Juniper Berry Tea

Name: Juniper Berry Tea
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp juniper berries; ½ tsp sage; ½ tsp rosehips; ½ tsp chamomile; ½ tsp mullein; 1 clove; ½ tsp jasmine buds; ¼ tsp Rosemary

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Juniper berry tea is an herbal tea you can make at home that’s packed with health benefits and tastes great! If you prefer sweet tea, add in some Earl Grey syrup!

loose leaf juniper berry tea ingredients in purple teacup

So what exactly are juniper berries? Well, in short, they’re not actually berries, but seeds produced by juniper trees (Juniperus communis). However, they do closely resemble berries, hence the nickname!

These “berries” have a plethora of health benefits, and are also used to flavor meats, pickled vegetables, and, most notably, gin! Which reminds me, if you love gin as much as I do, you have to try these 5 simple Empress Gin cocktails!

Juniper berries have a flavor similar to pepper but with a hint of pine, much like the flavor of gin, but more mild. You can brew the berries on their own if you like the flavor, but I prefer to enjoy them as part of an herbal tea blend.

If you have leftover juniper berries, try adding them to a batch of quickles (no-cook refrigerator pickles), or use them in a holiday simmer pot!

Table of Contents

🫐 Benefits of Juniper Berries

Juniper berries have many health benefits and have been used to treat a variety of ailments throughout history, all the way back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It is believed that they can promote heart health, inhibit bacteria growth, and fight infections.

Because juniper berries are a natural diuretic, they increase urine flow and assist in flushing out toxins and waste. This combined with their antiseptic properties makes them an excellent natural remedy for treating UTIs.

In addition to treating urinary tract infections, according to sites such as medicinenet.com, they can also be used to remedy other maladies such as:

Kidney stones and other issues with kidneys and bladder
Decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels (they’re often called ‘nature’s insulin’)
Gastrointestinal infections, upset stomach, loss of appetite, bloating, and heartburn
Inflammatory issues such as gout

loose leaf juniper tea in purple teacup surrounded by green cup with brewed tea, books, bust of "The David"

☕️ Side Effects and Precautions

Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid ingesting juniper berries.
While juniper berries may alleviate certain kidney and gastrointestinal conditions, it may exacerbate others, especially if consumed in large quantities.
Finally, if you are on certain blood sugar or diabetes medications, you may want to confirm with a doctor that the effects of the juniper berries won’t interact with your medications.

🥄 Why This Recipe Works

This juniper berry tea recipe is full of health benefits and also tastes great!
You can easily customize this recipe, using your preferred ingredients. The juniper berries don’t contribute much as far as flavor, so you can add them to many different blends!
This juniper tea recipe is, of course, both vegan & gluten-free.
Juniper tea is an herbal, non-caffeinated tea, so you can drink it any time of day.

🛒 What You Need To Make Juniper Berry Tea

📝 Recipe Modifications And Substitutions

Dried juniper berries: You can find them in herb shops, or buy these whole juniper berries from Amazon.
Chamomile: Great for reducing stress, promoting sleep, and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
Mullein: Used for relieving lung and throat issues, earaches, flu, allergies, and more. Taste is similar to chamomile.
Rosehips: Boosts immune system, reduces joint pain, and promotes healthy skin.
Sage: May promote brain health, oral health, and healthy skin.
Rosemary: May improve vision and eye health, as well as mood and memory.
Cloves: For a bit of spice, but you could also use ginger, cinnamon, anise, etc.
Jasmine flowers: These were mostly just for aesthetics as dried jasmine flowers don’t have as much flavor as fresh jasmine flowers or jasmine tea leaves. If you want more of a strong jasmine flavor, try making this jasmine simple syrup.
Other ingredients to consider: Candied papaya, dried apple pieces, orange slices, black tea leaves, rooibos tea, lemon, sugar, spices, milk.

🫖 How To Make This Recipe

Step 1: Crush whole juniper berries in order to better release flavor and health benefits.

Step 2: Add crushed juniper seeds to a sachet or tea infuser, then place in a small pot with 1 cup of water over medium heat until it boils.

Pro Tip: Because dried juniper berries often don’t have a very strong taste in small quantities, boiling them helps release more of their flavor and color. You can skip this step if you prefer to use a kettle and steep them along with the other ingredients.

Step 3: Remove juniper seeds and pour the resulting tea over a sachet or infuser containing chamomile, sage, rosehips, mullein leaf, jasmine flowers, and rosemary. Steep for 5 minutes and enjoy.

looking into sachet of herbal ingredients in empty teacup

sachet sitting in steeping tea in green teacup

Pro Tip: This herbal juniper tea recipe works well on it’s own, or with a bit of cream and sugar! Try it both ways!

green teacup full of juniper berry tea surrounded by books, purple teacup

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

How often can you drink juniper berry tea?

You can enjoy a cup of juniper berry tea twice a day. Because juniper berry is a diuretic, drinking too much can lead to dehydration and other issues.

Does juniper berry interact with medications?

Juniper berry may interact with certain diabetes and blood sugar medications, as it can sometimes cause blood sugar to drop. Ask your doctor if you aren’t sure about a certain medication.

How much juniper berry should I use for tea?

Use 1 Tbsp of juniper berries for 1 cup of water.

Who shouldn’t drink juniper tea?

You should not drink juniper tea if you are pregnant, or if you are on diabetes medications that may have interactions with juniper berries.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

I boil the berries in a sachet for the sake of quick & easy disposal, but you can boil them directly in the water and strain them out too.
This is a great tea to drink before bed or in the morning!
You can enjoy this juniper berry tea recipe hot or iced!

Love this juniper berry tea recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

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