Chamomile Honey Lemonade (With a Raspberry Option)
This chamomile honey lemonade is sweetened entirely with honey and ready in about 15 minutes. Still or sparkling. And there’s a raspberry version too. One chamomile tea bag is all it takes to turn a simple homemade lemonade into something that smells and tastes noticeably more interesting.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Chamomile Honey Lemonade Recipe Overview
- Prep time: 10 minutes. Total time: 15 minutes (plus cooling)
- Serves: 4–6 (easy to double or triple)
- Main ingredients: chamomile tea, fresh lemons, honey, water, optional raspberries.
- Why it works: honey dissolves straight into the warm tea. No separate simple syrup needed.
- Tip: Don’t steep in boiling water. It makes chamomile bitter. Aim for 90°C / just off the boil.
My mother used to make chamomile tea with honey and fresh lemon whenever anyone was sick. It’s a Latvian thing. Chamomile has been the go-to herb across the Baltic for generations, always sweetened with honey. You can read more about my Latvian background and how it shapes the way I cook on the About page.
We keep our own bees now, and every summer when the honey comes in, this is one of the first things I make. Just cold instead of hot. One note if you’re using raw or backyard honey: keep the steeping water below boiling, around 90°C, to keep the flavour and the enzymes intact. The chamomile is subtle here, one bag for a full litre, but it does something nice to the honey and makes the whole drink smell better than plain lemonade.
Table of contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- No simple syrup needed. The honey dissolves straight into the warm chamomile tea. One less step, one less thing to wash up.
- Subtle floral flavor, not perfumey. One tea bag per liter brings in notes of dried apple and honey. It makes the honey taste richer, and the whole drink smells better than plain lemonade.
- Still or sparkling. Use still water for a classic lemonade, sparkling mineral water if you want something a bit more interesting.
- Different from every other honey lemonade. The chamomile is the thing. Guests always ask about it.
Ingredients
Full quantities in the recipe card below.
- Fresh lemons: 2–3 lemons for half a cup of juice. Roll them on the counter first for more juice. Bottled works in a pinch but fresh tastes better.
- Chamomile tea: One standard bag. Loose leaf works too; just strain before mixing. Don’t use more than one bag or the floral note takes over.
- Honey: 2–4 tablespoons. Raw or local honey has more flavor than supermarket clover honey. Orange blossom or acacia are lovely if you want to lean floral. Any honey works; just dissolve it while the tea is still warm. Do NOT give honey to children younger than one year old. Honey is a staple on the Baltic table. It turns up in everything from breakfast spreads to herbal drinks like this one.
- Fresh mint, lemon zest or slice of lemon (optional): Add to the jug while steeping for extra freshness.
- Water: 1 cup hot for the tea base, 3 cups cold, still or sparkling.
Substitutions and Variations
- Lemon juice: Yes, you can use store-bought lemon juice. Just make sure it’s 100% lemon juice with no additives
- Maple syrup works instead of honey, slightly more caramel, less floral, still good. Agave is more neutral.
- Raspberry version. Add 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries to the tea while steeping, press gently, then strain. The lemonade turns blush pink. Or just add to the lemonade and leave whole or slightly crushed. Frozen raspberries added to glasses at the end also work as colored ice cubes.
- Sweetness. Start with 2 tablespoons and taste. Lemons vary a lot in their sweetness.
How to Make Chamomile Honey Lemonade
Step 1: Make the honey chamomile base. Heat 1 cup of water to around 90°C / just off the boil. Pour over the chamomile tea bag. Steep for 5–7 minutes. Remove the bag without squeezing. Squeezing releases more tannins and can make it slightly bitter.
Step 2: Add honey. While the tea is still warm, stir in the honey until fully dissolved.
Step 3: Add the lemon juice. Squeeze the lemons, strain out the seeds, and pour the juice into the honey chamomile base. Stir.
Step 4: Cool, then add cold water. Let the mixture come to room temperature, or add a few ice cubes to speed it up. Once cooled, pour in 3 cups of cold water, still or sparkling. Stir gently if using sparkling.
Step 5: Taste and adjust. More honey if it needs sweetness, more lemon juice if it needs brightness. Pour over ice, add lemon slices. Add raspberries if using (and smash them slightly if you would like a pinker color).
Tips
- Don’t steep with boiling water. Chamomile goes bitter. Aim for 90°C / just off the boil.
- Dissolve the honey in warm tea, not cold water. It won’t mix evenly in cold liquid.
- Roll your lemons first. More juice, less effort.
- Sparkling water: add it last, just before serving. It loses its fizz quickly. If serving over time, add it glass by glass.
- Taste before adding all the water. The concentrated base should taste strong and slightly sweet. It mellows once diluted.
Still or Sparkling Water for Honey Lemonade?
Both work. Still water gives you a straightforward homemade lemonade. Sparkling mineral water makes it feel a bit more special and is worth it if you’re serving guests. Don’t use soda water if you can help it. Mineral water has better texture and a softer fizz.
Storage
- The chamomile honey base (without the cold water) keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add cold water just before serving. Full lemonade is best within a day, the lemon juice loses brightness after that. If using sparkling water, add it glass by glass rather than mixing a full jug ahead of time.
- Note: Do not add honey to drinks for children under 12 months.
FAQ
Yes. Dissolve it in warm water first. It doesn’t mix into cold water evenly. The flavor is slightly more complex than sugar, with a mild floral note that works well with the chamomile.
Start with 2 tablespoons per liter. Honey is sweeter than sugar by volume, so you’ll use less. And some honeys taste sweeter than others. Taste and adjust according to what you prefer.
Mildly floral, a bit like dried apple and honey. One tea bag in a liter is enough to notice without taking over. It makes the honey taste richer and the whole drink smells noticeably better than plain lemonade.
Either. Standard tea bags are fine. Strain loose leaf before using.
Yes. The concentrated base keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add cold water just before serving.
Yes. The base scales easily. Make a double batch and keep it in the fridge, then add cold water to each glass as you pour.
Add fresh or frozen raspberries to the chamomile honey lemonade. Press to release the juices if you like. You get a homemade raspberry lemonade with a soft pink colour and a gentle berry flavour.
Made this? A star rating below helps other home cooks find it. I read every comment. ❤️
Chamomile Honey Lemonade Recipe Card
Would you like to save this recipe?
We’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Chamomile Honey Lemonade (with Raspberries Option)
Ingredients
For the Lemonade
- 1 cup hot water approx. 90°C / just off the boil
- 1 chamomile tea bag
- 2 –4 tablespoons honey start with 2, adjust to taste
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice from approx. 2–3 lemons
- 3 cups cold water still or sparkling mineral water
- Fresh mint or strip or slices of lemon zest optional
For the raspberry variation:
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Instructions
- Heat 1 cup of water to approximately 90°C (just off the boil). Pour over the chamomile tea bag. Steep for 5–7 minutes. Remove the tea bag without squeezing.
- While the tea is still warm, stir in the honey until fully dissolved. Taste and adjust.
- Add the fresh lemon juice. Stir.
- Allow to cool to room temperature. Add a few ice cubes to speed this up if needed.
- Pour in 3 cups of cold still or sparkling mineral water. Stir gently.
- Taste. More honey for sweetness, more lemon for brightness.
- Serve over ice with lemon slices.
- Garnish with mint and/or add raspberries if using (and smash them slightly if you would like a pinker color).
Notes
Nutrition
What to Make Next
If you’re putting together a summer spread or something to bring to a gathering, these work well alongside this lemonade:
- Easy Almond Chocolate Balls: No-bake and easy to transport, good alongside a cold drink
- Banana and Raspberry Muffins with Lemon Drizzle: Raspberry and lemon, pairs naturally with both versions of this drink
- Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins: Summery, not too sweet, good on a picnic table
Perfect simple drink for this summer. I am not a big fan of sour drink but adding honey makes it my type of summer drink.
Thank you Dee! The honey and the chamomile round out the flavors beautifully…I’m glad you liked it 🙂
This looks so refreshing and delicious! I love trying new healthy drinks, and this chamomile honey lemonade sounds like such a simple but unique twist. I can already imagine how good that hint of chamomile tastes with the lemon and honey. I can’t wait to try this one!
Thank you Ann 🙂 I hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂
This looks so tasty. I would never have thought to add honey with chamomile. I like that it’s got sweetness with the honey and sour with the lemons.
Thanks Rebecca! I hope you like it 🙂