Basil Tea Recipe using Fresh Leaves
While fresh herbs are perfect for salads, sides and pasta, they can also be used to make soothing herbal tea. Basil is no exception and this basil tea recipe is mild, herbaceous and lovely.
I’ve also used basil to make this simple basil mint tea too but the mild herbaceous flavor isn’t as dominant as the mint. Both are great herbal teas to make at home.
Basil tea, when served, warm is great for colder months. The tea added to ice also makes a refreshing summer drink when the temperatures are scorching. Both versions are lovely.
If you are curious about other herbal teas, stop by these tea recipes with holy basil, chamomile, lavender, and parsley. They’re all worth trying!

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Ingredients for basil tea
Equipment for this recipe
While no equipment is needed, I enjoy using my teapot with tea infuser. It’s great for steeping fresh herbs and clean up is so easy. Of course, you can use a regular teapot and strainer or anything you have available for making brews.
Shop tea infusers
How to make basil tea
Prep the fresh leaves
Wash the basil leaves. Tear them into large pieces and add them to the tea infuser, teapot or teacup.

Steep
Bring water to a boil using a kettle, saucepan or even the microwave. Pour boiling water over the torn basil leaves. Leave to steep for 30 minutes.
Although sweet basil is delicate, the longer you leave the leaves (pun intended ha!) to steep, the more flavor and color will infuse into the water.

Serve
Strain the tea. You can sweeten at this point with your desired sweetener like honey. Serve warm or allow it to cool, add ice and serve it as a refreshing, summer herbal tea.

More herbal teas
Basil tea recipe
Basil Tea with Fresh Leaves
Ingredients
- 6 g sweet basil leaves (2 tbsp or 8 large leaves)
- 2½ cups water
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil (using a kettle, saucepan, etc; approx. 5 minutes).
- Wash the basil leaves.
- Tear them into pieces.
- Add to tea infuser (or teacup).
- Pour boiling water over the leaves.
- Allow to steep for 30 minutes.
- Strain and sweeten if desired.
- Serve warm or cold.
I had a few extra basil leaves after making pasta and I tried your recipe! Was pretty good and I got to be zero waste. Yay!