How to Make Lemon Balm Tea: Recipe, Benefits & Drying Leaves

May 28, 2026

Lemon balm tea is one of the easiest herbal infusions to make at home, and one of the most pleasant to drink. The leaves carry a soft lemon-and-mint fragrance that comes through clearly in hot water, giving a pale golden cup that is bright without being sharp. At La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer we grow lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) in seasonal batches and dry it gently to hold that aroma, because the scent is most of what makes this tea worth drinking. This guide covers how to brew it from fresh or dried leaves, how to dry your own for tea, and what the tea is traditionally used for.

Lemon balm belongs to the mint family, and like its relatives it is forgiving in the cup. There is no bitterness to manage and no narrow window to hit, so it suits both a quick afternoon cup and a slow evening one. For a fuller picture of the plant itself, its history, and its other uses beyond tea, see our guide to lemon balm uses and benefits. If you would rather start with leaves grown and dried on our farm, you can find our Organic dried lemon balm in the shop.

How to Make Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm tea is a simple infusion: hot water poured over the leaves and left to steep. The one rule worth following is to keep the cup or pot covered while it brews. The lemon character lives in the leaf's aromatic oils, and those volatile compounds drift off with the steam if the tea is left open, so a lid keeps the flavour in the cup where you want it.

Fresh leaves and dried leaves both make good tea. Fresh leaves give a greener, livelier cup and you use more of them; dried leaves are more concentrated and store easily through the year. Use roughly a tablespoon of fresh chopped leaves, or a heaping teaspoon of dried, per cup, and adjust to taste from there. Lemon balm is mild, so a slightly heavier hand does no harm.

A few finishing notes: water just off the boil is ideal, since fully boiling water can scald delicate aromatics. Steep three to five minutes for an everyday cup, or up to ten minutes for a stronger, more soothing brew before bed. Lemon balm pairs naturally with honey, a slice of fresh lemon, or a sprig of mint, and it makes a refreshing iced tea brewed double-strength and poured over ice.

Drying Lemon Balm Leaves for Tea

Drying your own lemon balm for tea is straightforward, and getting it right is mostly about protecting the aroma. Harvest stems in the morning after the dew has lifted but before the midday sun, when the leaves are at their most fragrant. Cut whole stems rather than stripping individual leaves; they handle better and bruise less.

Dry the stems out of direct sunlight in a warm, well-ventilated spot. Sunlight and high heat both drive off the lemon-scented oils, so low and slow wins here. You can bundle a few stems and hang them, lay them on a screen, or use a dehydrator on its lowest setting. The leaves are ready when they crumble easily, usually within one to two weeks for air-drying. Strip the dried leaves from the stems, store them whole in an airtight jar away from light, and crush them only as you brew. Whole leaves hold their fragrance longer than pre-crushed.

One distinction worth keeping in mind: this is drying specifically for tea, where aroma is everything. If you are growing lemon balm and want the full picture on harvesting and storing the plant through the season, our guide on how to grow lemon balm covers harvest timing and longer-term storage in more depth.

Taste, and How to Make It Your Own

On its own, lemon balm tastes like a gentle lemon with a faint herbal-mint background. It is quieter than peppermint and far softer than a lemon citrus tea, which is part of its appeal as an evening drink. That mildness also makes it an easy base to build on.

For a brighter cup, add a few fresh mint leaves or a thin slice of ginger. For an evening blend, lemon balm sits well alongside chamomile or a little dried lavender. A spoon of honey rounds it out, and a squeeze of lemon lifts it. Because the herb is so forgiving, these are starting points rather than fixed recipes, so adjust the proportions until the cup suits you.

Benefits of Lemon Balm Tea, Including Calm and Sleep

Lemon balm has a long history as a calming herb. It has been used in European herbal tradition for centuries to ease tension and lift the spirits, and it is still reached for today as a gentle evening tea. Modern research has examined lemon balm for stress, mild anxiety, and sleep quality, with some encouraging results.

It is worth being honest about what a cup of tea can and cannot do, though. Most of that research uses standardized extracts at doses well above what a single infusion provides, so a mug of lemon balm tea delivers a much gentler effect than a clinical trial might suggest. Think of it as a soothing ritual that may help you wind down rather than a remedy with a guaranteed result. Many people find a covered, longer-steeped cup before bed genuinely settling, and that is reason enough to enjoy it.

Beyond calm, lemon balm tea is also traditionally taken after meals to ease mild digestive upset, another use that fits its gentle, aromatic character. As with the calming effect, this is a traditional use enjoyed as part of a daily routine, not a treatment.

A Note on Safety

Lemon balm tea is gentle and well tolerated for most people, but a few cautions are worth naming. Because it can have a mild calming effect, it may add to the action of sedatives or other medications that affect the central nervous system, so take care if you combine them. Lemon balm may also influence thyroid function and could interfere with thyroid medication, and it may lower blood sugar, which can be additive with diabetes medication. If any of these apply to you, speak with your doctor before drinking it regularly.

As a general precaution, those who are pregnant or nursing should be cautious with concentrated or frequent use. None of this makes lemon balm a high-risk herb, but a few minutes of care is sensible whenever an herb is taken often.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much lemon balm do I use per cup of tea?

Use about a tablespoon of fresh chopped leaves or a heaping teaspoon of dried leaves per cup, then adjust to taste. Lemon balm is mild, so a little extra does no harm.

Can I make lemon balm tea with fresh leaves?

Yes. Fresh leaves give a greener, livelier cup; you simply use more of them than you would dried leaves. Keep the cup covered while it steeps to hold the aroma.

How do I dry lemon balm for tea?

Harvest in the morning, then dry the stems out of direct sunlight in a warm, airy spot until the leaves crumble easily, usually one to two weeks. Store the dried leaves whole in an airtight jar away from light.

Is lemon balm tea good for sleep and anxiety?

Lemon balm is traditionally used as a calming evening tea, and research has examined it for stress and sleep. A cup of tea is gentler than the standardized extracts used in studies, so enjoy it as a soothing ritual rather than a guaranteed remedy.

Can I drink lemon balm tea every day?

Many people enjoy it daily. If you take sedatives, thyroid medication, or diabetes medication, or are pregnant or nursing, check with your doctor before drinking it regularly.

What does lemon balm tea taste like?

Soft and lemony with a faint herbal-mint background. It is quieter than peppermint and far milder than a citrus tea, which makes it a pleasant evening drink.

Want to learn more? Check out our other guides on lemon balm:

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