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If you’re wondering how to order the famous Starbucks Medicine Ball drink or make the recipe at home, you’ve come to the right place. This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you shop through them. 

Starbucks medicine ball made at home served in a white ceramic mug with a silver spoon.

What is Starbucks’ Medicine Ball? 

The Medicine Ball drink at Starbucks is a popular hot beverage from the Starbucks secret menu. It became so popular that it’s now on the menu at many locations as “Honey Citrus Mint Tea.” If you’re wondering how to order the Medicine Ball drink at Starbucks, just remember to ask for the Honey Citrus Mint Tea. 

Honey Citrus Mint Tea Ingredients

Starbucks Honey Citrus Mint Tea (aka Medicine Ball) has three components: lemonade, two tea bags (green tea and an herbal fruit tea), and honey blend. According to the Starbucks website, the list of ingredients in their Honey Citrus Mint Tea is made with the following ingredients: 

“Lemonade [Water, Lemon Juice, Sugar, Lemon Oil], An Infusion Of [Water, Organic Green Tea, Organic Spearmint, Organic Lemon Verbena, Organic Lemongrass, Natural Flavor], An Infusion Of [Water, Apple Pieces, Candied Pineapple Pieces (Pineapple, Sugar, Citric Acid), Rose Hip Peels, Peach Pieces (Peach, Rice Flour), Peach Pieces, Chamomile Flowers, Lemon Verbena, Artificial Flavoring], Honey Blend [Honey, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid]”

A lemon cut in half, fresh mint sprigs, two tea bags, and honey on a marble counter.

How to Make a Medicine Ball at Home

It’s easy to make your own Starbucks-inspired Medicine Ball recipe at home. You’ll need the same basic components: lemon, tea, and honey. 

  1. Lemon: While Starbucks uses its lemonade, we prefer using fresh lemons. The added sugar in the lemonade is not necessary as we add honey anyway. If you prefer to use lemonade that is ok too! 
  2. Tea: You can use loose tea or tea bags to make your Medicine Ball. For the closest copycat, we recommend using a mint green tea as well as a fruit-based herbal tea with peach, such as peach-chamomile. See the recipe card below for our tea recommendations. 
  3. Honey: For the greatest medicinal benefits, we recommend using raw local honey. Manuka honey is another great option. If you are vegan and don’t use honey, opt for agave syrup instead. For a low-sugar, low-carb option, use liquid stevia drops to taste. 

A white ceramic mug with two tea bags brewing in hot water. Honey sits in the background.

What Type of Tea to Use for a Medicine Ball

Some tea companies such as Teavana and Bigelow sell their own Medicine Ball tea kits with honey sticks. 

Mint Green Tea. Green tea contains caffeine. If you’d like a caffeine-free Medicine Ball, be sure to use a decaffeinated green tea. We like to use the Organic Peppermint Green Tea from Traditional Medicinals. 

Peach Herbal Tea. Teavana’s Peach Tranquility tea has the closest ingredients to Starbucks’ recipe. Starbucks now owns Teavana, which is why it’s hard to find in other stores. We recommend using any herbal peach tea, such as Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Peach, which includes chamomile. 

  A ceramic mug filled with Honey Citrus Mint Tea made with lemon, honey, and tea bags. The mug is garnished with a lemon slice.

 

Yield: 1

Starbucks Medicine Ball

Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 4 minutes

The "Medicine Ball" is a popular secret menu item at Starbucks. Also known as Honey Citrus Mint Tea, this warm and cozy tea beverage is easy to make at home.

A white mug filled with a copycat Starbucks medicine ball. The drink is garnished with a lemon slice and mint.

Ingredients

  • 1 peach tea bag (see below for recommended teas)
  • 1 mint tea bag
  • 1 teaspoon of honey (to taste)
  • fresh lemon juice from 1⁄2 a lemon
  • fresh mint leaves (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a kettle of water to a simmer. Alternatively, fill a mug with water, about 1 cup, and place it in the microwave. Heat until the desired temperature is achieved, about 1-2 minutes.
  2. Add the tea bags to the mug of hot water and steep for 2-3 minutes. Two tea bags steep in a white mug filled with hot water on a white kitchen counter. Lemons, mint, and honey are off to the side.
  3. Remove the tea and discard the bags. Two tea bags are lifted out of a mug of brewed tea with a silver spoon.
  4. Add a spoonful (or more if desired) of honey into the mug. Honey is added to a cup of brewed tea.
  5. Squeeze in the fresh lemon and stir to combine all the ingredients. Half of a lemon is squeezed into a mug of hot tea.
  6. Add a few fresh mint leaves, then sip and enjoy! A white mug filled with hot tea, fresh mint leaves, and lemon wedges. This is a homemade Starbucks Medicine Ball recipe.

Notes

Use agave syrup instead of honey for a vegan option and liquid stevia for a sugar-free Medicine Ball. Nutrition was calculated without honey.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0
© Marina Delio
Cuisine: American / Category: beverages