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–+ servings
A clear glass mug filled with ginger lemon honey tea and a thin lemon slice on a blue and pink surface. In the background, there's a whole lemon in a shallow blue plate.
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4.85 from 13 ratings

ginger lemon honey tea

A deeply soothing and flavorful ginger tea that strikes the perfect balance of warming ginger spice, bright citrus, and smooth honey sweetness. It’s perfect for comforting loved ones with a sore throat and stuffy nose, or simply enjoying as a cozy, nourishing drink on a cold winter day. The heat from ginger warms you up from within, making this a comforting and practical go-to for gloomy days and cold weather season!
prep time5 minutes
cook time15 minutes
total time20 minutes
servings: 2 servings
author: cindy chou

ingredients

  • 4 inch piece fresh ginger washed and roughly sliced
  • 4 cups water for boiling
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 ½ to 2 lemons), optional: Cut 2 thin slices of lemon to top each cup before juicing.
  • 2 tablespoons honey substitute options: agave syrup

instructions

  • Heat water and sliced ginger in a small pot over high heat until boiling, partially cover and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
    4 inch piece fresh ginger, 4 cups water
  • Strain and keep ginger slices to reuse for another batch if needed.
  • While ginger water is heating, cut and juice lemons.
    3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Combine ginger water, honey, and lemon juice (*see note). Stir to dissolve the honey and taste. Adjust with more lemon juice or honey if needed.
    2 tablespoons honey
  • Divide into 2 cups and serve hot or warm. Optional: Top each cup with a slice of lemon.

equipment and highlighted ingredients

notes

Please refer to the recipe post above for step-by-step photos and pro tips.
*note – I usually juice one lemon first, then taste after mixing in honey before adding more lemon to taste. You will use about 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice for 2 servings. After testing and making this recipe a hundred times over decades, it almost always ends up being about 1 ½ to 2 lemons.
You can adjust the amount of ginger, lemon, and honey to taste. This is my favorite ratio, but everyone likes their ginger lemon honey tea with varying levels of spice, tartness, and sweetness.
variations:
There are several ways you can change up this basic ginger tea recipe. Here are a few swaps or additions to consider:
    • add tea – as I mentioned, this drink isn't really a tea in the traditional sense. But you can add actual tea if you like! Steep black tea, mint tea, or green tea leaves in your mug along with the infused ginger water. I like it with green tea sometimes for a bit of light caffeine and a nice earthy flavor.
    • fruit toppings – for a pop of color and citrus fragrance, top each cup with a slice of lemon, blood orange, or meyer lemon. You can give it Taiwanese fruit tea vibes by adding your favorite seasonal fruit. I suggest using sturdier fruits, like fresh apple slices or starfruit, that don’t have too strong of a flavor to compete with the ginger and honey.
    • vegan option – use agave syrup in place of honey to make a soothing vegan-friendly ginger lemon tea. Agave doesn't have the same flavor as honey, but it will add the sweetness needed to balance out the flavors.
storage:
Any extra ginger water and freshly squeezed lemon juice can be stored separately in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
reheat: 
Microwave the ginger water in a mug for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, varied by microwave. Once warm enough, mix in the honey and lemon juice for one portion. 
To reheat a large batch: add the ginger water to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, then portion out and mix in the other ingredients according to the recipe.
tried this recipe?Tag me @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.