Beauty berry tea, with its vibrant hue and unique flavor, is a delightful herbal brew that’s not only easy on the palate but also packed with health benefits.

In this guide, we’ll explore various beautyberry tea recipes using the berries, leaves and roots of the Callicarpa americana plant. But first, a quick scan of some of the beautyberry leaf tea benefits.

You can learn more about the American Beautyberry bush here.

Beauty Berry Leaf Tea Benefits

Beauty Berry Leaf Tea, derived from the leaves of the Callicarpa plant, is not as widely known as the berry itself but offers its own unique set of benefits. Here’s a brief overview of its potential advantages:

1. Antioxidant Properties
2. Anti-Inflammatory Effects
3. Natural Repellent Qualities
4. Potential Antimicrobial Activity
5. Soothing and Relaxing
6. Vitamin and Mineral Content

And of course, as with any herbal remedy, it’s advisable to consume it in moderation and consult with a healthcare professional if you have any specific health concerns or conditions.

You can find more on the beautyberry benefits and uses here.

We’ve found beauty berry tea to be very mildly flavored, and pleasant, but nothing to rave about. So we tend to use it more as an added nutrient for some of our favorite tea blends.

But if you have plenty of beautyberries, then before the fruiting season is over, it’s great to toss them into hot water, alone and/or to fortify other herbal blends. Because they brew is so mild flavored, you can use more berries per brew, if you have plenty to spare.

Does Beauty berry Tea Turn Purple?

No, unfortunately not. When added to hot water, the neon purple beauty berries tend to lighten to a pale version of themselves, while the water becomes only slightly tinged with a faint pinkish hue.

Beauty Berry Tea Recipes

General Brewing Instructions for Herbal Tea

• Boil & Steep: Start by bringing water to a boil. Once boiled, pour it over the tea ingredients to steep. We avoid boiling the tea directly, except for some root decoctions, as temperatures over 140°F (60°C) can destroy the vitamin content.
• Sweeteners: While we often use home-grown and dried stevia as a healthy and economical sweetener, you can also opt for honey, maple syrup, agave, sugar, or no sweetener at all.
• Adjusting Strength: For a stronger or weaker brew, you can modify the quantity of ingredients and steeping time. However, we tend toward a stronger brew because it’s easier to dilute with water if it’s too strong for your taste than it is to brew another cup.
• For Straining Tea, you can use:
  • teapot with strainer
  • strainer teacup
  • small mesh strainer

Simple Beauty Berry Tea Recipe

Ingredients for One Serving — Multiply for More:

• 1 tablespoon fresh or 1/2 Tbsp. dried beauty berries
• 1 cup water
• Sweetener of choice (optional)

Instructions:

1. Rinse: Clean the berries if using fresh ones.
2. Boil & Steep: Pour boiling water over the berries and let steep for 10-15 minutes.
3. Strain: Remove the berries from the tea.
4. Sweeten: If desired.

Beauty Berry and Mint Iced Tea

Ingredients for One Serving:

• 1 tablespoon fresh beauty berries, or 1/2 Tbsp. dried beauty berries
• 5-6 fresh mint leaves (whatever mint you’re growing), or 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 1 cup water
• Ice cubes
• Lemon slices (optional)
• Sweetener (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Berries and Mint: Clean the berries and mint leaves.
2. Boil & Steep: Pour boiling water over the berries and mint. Let it steep for 20 minutes.
3. Strain and Cool: Strain and cool to room temperature.
4. Serve: Fill a glass with ice, pour the tea over, and add lemon slices if desired.
5. Sweeten: If desired.

Beauty Berry Green Tea Blend

Ingredients for One Serving:

• 1 teaspoon green tea leaves, (or 1 green tea teabag)
• 1/2 Tablespoon dried beauty berries, (or 1 Tbsp. fresh)
• 1 cup hot water
• Sweetener (optional; we favor a couple stevia leaves, fresh or dried)

Instructions:

1. Mix: Combine green tea leaves and dried beauty berries in a cup.
2. Boil & Steep: Pour hot water over the blend and steep for 3-5 minutes.
3. Strain: Pour the tea into a cup through a strainer.
4. Sweeten: Optional, based on your preference.

Spiced Beauty Berry Tea

Ingredients for One Serving:

• 1 tablespoon beauty berries
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 cup water
• Sweetener (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine Ingredients: Mix beauty berries, cinnamon, and cloves with water in a pot.
2. Boil & Steep: Bring to a boil, then pour over the ingredients and let steep for 15-20 minutes.
3. Strain: Strain out the solids.
4. Sweeten: Optional, to your liking.

Tips for the Perfect Brew

• Berries: Use fresh or dried beauty berries. If using dried, adjust the quantities by about 1/2 strength;
• Adjusting Strength: Feel free to alter the amount of beauty berries or steeping time to suit your taste. A stronger brew is recommended as it can be easily diluted.
• Storage: Brewed tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Beauty berry plants, known scientifically as Callicarpa, are not just valued for their vibrant purple berries but also for their leaves and, in some traditions, their roots. While the berries are more commonly used in recipes, the leaves and roots can also be utilized, especially in herbal teas and remedies. Here are a couple of recipes that incorporate beauty berry leaves and roots:

Simple Beauty Berry Leaf Tea Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of dried beauty berry leaves (or 3-6 fresh leaves—depending on size—cut in half to release oils)
• 1 cup of boiling water
• Sweetener of choice (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Leaves: If using fresh leaves, rinse them gently to remove any dirt or debris.
2. Boil & Steep: Place the leaves in a cup or teapot. Pour boiling water over the leaves and let them steep for about 5-10 minutes. The longer you steep, the stronger the flavor.
3. Strain: Remove the leaves from the tea.
4. Sweeten: Optionally, sweeten to taste with stevia, honey, maple syrup, or agave.

Beauty Berry Root Tea

Note: It’s important to exercise caution when using roots for culinary or medicinal purposes. Ensure correct identification and consider any potential health risks or contraindications.

Simple Beauty Berry Root Tea Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of chopped beautyberry root; (approximately one inch piece, rinsed clean, then chopped.
• 1 cup of water
• Sweetener of choice (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Root: Thoroughly clean the root and chop it into small pieces.
2. Boil: Place the chopped root in a pot with water. Bring it to a boil.
3. Simmer: Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. This longer simmering time helps to extract the flavors and beneficial compounds from the root.
4. Strain: Strain the tea to remove the root pieces.
5. Sweeten: Optionally, add your preferred sweetener.

General Tips for Beautyberry, Berries, Leaf and Root Teas

• Harvesting: Ensure that you are harvesting leaves and roots from plants that have not been treated with pesticides or chemicals.
• Identification: Always properly identify edible medicinal plants to ensure that you are using the correct species. Fortunately, beautyberry plants are easy to identify as there are no other berries that unique color of purple that grow around the stems in that way.
• Consultation: If you’re using these parts of the plant for medicinal purposes, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional or a knowledgeable herbalist, especially when using the roots.
• Storage: Dried leaves can be stored in an airtight container away from direct sunlight and moisture.

These recipes offer a way to explore the less commonly used parts of the beauty berry plant. As with any herbal remedy or tea, it’s important to start with small quantities to see how your body reacts, especially if you’re trying it for the first time.

Whether you’re in the mood for a classic hot tea, a refreshing iced blend, a green tea mix, or a spiced concoction, these beauty berry tea recipes will help jumpstart your beauty berry tea journey. The key to a perfect cup is to tweak these recipes to find your favorite way to enjoy some of the helpful beauty berry benefits.

We’d love to hear about your favorite from this list or one you create and we’ll add it to our recipes here!