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Homemade herbal teas are easy to make with any edible herb, root, flower, or spice. Homemade lavender loose tea is one of the most soothing and relaxing. 

I’ve been meaning to share a lavender tea recipe for years now! We first learned how to make lavender tea during the lavender harvest at Carmel Valley Ranch. While we packed the lavender into organic tea bags (you can find them online) on that visit, I make it even more simply now. 

 

Tea bags are convenient, and I use them often, but brewing loose tea is almost as simple. Dried tea needs room to expand while steeping, and brewing loosely in a strainer makes that easier. Furthermore, the quality will likely be better, and the price less expensive, when making herbal teas yourself. 

Lavender tea is a healthy way to unwind and will make you feel like you’re in a spa. I think we could all use a bit more stress relief. Enjoy a cup in the morning or afternoon with the best Blueberry Oatmeal Scones, or before bed for a restful sleep. 

A bunch of organic fresh culinary lavender sits on a counter with a lemon and a small bowl of dried culinary lavender.

Lavender Tea Benefits

Most lavender is grown for essential oils or fragrances, rather than for culinary uses. I use lavender essential oil frequently to help my kids and I relax before bed. I’ve also used it to make calming Body Oil and Bath Bombs! If you like wellness teas, check out our Dandelion Detox Tea. 

Lavender is best known for its calming properties and studies have shown that it may improve sleep quality along with: 

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Nausea 
  • Headache 
A close-up photo of lavender growing.

Lavender grows in Tuscany.

How to Make Lavender Tea 

While our Elderberry Tea recipe needs to simmer on the stove awhile, most herbal teas made with flowers simply steep with hot water. Homemade teas usually need to steep longer than tea bags, as the size of flowers is larger. 

  • Water. Use fresh filtered water for the best taste. 
  • Lavender Flowers. Use fresh or dried flowers. If using fresh, you’ll need to use more, just like when cooking with other dried herbs. It’s important to use organic culinary lavender to avoid using the type that’s sprayed with pesticides and intended as decoration. 
4 photos of children picking lavender in a field and making lavender tea.

My kids making lavender tea at Carmel Valley Ranch.

Lavender Tea Variations

Feel free to add other herbs or flowers to your lavender tea. My favorite combination is lavender chamomile. 

  • Mint
  • Chamomile 
  • Rose
  • Earl Grey
  • Green Tea 

Where to Buy Culinary Lavender

My local farmers market sells both fresh organic lavender and dried, as it’s grown locally. If you get the chance to visit a lavender farm, I recommend it. I love stopping by our local lavender farm, Clairmont Farms in Los Olivos. 

It may be easiest to find dried lavender flowers online. I’ve linked my favorite in the recipe card below. 

You can use culinary lavender in baking and cooking. My favorite spice blend is Herbes de Provence, which combines lavender with thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf.

Store dried lavender in a cool dry place and it should stay fresh for 6 months. 

More Lavender Recipes 

Yield: 4 cups

Lavender Tea

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

A soothing, relaxing homemade herbal lavender tea made with fresh or dried culinary lavender.

A cup of lavender tea in a glass cup garnished with a sprig of fresh lavender.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
  • 4 cups fresh, filtered water
  • 1 lemon
  • honey to taste

Instructions

  1. Place dried lavender flowers into a loose tea strainer, or directly into a teapot. Dried lavender in a loose tea diffuser.
  2. Bring the water to a boil. I like to use an electric kettle for this, but you can simply heat in a small saucepan on the stove. Pour the hot water over the lavender flowers and cover the pot. Boiling water is poured over dried lavender in a glass teapot infuser.
  3. Let steep for about 5-10 minutes, until it's reached your desired strength. Lavender tea steeps in a glass teapot.
  4. Strain the lavender tea through a fine mesh sieve if the flowers were directly in the pot, or remove the strainer if the flowers were in a strainer ball or basket.
  5. Serve right away, adding lemon juice and honey to taste, if desired.

Notes

If using fresh lavender, be sure to use an unsprayed culinary variety. Double the amount of fresh flowers.


Delicious Lavender Tea Additions

  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves.
  • 1 tablespoon dried rose petals (or fresh petals from 1 organic red rose).
  • 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 cups Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.

© Marina Delio
Cuisine: English / Category: tea