There is nothing quite like a mug of spiced tea to warm you up from the inside out on a crisp afternoon or a chilly evening. This Mulled Spice Black Hot Tea takes bold black tea and infuses it with aromatic, traditional mulling spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise, finished with a bright touch of citrus. *This post was originally published on 8/29/2018 and has been updated with new tips and tricks for success.
Best of all, it’s easy to make right on your stovetop using simple, wholesome ingredients you might already have in your pantry!
Why You’ll Love It
- Warm and Inviting Aromas: As the spices simmer on your stove, your entire home will fill with the comforting, festive scents of cinnamon, citrus, and clove.
- Customizable Sweetness: Whether you prefer it unsweetened, lightly kissed with honey, or rich with maple syrup, you can easily tailor it to your taste.
- Café Quality at Home: Skip the expensive coffee shop specialty drinks—this impressive, spiced black tea comes together with basic pantry staples in under 15 minutes.
- Naturally Caffeinated Boost: It provides a wonderful, robust pick-me-up for chilly mornings or afternoon slumps without being overly heavy.
Pro Tips for the Best Mug
- Control the Caffine / Tannins: Don’t steep black tea for longer than 5 minutes, or the tea can turn bitter due to released tannins.
- Make a Batch: This recipe easily doubles or triples if you are hosting guests and want to keep it warm in a slow cooker on low heat.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I use loose-leaf tea instead of tea bags?
Yes, absolutely! Substitute the 4 tea bags with about 4 teaspoons of high-quality loose-leaf black tea (like Ceylon or English Breakfast). Just make sure to use your fine-mesh strainer when pouring the tea into your mugs to catch both the loose tea leaves and the whole spices.
2. Can I make this in a slow cooker?
You certainly can. Toss the water, whole spices, and orange slices into a slow cooker on HIGH for 1 to 2 hours (or LOW for 3 hours) to let the spices mull. Then, turn the slow cooker to WARM, add your black tea bags, let them steep for about 4 minutes, remove the bags, and leave it on warm for guests to ladle out throughout an afternoon.
3. What is the best sweetener for mulled tea?
Honey and pure maple syrup are top-tier choices because they add a rich, deep sweetness that complements the warming spices. However, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or standard granulated sugar work wonderfully too!
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator Storage: If you have leftover brewed tea, let it cool completely, strain out any remaining solids, and store it in a sealed glass jar or pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.
- Freezing: We do not recommend freezing brewed black tea, as the delicate flavors can degrade and the tannins can become unpleasantly bitter upon thawing.
- Reheating: Pour your desired portion into a mug and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, or warm it gently in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until hot.
Cozy Up with Mulled Spice Black Hot Tea
Equipment
- tea kettle
- 4 mugs
- tea strainer
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 4 cups Water Filtered water yields the cleanest flavor
- 4 Black Tea Bags Classic English Breakfast, black tea, Ceylon, or Assam work wonderfully
- 2 whole Cinnamon Sticks Whole sticks are best; avoid ground cinnamon so the tea stays clear
- 4-6 whole Whole Cloves
- 2 whole Star Anise Optional, adds a lovely subtle licorice warmth
- 1 whole Orange Sliced (Plus extra slices for serving)
- 1-2 tablespoons Sweetener Honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the 4 cups of water, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, and half of the orange slices. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes so the spices infuse the water.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Drop in your 4 black tea bags and let them steep for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on how strong and bold you prefer your black tea).
- Remove and discard the tea bags and whole spices. Stir in your choice of sweetener (honey or maple syrup pairs exceptionally well with spiced tea) until fully dissolved.
- Pour the hot, fragrant tea into your favorite mugs. Garnish each mug with a fresh orange slice and an extra cinnamon stick if desired.
Just in time for Fall! I like this recipe. I have a spiced tea recipe that I like, that is way different than this. I look forward to trying this!
That recipe is absolutely perfect for my husband. He loves tea and he especially likes it when it is spiced! I think I might surprise him with this over the weekend. I’m pretty sure he would love it.
Unilever products are always awesome! Plus, I love that you talked about a fall recipe – I can’t WAIT for fall!
I love your tea mug. And what a yommy spiced tea recipe too!
I think it’s great that Unilever is helping families in need. Nobody should have to worry about having enough to eat.
That tea sound delicious… so many great flavors in one cup. Yummy!
We have a tea ball. It will be fun to find spices like this and make the tea. My son would love it.
I love that you’re thinking about fall and spiced tea. It makes me happy and I’m so eager for fall to get here. I’ve never purchased star of anise but I love the flavor of anise and they’re so cute! I need to try to up my tea game with these additions!
This is amazing! I’ll be enjoying this all Fall long!
Oh this tea sounds delicious and comforting! I love using Lipton tea!
This tea sounds like it would have such an amazing flavor. I am not a huge tea fan but my husband is so I will have to make some of this for him!
I love adding fall spices to everything and can’t wait to try this! Also, I LOVE your Rae Dunn teapot! I’ve been searching for one but haven’t found one yet myself.