Copycat Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea recipe is a soothing, homemade congestion-relieving remedy to help you feel better when the sniffles strike or you want to ward off the common cold, soothe a sore throat, or control a cough.
This DIY version only takes 5 minutes to make by seeping 2 types of tea bags in boiling water and mixing in honey and lemonade; it’s a fraction of the price you’ll find at Starbucks and prepared with less sugar.
When you can make the same simple medicine ball drink at home without driving to the store, why risk spreading germs when you can sip it from the comfort of your couch?
Table of Contents
- What is Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea?
- About Starbucks Copycat Medicine Ball Tea
- Why We Love This Starbucks Medicine Ball Recipe
- Medicine Ball Tea Ingredients
- Substitutions and Additions
- Recommended Tools
- How to Make Medicine Ball Tea
- How to Order a Medicine Ball Tea at Starbucks
- Tips For Making The Best Medicine Ball Tea
- Is Medicine Ball Tea Healthy
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Other Easy Drink Recipes
- Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea Recipe
What is Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea?
Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea is a comforting blend of herbal teas, flavored with citrus and honey. It’s an invigorating drink that has been enjoyed by Starbucks fans around the world for many years now.
For years it has been a Starbucks “secret menu Item” and sometimes referred to as Cold Buster Tea. Recently, Starbucks has added it to their official menu by the name of Honey Citrus Mint Tea.
About Starbucks Copycat Medicine Ball Tea
Our copycat Medicine Ball recipe is made from 5 simple ingredients – water, lemonade, honey, Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea, Peach Tranquility Herbal Tea – in a matter of minutes. And while it may not cure a common cold, it’s a medicinal medley of ingredients you can quickly combine at home that may help you feel better faster.
It is so easy to recreate this coldbuster, customer favorite, healing hot drink; it’s filled with a host of health benefits that hydrate and heal, and may reduce your cold duration or shorten the time you’re feeling under the weather and not well.
Stay in bed and just get better!
Why We Love This Starbucks Medicine Ball Recipe
- Quick and easy to make a Starbucks copycat at home.
- Made with only 5 ingredients, one of which is water.
- Most delicious, slightly sweet, soothing cup of tea you’ve ever tasted.
- Skip the Starbucks prices and save money by brewing your tea at home.
- Good to have on hand during cold and flu season.
- Healthy, healing, comforting hot drink to warm you up when you don’t feel well.
- You can make it better than the barista because you can customize your drink by using your favorite brands and varieties of tea and you can control the sugar content.
Medicine Ball Tea Ingredients
- Peach tea: I used a sachet of Teavana Peach Tranquility herbal tea but you can use your favorite brand.
- Jade citrus mint green tea: I used a sachet of Teavana Jade Citrus Mint tea but you can use your favorite brand.
- Hot Water
- Honey
- Lemonade: I used Simply Lemonade in this recipe but feel free to use any frozen, fresh, or homemade lemonade or substitute fresh lemon juice (you will need to add additional water if you do this)
You can buy a complete set of Teavana Peach Tranquility Tea and Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea and honey sticks here! There are 15 of each flavor of tea – How convenient is that for a fraction of the price of one Starbucks!
Substitutions and Additions
- Swap The Sweetener: You can substitute agave nectar, maple syrup, or simple syrup for the honey if you prefer.
- Make It More Minty: If you’d like your tea to taste mintier, you can add some peppermint extract (if you’re making this at home) or ask for a pump of peppermint syrup if you are ordering it at Starbucks. Feel free to include some fresh mint leaves too.
Recommended Tools
- Mug
- Spoon
How to Make Medicine Ball Tea
- Make Your Mug: Add both tea bags to a mug, pour in boiling water and honey, stir, and let steep until desired strength (I recommend at least 5 minutes). Add lemonade and stir to combine.
- Serve: Sip and enjoy!
How to Order a Medicine Ball Tea at Starbucks
Medicine Ball Tea used to only be on the secret Starbucks menu but has been added to their regular menu. Most baristas will know it if you order it by name, but in the chance that they don’t you just order a Honey Citrus Mint Tea.
Note: Some customers like to order an additional pump of peppermint to help really clear those nasal passages! Just be sure to include this in your order.
To order your Medicine Ball Tea on the Starbucks app, go to Hot Teas, scroll down to Green Teas and select Honey Citrus Mint Tea. This Starbucks drink comes in Short, Tall, Grande and Venti. It is made up of Lemonade, 2 tea bags and 2 pumps of their honey blend. (Don’t forget to add the extra pump of peppermint if you want it!)
Tips For Making The Best Medicine Ball Tea
- You can heat the water in a microwave, on the stovetop in a saucepan, or in a tea kettle.
- If you prefer to sip a cold drink over one that is hot, you can serve it as a sweet tea over ice.
- For a lower sugar option, you can use lemon juice in place of the lemonade.
- Feel free to use steamed lemonade if you want to prepare your tea just like Starbucks!
Is Medicine Ball Tea Healthy
While I cannot claim that medicine ball tea can cure the flu or common cold, there is plenty of science behind the list of ingredients, all with proven health benefits.
- Vitamin C found in lemon juice is known to reduce the length of a cold and help relieve congestion faster.
- Green tea is a rich source of antioxidants and has natural anti-inflammatory properties to help soothe a sore throat.
- Honey is a natural cough suppressant and may reduce symptoms from an upper respiratory tract infection.
The bottom line is that medicinal hot beverages hydrate and help you recover faster from uncomfortable cold symptoms.
More Copycat Starbucks Recipes
Other Easy Drink Recipes
Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea
Ingredients
- 1 sachet Teavana Peach Tranquility Tea
- 1 sachet Teavana Jade Citrus Mint
- 8 ounces water freshly boiled
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 8 ounces Simply Lemonade
Instructions
- Add both tea bags in a mug. Pour 8 ounces of boiling water and honey, stir until dissolved. Let steep for 2-5 minutes, or until desired strength.
- Add lemonade, stir to combine, and enjoy!(Optional – you can heat up the lemonade to keep the drink hot)
Jenn’s Notes
- You can heat the water in a microwave, on the stovetop in a saucepan, or in a tea kettle.
- If you prefer to sip a cold drink over one that is hot, you can serve it as a sweet tea over ice.
- For a lower sugar option, you can use lemon juice in place of the lemonade.
- Feel free to use steamed lemonade if you want to prepare your tea just like Starbucks!
Love this drink!
I have t had the tea yet will get the ingredients soon, can’t wait.
I always have some when I have a cold and it works I feel better afterwards
5
Where can you buy the teavana tea for a reasonable price?
I believe Walmart carries it, but you can use any type of tea, just try to stick with something close to those flavors to get close to the original if you would like that version.
I’ll give 5 after I try it.