Make honey citrus mint tea at home with this Starbucks Medicine Ball tea copycat. Using real honey, fresh lemon, and clean filler-free teas, it's an easy, flavorful drink ready in just 10 minutes.
Looking for more healthy drinks?
Check out yogurt drink, pumpkin spice latte, and cranberry juice recipe.
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💡Recipe Overview
- Prep and Cook Time: Ready in under 10 minutes
- Dietary Info: Paleo and GAPS
- Skill Level: Easy
What is an ancestral diet? Read my post on what nourishing foods are based on the traditional dietary principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Why I love my Honey Citrus Mint Tea
Starbucks' Honey Citrus Mint Tea, aka the Medicine Ball, aka Cold Buster tea, is delicious, but making it at home is way better for my wallet (and my health). I can skip the drive-thru, steep some teas, add fresh lemon juice and real honey, and voila - major flavor with a fraction of the price.
Plus, this version is refined sugar-free, paleo, and GAPS compliant, so it actually feels like I'm doing my body a favor instead of sipping a cocktail of mystery ingredients.
Speaking of ingredients, let's talk about the real reason I love this copycat recipe: it's simple.
Green mint tea, peach tea, honey, and lemon - that’s it. No artificial “natural flavors” (a.k.a. chemical nonsense hiding in Teavana teas) and no sugar-laden lemonade to sabotage my immune system when I’m trying to beat a cold.
The teas? Clean and vibrant. The honey? Raw, unfiltered, and single-ingredient perfection. The lemon? Fresh, tangy, and none of that bottled nonsense.
And the best part? This drink is versatile.
Hot to soothe a scratchy throat? Check.
Iced for a summer refresh? Absolutely. Sweet, tangy, and just minty enough to wake up your taste buds? You bet.
With every sip, I get that perfect peach-mint-green-tea-honey-lemon harmony, and honestly…once you make it yourself, you’ll never go back to the Starbucks line again.
Ingredients for Honey Citrus Mint Tea
- Green Tea: To make Starbucks Medical Ball without Teavana, use Traditional Medicinals Peppermint Green Tea (they also have Lemongrass Green Tea which would be lovely too) and another kind of mint (spearmint is my choice!). Another great option is Numi Jasmine Green Tea.
- Mint Tea: Traditional Medicinals Spearmint or Pukka Three Mint tea. Consider doubling up on the mint to really give it that strong minty flavor.
- Peach Tea: To replace Teavana's peach tranquility, we'll use Yogi Peach Detox tea.
- Lemon juice or Lemonade: I love using my honey lemonade recipe for this Starbucks copycat but you can use your favorite here. No lemonade? Fresh lemon juice or bottled pure lemon juice works great too! It's great for making lemonade easy! Use as much or as little as you prefer.
- Honey: Local honey is best, but your favorite brand of honey works. My favorite brands are Nate's Raw and Unfiltered Honey, Local Hive NorCal Honey, and Y.S. Organic Bee Farms.
Substitutions and Variations
- Teavana teas - You know how I feel about these, but if you insiste, you could use Teavana Jade Citrus Mint and Peach Tranquility instead of the three separate tea bags.
- Extra minty - Some choose to add a pump or two of peppermint flavor to their Honey Citrus Mint Tea at Starbucks. If you wanted more of that minty flavor, you can do so in two ways: steep an extra peppermint tea bag along with the other teas or add a drop or two of peppermint extract.
- Give it a berry twist - Muddle some fresh berries (raspberries are amazing!) in the bottom of the mug before adding tea and water.
- Iced Honey Citrus Mint Tea - Pour the hot, steeped tea over ice to make an iced version of this favorite.
💭Make a Large Batch!
You can scale this recipe by tripling the ingredients in a large pot, then stir in lemon and honey once slightly cooled. Store covered in a pitcher in the fridge for up to a week and enjoy hot or iced. Or steep a big batch of the teas and store in a quart-size mason jar as a tea concentrate. When ready to enjoy, dilute the concentrate with honey lemonade using a 1:1 ratio and reheat gently on the stovetop if you want it warm.
Make it Ancestral
I've really been loving loose-leaf teas. They offer cleaner flavor, fewer additives, and a more traditional brewing method. A simple mix of loose green tea and peppermint works beautifully, and you can easily adjust the strength by adding a little extra mint or a touch of dried peach for more fruity flavor.
Finish with raw, unfiltered honey, stirred in only after the tea has cooled slightly so its natural enzymes stay intact.
How to Make Honey Citrus Mint Tea
The complete printable recipe is below in the recipe card for your convenience. Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for the best results.
Step 1. Steep
In a large jar or mug, pour boiling water over tea and allow to steep for a few minutes.
Step 2. Add
Remove tea bags and stir in lemon juice. Notice how the acidity of the lemon juice will make the tea cloudy - this is normal.
Step 3. Sweeten
Drizzle in honey and stir until honey is completely dissolved.
Step 4. Serve
Pour into your favorite mug and garnish with a lemon slice and a fresh sprig of mint.
Helpful Tips
- Use real honey - Skip the honey-flavored syrup that Starbucks medicine ball tea uses and use real, raw honey for maximum health benefits.
- Dissolve honey properly - Add honey to the tea once it's slightly warm, not boiling. Boiling temps can destroy its enzymes but the warmth will help it dissolve well.
- Avoid boiling lemon - High heat can make the lemon taste bitter and the acidity of the lemon may cause the tea to change to a muted color. Add fresh lemon juice or lemonade at the end or mix it into gently warmed tea for the brightest flavor and color.
Product Highlight!
Stainless Steel Tea Kettle
If there's one appliance that really gets used in our house, it's this tea kettle. We drink lots of tea and I love that it's all solid stainless steel inside - no plastic touching hot water. And the price point is great. I've purchased 5 of these as gifts - it's that good!
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover Starbucks medicine ball tea copycat in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I like keeping it in mason jars or Weck juice jars with lids. To reheat, gently reheat in a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium-high heat until warmed through. Do your best to avoid overheating as that may kill any beneficial enzymes in the raw honey and make the lemon bitter.
Use raw, unfiltered honey and add it once the tea is warm, not hot. Avoid boiling lemon or over-steeping delicate teas to retain antioxidants. Heat is not your friend in this recipe.
Starbucks' 'Medicine Ball" aka Honey Citrus Mint Tea is made with a blend of Jade citrus mint green tea and peach tranquility herbal tea, combined with half hot water and half steamed lemonade for at tart-sweet base, and sweetened with a honey-flavored blend. According to Starbucks, this honey blend is made of honey, water, natural flavors, potassium sorbate, xantham gum, and citric acid.
Looking for more copycat recipes? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this Medicine Ball Tea? Please leave a ⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Honey Citrus Mint Tea Recipe (Starbucks Copycat Medicine Ball Tea)
Ingredients
- 1 tea bag green tea
- 1 tea bag peppermint tea
- 1 tea bag peach detox (or other fruity or citrus flavor)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 3 tablespoons pure lemon juice (approx. 1 small lemon)
- 4 tablespoons raw honey
Instructions
- In a large jar or mug, pour 2 cups boiling water over tea bags. Allow to steep for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove tea bags, add 3 tablespoons pure lemon juice (approx. 1 small lemon) and honey and stir until 4 tablespoons raw honey is dissolved. (Note: the tea will change color with the added acidity from lemon - that is normal)
- Pour into 2 mugs. Add slice of lemon, mint leaves as garnish, or additional peppermint extract for extra flavor. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- Traditional Medicinals Green Tea with Peppermint, Yogi Peach Detox, Traditional Medicinals Spearmint OR Peppermint, and/or Pukka Three Mint tea
- You want to have a blend of good green tea, some variation of mint, and a fruity flavor like peach.
- To make this decaf, use decaf green tea or use an extra tea bag of mint.
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