Spiced tea with an apple citrus twist. This delicious brew of aromatic spices will give your guests a warming welcome. Plus your house will smell like freshly baked apple pie all day long!
Fall is the perfect time to share this recipe. Apples, oranges and all the warm fall spices like cinnamon and cloves, make this a quintessential Fall drink and you have to try this one!
Black tea is great but sometimes it’s fun to spice it up a little. Homemade spiced black tea is actually really, really simple. This special brew of aromatic spices will give your guests a warming welcome. Plus your house will smell like freshly baked apple pie all day long.
Spiced Black Tea Origins
Ancient spiced tea recipes originating from South Asia and the Middle East have an ingenious way of incorporating medicinal benefits while simultaneously serving up deliciousness. This recipe is an adaptation of a Middle Eastern citrus spiced tea.
Spices add a wonderful flavor and have many healing properties. The best way to make use of their benefits is to add them to foods or beverages.
But how?
Black Tea comes from the very special Camellia sinensis plant and is used generously in these eastern countries. South Asian and Middle Eastern countries have been drinking tea for thousands of years. It is very common for them to add spices to black tea for their healing properties.
Ayurveda is a system of traditional medicine native to India, and part of the Indian Philosophy dating back to 700 BCE. It includes the use of herbal blends in beverages and cooking with the addition of spice combinations.
Plant-based treatments in Ayurveda are derived from roots, leaves, fruits, bark or seeds such as cardamom and cinnamon.
Pro Tips:
- For the tea, I recommend a strong black tea such as an English Breakfast, an Indian Assam or a nice Chinese Keemun.
- You want to select the type of black tea that holds up well to milk and sugar to balance out the spice flavors.
Popular Spices in Spiced Tea
The most common herbal blends used include turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, mint, black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne. These spices are known to enhance digestion and metabolism, cleanse the body and prevent digestive disorders.
It is important to remember that spices need heat to bring out their best qualities and flavors. I think even just inhaling the aroma of this simmering brew got my digestive juices flowing. If nothing else, it made the house smell so good!
Pro Tips:
- Part of the benefit of spices is in their aromatic compounds. That is one of the reasons it is recommended you buy the spice seed, and not the ground powder, whenever possible.
- Grind the spice seed at home with a mortar and pestle or you can grind them in a coffee bean grinder. Either way, the fresher the spice, the greater the benefit.
Not only do the spices add a wonderful flavor they are beneficial as well. Double score!
I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor and aroma of this spiced tea. I’ve only made it hot and it is absolutely delicious! But I’m guessing it would also be excellent served over ice.
However, in India, Ayurveda principles advice against drinking cold beverages. The rationale is that it is bad for the digestion. They may be right, but we are so used to drinking cold beverages here in the US.
If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are depressed it will cheer you; if you are excited it will calm you.” – William Gladstone
Brew up this awesome spiced tea topped with whipped cream and share with a friend. They will love it and love you for sharing.
Be sure to use a good quality specialty tea for the best flavor possible.
Spiced Tea with a Citrus Twist
Spiced tea with an apple citrus twist. This delicious brew of aromatic spices will give your guests a warming welcome. Smells like freshly baked apple pie!
Ingredients
- 4 cups filtered water
- 5 teaspoons black loose tea
- 1 apple
- 2 oranges
- 1/3 cup pure cane sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 seeds allspice
- 12 seeds coriander
- 4 whole cloves
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for topping
Instructions
Bring water to boil and turn off heat.
Add tea leaves.
Steep 5 - 10 minutes
Remove tea leaves
Peel apple, core, and dice finely.
- Grind allspice seeds and coriander seeds.
- Juice 2 oranges.
In a saucepan add all the spices, sugar, juice and apples to the brewed tea.
Stir well.
Bring to a boil and immediately turn down heat and simmer for 10 mins.
Whip cream in a separate bowl set aside.
Pour tea through a strainer and pour into cups.
Spoon some whipped cream into the tea and stir to incorporate.
Top off with more whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- For the tea, I recommend a strong black tea such as an English Breakfast, an Indian Assam or a nice Chinese Keemun.
- You want to select the type of black tea that holds up well to milk and sugar to balance out the spice flavors.
- Part of the benefit of spices is in their aromatic compounds. That is one of the reasons it is recommended you buy the spice seed, and not the ground powder, whenever possible.
- Grind the spice seed at home with a mortar and pestle or you can grind them in a coffee bean grinder. Either way, the fresher the spice, the greater the benefit.
Medicinal Goodness of Spiced Tea
As always, I include a comprehensive nutritional breakdown at the end of this post.
Oranges – A good source of Thiamin, Folate, and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant.
Black tea – Tea is high in polyphenols, a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants have proven health benefits to cardiovascular health.
Black tea contains an amino acid called l-theanine, which is unique to tea and has some very interesting effects on the brain. L-theanine increases alpha brain waves inducing a calm and deeply relaxed state. Combined with the caffeine, which is about half the amount found in coffee, the overall effect is a focused calm.
Apples –Excellent source of dietary fiber and Vitamin C. Apples are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
Coriander seeds – A good source of Vitamin C, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Selenium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Manganese. Coriander seeds are said to help the assimilation of other spices. And have anti-inflammatory properties.
Clove – Often used for upset stomach. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Calcium and Iron, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Magnesium, and Manganese.
Whipping cream – A 1/8 cup of whipped cream has 10 milligrams of calcium. Heavy whipping cream has small amounts of phosphorous, potassium, folate and vitamin A.
Cinnamon – Contains large amounts of highly potent polyphenol antioxidants. Some studies show that the antioxidants in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory activity.
Allspice – A good source of Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Manganese.
Let’s Spice it Up
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Please leave a comment and let me know any thoughts, suggestions or questions you may have about tea. I want to hear from you!
An award-winning tea entrepreneur, writer, and nurse who is passionate about tea, wellness, and personal growth.
I love a good cup of tea especially as the temperature is so cold here in Los Angeles. The photo you have looks so tasty and I love that you have some of the benefits of tea too for people like me, in case we need to know why they’re so good. Great post!
Danielle | FollowMyGut.com <3
Danielle, Nice to hear from you! I am so glad you enjoyed the post.