Holiday Festive Recipes Using Tea

Bring tea flavors to your holiday table with six ideas for cider, hot chocolate, glaze, an adult bourbon toddy, cookies, and a sparkling drink. Check each tea's current ingredients and caffeine information, along with the other ingredients your guests will be served.

Yuletide Mulled Tea Cider

This version uses West Peak Yuletide, a black tea blend with fruit and spices.

Ingredients

• 4 cups apple cider
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons loose-leaf West Peak Yuletide
• 1 washed orange, sliced
• 2 food-use cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole cloves
• Optional: a splash of bourbon, for adults only

Instructions

1. Bring the cider and water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan.
2. Add the tea, orange slices, cinnamon, and cloves.
3. Simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, then carefully strain out the tea, fruit, and spices. This is the recipe's cooking method, not the blend's usual cup-brewing method.
4. Serve at a suitable drinking temperature. If using bourbon, add it to individual adult servings after removing the cider from the heat. Keep servings without added alcohol separate.

Peppermint Mocha Tea Hot Chocolate

Peppermint Mocha is a black tea blend with chicory, peppermint, cacao nibs, and dark chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk or a suitable milk alternative
• 1/2 cup brewed and strained Peppermint Mocha tea
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1–2 tablespoons Honey Infused Artisan Culinary Sugar
• Whipped cream and crushed peppermint candy, optional toppings

Instructions

1. Prepare Peppermint Mocha following its current brewing guidance, then measure 1/2 cup strained tea. Its saved directions specify 205°F and 4–6 minutes. For a stronger flavor, adjust tea quantity rather than automatically extending the steep.
2. Warm the milk gently and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.
3. Add the brewed tea and heat gently until steaming, without boiling over. Pour into heat-safe mugs.
4. Add toppings if desired and serve at a suitable drinking temperature.

Cranberry-Orange Tea Glaze

Use this glaze on scones, cakes, or cookies. Only part of the brewed concentrate may be needed.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Cranberry Crush
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Zest of 1/2 washed orange

Instructions

1. Heat the water to 212°F and steep the tea for 7–8 minutes, following Cranberry Crush's saved temperature and timing guidance. Strain carefully. The recipe uses a concentrated tea quantity.
2. Allow the strained tea to cool. Whisk it into the powdered sugar a little at a time, using only enough to reach drizzle consistency. Do not add the entire 1/2 cup automatically.
3. Stir in the orange zest and drizzle over cooled baked goods. Keep unused tea separate and refrigerated.

Chamomile Bourbon Toddy

This is an adult alcoholic drink, not a stress-relief or sleep remedy. Use a food-use chamomile tea or a chamomile-containing blend such as Beach Wellness: Restore. Restore also contains rooibos, lavender, lemon balm, and lemon myrtle.

Ingredients

• 1 cup hot brewed and strained chamomile-containing tea
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1–2 fluid ounces bourbon
• A washed lemon wheel and food-use star anise, optional garnish

Instructions

Brew the chosen tea according to its product directions and strain. In a heat-safe mug, stir together the tea, lemon juice, and honey, then add bourbon away from heat or flame. Garnish if desired and serve at a suitable drinking temperature. Do not shake hot liquid in a closed container.

Tea-Infused Sugar Cookies

Choose a culinary sugar and tea whose ingredients and flavors suit the people being served. Use tea intended for food use and grind it finely; do not substitute extracts, essential oils, or bath ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup tea-infused or artisan culinary sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon finely ground tea of your choice

Instructions

1. Cream the softened butter and sugar together.
2. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in the flour and finely ground tea.
4. Roll the dough, cut shapes, and bake at 350°F. The original suggested baking time is 8–10 minutes; thickness, size, and oven differences affect the result, so check the cookies rather than treating that time as a guarantee.

Do not taste raw dough. This recipe does not specify a tested cookie thickness or yield. Infused sugar and ground tea both contribute flavor, so choose their combination thoughtfully.

Iced Holiday Sparkling Tea Spritz

Ingredients

• 1 cup chilled brewed and strained tea
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• Chilled sparkling water, to top up
• Washed fresh cranberries and a culinary rosemary sprig, optional garnish
• Ice

Instructions

Brew the chosen tea according to its product directions, strain, cool promptly, and refrigerate until chilled. Fill a suitable glass with ice, add the tea and cranberry juice, then top with sparkling water. Stir gently and garnish if desired. Do not shake the carbonated mixture in a closed container. Serve soon after adding the sparkling water.

This version has no added alcohol. Its caffeine content depends on the chosen tea.

Serving your holiday recipes

Use equipment suitable for hot liquids, wash fruit and culinary garnishes, and check ingredient information for guests' dietary needs. Keep adult alcoholic servings clearly separate. Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly; these recipes do not provide tested storage durations or shelf-stable preservation methods.