Making your own tea blend is really fun, and the reason I started BlendBee back in 2014!
To start, first you have to answer a few key questions:
- Do I want a caffeinated blend or an herbal blend?
- What flavor profile do I want? Spicy, floral, earthy, sweet..
- What health benefits do I want to get from my tea? Stress relief & relaxation, energy & focus, metabolism boosting...
- Don't put more than 10 ingredients in a single blend, the flavors just don't hold up. Less is more with blending tea.
I know it can be overwhelming to make a tea blend that tastes good and also has a ton of benefits, but with a little patience and creativity, you can make your perfect blend!
Before we get to the nitty gritty, check out this great blog post on porch.com where experts spill the tea about tea. Then get to blending, since you are now the expert!
Here are some blend ideas:
Add a tea base (yerba mate, black tea, green tea) to the blends below, or go all herbal.
Floral blend: Chamomile, Rose hips, Rose buds, Lavender
Fruity blend: Hibiscus, Orange peel, Lemongrass, Ginger
Earthy blend: Rooibos, Holy Tulsi, Ginkgo Leaf, Dandelion root, Cinnamon
Minty blend: Peppermint, Spearmint, Nettle Leaf
Spicy blend: Ginger, Cinnamon, Peppercorn, Fennel Seed, Dandelion leaf
Warm blend: Marshmallow root, Anise seed, Cardamom, Cacao nibs, Cacao powder (for an extra chocolate kick)
Sweet blend: Any blend above and add licorice root or stevia.
Add-ons to all blends above for benefit (won't change the flavor of your tea): Ashwagandha root, Eleuthero root, Marigold, Raspberry Leaf, Strawberry leaf, Milk Thistle Seed
---------------------
Caffeine options:
High Caffeine: Yerba Mate, rich and earthy with grassy finish. Rich in nutrients, long lasting physical and mental energy, and more.
Medium Caffeine: Black Teas, rich, full-flavored with malty undertones. Great for increased energy, mental clarity, strengthening immune function and more.
Low Caffeine: Green & White Teas astringent and crisp flavor. Heart healthy, anti-inflammatory, boosts metabolism and more.
Caffeine free tea base option (or go all herbal):
Rooibos: rich earthy red tea that is full of nutrients and provides a great base for herbal blends.
Floral:
Chamomile, lavender and/or rose buds are all unmistakable ingredients in any tea blend for a strong floral punch. Marigold has a very mild and mellow flavor profile. Add marigold solely for looks and benefits.
- Chamomile: Earthy with hints of apple and floral sweetness, great for menstrual pain and relaxation.
- Lavender: Pungent, floral and earthy, nourishes skin and promotes relaxation.
- Marigold: Mildly earthy and floral, anti-inflammatory, nourishes skin, hair and nails.
- Rose buds: Bright and floral, improves digestion, blood circulation, nourishes skin, and uplifts mood.
Fruity:
We love that a flower is our fruitiest of ingredients, and one of our favorites to add to make a bright, tart and berry like blend. Hibiscus!! For mild fruity flavor you will go with elderberries, rose hips, coconut, lemongrass, lemon peel and orange peel. They are mild, so if you're looking for a flavor pop, add one of our organic flavor extracts.
- Coconut: Rich, creamy and mildly sweet, nourishes skin, boosts immune system, heart-healthy.
- Elderberries: Wild-crafted rich, tart and buttery, soothes throat, anti-inflammatory, calms stress.
- Hibiscus: Bright and tart with beautiful crimson hue, lowers blood pressure, helps with menstrual cramps and depression, aids digestion and helps with weight management.
- Lemon Peel: Mild lemon profile, rich in antioxidants, strengthens immune system and heart-healthy.
- Lemongrass: Mild lemon profile, relieves anxiety, aids in digestion, reduces bloating, rich in antioxidants.
- Orange Peel: Mild orange profile, anti-inflammatory, lowers blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
- Rose Hips: Mildly tart and fruity, nourishes skin, anti-inflammatory, strengthens immune system.
Earthy:
Herbs herbs herbaceous herbs, root and seeds! Looking to add an earthy element to your blend? These highly beneficial ingredients will do the trick. Though some earthy ingredients can be fairly harsh on your palate. I recommend mixing them with a floral, fruity or spicy counterpart.
- Ashwagandha root (Indian ginseng): Mildly bitter and earthy, helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
-
Dandelion leaf: Earthy, herbaceous and astringent, highly nutritious, great for healthy liver function and heart health.
-
Dandelion root: Earthy and nutty with a hint of bitterness, great for healthy liver function and bone health.
- Slightly sweet, bitter and herbaceous, naturally increases energy and is good to drink for muscle repair.
- Woody and herbaceous profile, great for brain function, memory and concentration.
- Holy basil (tulsi): Unlike traditional basil, tulsi is rich herbaceous and warm, increases endurance, anti-inflammatory and calms stress and anxiety.
- Nettle leaf: Rich, herbaceous and grassy, anti-inflammatory, may lower blood pressure and may relieve hay-fever.
- Full-body, earthy and slightly fruity, naturally high in magnesium, potassium, iron and b vitamins, great for women's health.
- Mildly fruity, grassy and herbaceous, great for digestion, cramps and bloating.
Minty:
These two are pretty self-explanatory, they will add a nice mint flavor profile to any blend. Mint is great to add with earthy ingredients, as it can help tame any bitterness.
- Strong mint profile, improves digestion, good breath, relieves menstrual cramps and headaches/migraines.
- Minty, refreshing and mellow, improves digestion, reduces fever, improves mental focus, reduces stress and nausea.
Spicy:
Looking to create some spice in your life? This is your chai section for sure! All the ingredients below will add a spiced punch to any blend. Both cloves and cardamom can be bitter, so those should both be countered with cinnamon or ginger.
- Complex warm, citrusy, earthy, rich in antioxidants, diuretic, may lower blood pressure.
- Spicy, mildly sweet and woody, anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants.
- Pungent, strong, unique mouth feel, great for healthy liver function, rich in antioxidants.
-
Zesty, pungent and warm, improves digestion and nausea, reduces muscle pain and soreness.
-
Spicy and hot, rich in antioxidants, improves brain function, anti-inflammatory.
Warm:
Warm ingredients don't fall into the fruity, floral or spicy category as they are usually more mild in flavor, but add a nice depth to any blend. They all mix very well with every ingredient listed above. Very versatile and house so many benefits. Cacao powder will definitely give a strong chocolate taste. Fennel and Anise will be a strong licorice taste.
- Similar to licorice and fennel, anti-inflammatory, levels blood sugar, reduces symptoms of depression and menopause.
- Mildly bitter, unsweetened chocolate, rich in antioxidants and a great mood booster.
- Mildly bitter, rich unsweetened chocolate, rich in antioxidants and a great mood booster.
- Fennel seed: Similar to licorice and anise, aids in healthy digestion, and treats bloating, gas, or cramps.
- Marshmallow root: Malty and warm, nourishes skin, aids in healthy digestion, soothes throat and respiratory issues.
- Milk thistle seed: Mild earthy, nutty and warm, great for healthy liver function, nourishes skin, aids in weight loss.
Sweet:
These two ingredients are very different in flavor profile, but will naturally sweeten your tea without the need to add sugar or honey. Our stevia leaf is green and unprocessed, when it is added to a custom blend, we only use a tiny amount. It is unlike the processed stevia you find at the store. This is the actual plant. You can grow stevia in your herb garden, it's fantastic!
Our licorice root is rich, sweet and creamy. It has a very mild hint of licorice, but mostly it's just sweet. For a punch of licorice flavor, you will need to add anise or fennel, which are found in our warm section.
- Licorice root: Sweet root, very mild licorice flavor, soothes throat, anti-inflammatory, strengthens immune system.
- Stevia leaf: Very sweet, fresh unprocessed green leaf, may help control blood sugar and insulin levels.
All of our teas are handcrafted to order only using organic, wildcrafted ingredients sourced from ethical farms worldwide. You can custom design your own tea blend directly in our custom section on BlendBee.com
