper is optional in this recipe. Use a small pinch for a peppery flavor or leave it out.
Ground turmeric does not dissolve completely in water. Some settling is normal; stir the tea before sipping.
Turmeric tea is usually made with water. Golden milk uses milk or a plant based milk for a creamier drink.
It is simplest made fresh, but you can refrigerate extra in a covered container, stir it, and warm only what you plan to drink. You can also freeze it in ice cubes for an iced version.
Turmeric Tea
Ingredients
- 4 cups water Adjust water if using larger cups
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric Adjust turmeric slightly by 1/2 teaspoon if using more water
- Small pinch black pepper optional
- Honey to taste, optional
- Lemon juice to taste, optional
Instructions
- Combine the water, turmeric, and optional black pepper in a saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, allowing about 5 minutes for heating.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and divide among four small cups.
- Let cool slightly. Add honey or lemon to taste, stir, and serve.
