How to Make Moringa Tea (Fresh, Dried, or Powder)

I grew up on sweet tea in the South – the kind that’s made by the pitcher and drunk by the glass all day long. It took me most of my adult life to discover there was a whole world of tea beyond that. Now I plan entire sections of my garden around the herbs I want in my cup.

Moringa was one of the first herbal teas I learned to make, and it’s still one I come back to regularly. We grow moringa trees in our Texas garden, which means most of the year I have fresh leaves to harvest. But I’ve also made this tea with dried leaf and with powder, and I’ll walk you through all three methods here.

The short version: moringa tea is mild, easy to make, and one of the most nutritious things you can put in a cup. Here’s how to do it right.

What Makes This Moringa Tea So Good

• It’s one of the most nutritious things you can brew, and one of the cheapest if you grow your own moringa.
• It uses homegrown moringa – fresh from the tree when it’s in season, dried for the rest of the year – so you know exactly what’s in your cup. (If you don’t grow your own, you can buy quality moringa.)
• The flavor is neutral enough to blend with almost any herb you’re already growing: mint, lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, or a strip of lemon zest.
• Covering the cup while it steeps isn’t just a nice detail – it keeps the volatile compounds in the tea instead of evaporating with the steam.

How to Make Moringa Tea – Three Methods

Method 1: Dried moringa leaf (this recipe)
Dried leaf is what most home growers use since it stores well and is easy to measure. Use 1 tablespoon of loosely packed dried leaf per cup. Steep in hot water – not quite boiling, around 175-180°F – for 3 to 5 minutes depending on how strong you want the flavor. Longer than 5 minutes might make the tea bitter. Cover the cup while it steeps.

Method 2: Fresh moringa leaf
If you grow moringa, you can brew directly from fresh leaves. Use a small handful of fresh leaves (about 2 tablespoons loosely packed) per cup. The flavor is slightly greener and grassier than dried. Steep for the same time as dried leaf. Fresh leaves don’t store in the cup as long, so drink it promptly.

Method 3: Moringa powder
Powder is the most convenient form and is widely available online. Use 1or 2 teaspoons per cup – start with 1 teaspoon and adjust to taste. Unlike dried leaf, powder doesn’t steep through a strainer cleanly; stir it directly into the hot water and mix well. Some settling at the bottom of the cup is normal. The flavor is slightly more concentrated than dried leaf.

A note on water temperature: Boiling water is too hot for moringa. Very high heat breaks down some of the heat-sensitive compounds that make moringa nutritious in the first place. Heat your water to around 175–180°F (just before it boils). If you don’t have a thermometer, bring water to a boil and let it sit for 2-3 minutes before pouring.

Putting a plate over the cup while the tea steeps also keeps the compounds from escaping in the steam.

Herb combinations that work well:

• Moringa + mint – bright and refreshing, good for afternoon
• Moringa + lemon zest + honey – the most crowd-pleasing version
• Moringa + lemon balm – gentle and calming, good before bed
• Moringa + lavender + chamomile – deeply relaxing evening tea
• Moringa + vanilla bean – mild and slightly sweet, good for those new to moringa

For flavoring, use about 1 teaspoon of dried herbs or a small strip of fresh zest per cup alongside the moringa.

Why Make Moringa Tea?

Moringa has been used as food and medicine for thousands of years across South Asia, East Africa, and the Caribbean. Modern research has started to confirm what traditional healers have long observed. Here’s what we know:

• It’s exceptionally nutritious. Moringa leaves contain meaningful amounts of vitamin A, calcium, iron, and protein — uncommon in a leafy plant you can brew into tea.
• It’s anti-inflammatory. Moringa contains polyphenols and flavonoids that have been studied for their ability to reduce inflammation in the body.
• It supports liver health. Several studies have looked at moringa’s potential to protect the liver, which is one of the reasons it’s traditionally used as a daily wellness tea.
• It’s been studied as an anti-cancer agent. I want to be clear here: drinking moringa tea is not a cancer treatment. But giving your body nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods is something most of us can agree is a reasonable thing to do.
• It has no caffeine. If you’re looking for an afternoon or evening tea that won’t interfere with sleep, moringa is a good choice.

Note: If you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication, talk to your healthcare provider before using moringa regularly. High doses are not recommended during pregnancy.

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Healing Moringa Tea Recipe

Yield: I cup

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

Moringa is a highly nutritious plant that has many medicinal properties. This tea can be be made with many different add-ons to create a flavor you'll love.

5.0 Stars (3 Reviews)

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Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp dried moringa leaf
• 1 tsp herbal "flavorings" - citrus zest, lavender, lemon balm, mint, vanilla are some favorites
• 1 cup hot water
• raw honey

Instructions

Place moringa and other herbs in tea ball or mesh strainer and place in cup. Pour hot water over herbs until the cup is almost full. Place a saucer over cup to keep volatile compounds from evaporating. Steep for 10 minutes. Sweeten with raw honey.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

I want to encourage you to consider growing some herbs for tea this year. Our family is trying to reduce our dependence on grocery stores and even online bulk stores. As we try to supply our food needs, growing herbs to make healing teas help us do just that.

What are some of your favorite healing teas?

Thanks for sharing with your friends!

Angi Schneider

Angi Schneider is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables and Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond, both published by Page Street Publishing. She has taught canning classes for 177 Milk Street, been featured in Serious Eats, and written for Countryside Magazine. Angi has been sharing gardening, preserving, and simple living skills since 2010.