Chamomile Tea from Dried Flowers: Recipe, Dose and Steep Time

How much dried chamomile per cup?

For one cup, Alphafoodie (2026) recommends about 1 tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers, or one tea bag, per cup of water. Oh, How Civilized (2026) recommends 2 teaspoons of loose chamomile per cup. The two figures come from different recipes, and 1 tablespoon is larger than 2 teaspoons.

Tea bag equivalence: Alphafoodie (2026) treats one tea bag as equal to one cup’s dose, so a bag replaces the measured spoon when you want a simpler routine.

Why the published measures disagree

A tablespoon holds three teaspoons, so the 2-teaspoon dose from Oh, How Civilized (2026) is about two-thirds of the 1-tablespoon dose from Alphafoodie (2026). Neither publisher is an official body, so neither figure is a standard. Treat the two numbers as a starting range and adjust to taste.

Scaling for multi-cup pots and larger batches

Multiply the per-cup dose by the number of cups in the pot, and measure the water and flowers against the same cup count:

• Using 1 tablespoon per cup: a four-cup pot needs 4 tablespoons.
• Using 2 teaspoons per cup: a four-cup pot needs 8 teaspoons.

Use a level measure each time. Heaped spoons add more flowers than the per-cup figure assumes and make the batch stronger than intended.

Water temperature and steeping time

For a baseline cup of chamomile tea made from dried flowers, the two sources set the water at about 203°F (95°C) according to Alphafoodie (2026), or 208°F (about 98°C) according to Oh How Civilized (2026). Steep time is 4-5 minutes according to Alphafoodie (2026), or at least 5 minutes according to Oh How Civilized (2026).

Heat target

The two sources reach their temperatures by different methods:

Alphafoodie (2026) has you boil the water and wait until it cools to about 203°F before pouring. Oh How Civilized (2026) instead sets the kettle to 208°F. A kettle with a temperature setting removes the need to time the cooling.

Steep duration and flower handling

Unsqueezed flowers are part of the baseline method in Alphafoodie (2026): steep for 4-5 minutes without squeezing the flowers or the tea bag.

Water quality

Oh How Civilized (2026) recommends filtered water where it is available. Alphafoodie (2026) gives no water guidance, so this is the only water-quality recommendation among the two sources.

Step-by-step: dried flowers to cup

Brewing chamomile from dried flowers is a short sequence of handling actions: warm the vessel, add the flowers, pour the water, cover the pot, then remove the flowers before serving. Dose and temperature figures vary between published recipes, so check those in their own sections before you start.

1. Warm the vessel. Pour a little hot water into the teapot or mug, swirl it, and pour it out. A warmed vessel keeps the brew from losing heat as soon as the water goes in.
2. Add the flowers before the water. Place the dried flowers in the warmed vessel, then pour the water over them. For a single cup, a mesh infuser or tea bag keeps loose flowers contained.
3. Cover during the steep. Oh, How Civilized (2026) describes a recipe that steeps the tea with the teapot covered. For a mug, a saucer or small plate works as a lid.
4. Remove the flowers at the end. Lift out the infuser or bag, or strain loose flowers into the cup or serving pot.

Why does chamomile tea turn bitter?

Chamomile may turn bitter when it steeps too long. According to Alphafoodie (2026), adding 1-2 minutes to the steep gives a stronger cup, but going past that may make it bitter. Oh, How Civilized (2026) adds that herbal teas can steep longer than true teas without turning bitter, yet a longer chamomile steep tastes more medicinal. The two effects are different, so a cup can be medicinal before it is clearly bitter.

How the steep length shapes the cup

Alphafoodie gives 4-5 minutes, while Oh, How Civilized gives at least 5 minutes, so the extra minutes below are Alphafoodie’s figures, counted from its own 4-5 minute base.

Tasting cues for over-steeping

Use taste as the check. A bitter finish that lingers after sipping, or a flavour that reads as medicinal rather than floral, points to a steep that has run too long. Note the timer setting that produced the cup, then shorten the next steep by a minute and compare.

Handling the flowers during steeping

Keep the infuser or bag still in the cup and lift it out when the timer ends, rather than pressing it against the side of the cup.

Iced and cold brew chamomile

You can make iced chamomile in two ways: brew it hot, cool it and pour it over ice, or steep it in cold water overnight. According to Alphafoodie (2026), you can brew hot, cool and pour over ice, or cold brew for up to about 20 hours.

Hot brew, chill, then pour over ice

1. Brew the chamomile hot using your usual method.
2. Cool the liquid before it goes over ice. Pouring hot tea onto ice melts it quickly and leaves a weaker, diluted cup.
3. Pour the cooled tea over a glass of ice.

Overnight cold infusion

Cold brewing uses cold water and no heat. Alphafoodie (2026) gives a limit of up to about 20 hours. Steep for less time if you want a lighter cup, and do not exceed that ceiling. Strain the flowers out before serving, then pour over ice.

Ice dilution and concentrate

Ice melt lowers the strength of the cup, so the tea needs to start stronger than you would drink it hot. Brew a concentrate first, using more flowers per cup than usual, then add ice. Make a small test batch and adjust the dose to suit your taste, because the amount of ice and the time it sits in the glass both change the final strength.

Storing dried flowers and leftover tea

Dried chamomile flowers keep best in an airtight container away from light and heat, and brewed chamomile should go into the fridge soon after it cools. According to Alphafoodie (2026), leftover brewed chamomile keeps 3-4 days in the fridge, and freezing is the option for longer storage.

Dried flowers

• Store the flowers in a sealed container, kept away from sunlight and from heat sources such as a stove or a sunny windowsill.
• Close the container after each use so the flowers do not absorb moisture or kitchen odours.
• Use a dry scoop or spoon. Moisture introduced during measuring works against dry storage.

Leftover brewed tea

The two sources give slightly different figures, so the shorter window is the safer one to follow.

Freezing leftover tea

1. Let the brewed tea cool, then pour it into an ice cube tray.
2. Freeze until solid.
3. Move the cubes to a sealed bag and label the bag with the date you froze them.

Flavour variations to try

Most chamomile variations change only what goes into the pot or the cup, not how the dried flowers are dosed or brewed. The main options are aromatics added to the steep, ingredients stirred in after steeping, and blends with other herbal infusions.

Adding lemon peel or fresh mint to the steep

Add the peel or mint to the pot with the dried flowers, before the water goes in. Use a small piece of lemon peel with as little of the white pith as possible, since the pith tastes bitter. A few fresh mint leaves are enough to add aroma. Both infuse during the same steep, so they need no separate step.

Stirring honey or cinnamon in after steeping

Stir honey into the poured cup until it dissolves. Ground cinnamon can also be stirred in, though it will not dissolve fully and will settle at the bottom. Adding them after steeping means you can adjust sweetness or spice for each cup separately.

Blending chamomile with other herbal infusions

Combine dried chamomile with another herbal ingredient, such as peppermint, and brew the mix as a single batch. Keep chamomile as the main ingredient so its flavour stays recognisable in the cup.

Chamomile flowers are naturally caffeine-free, according to Alphafoodie (2026). A chamomile blend is therefore caffeine-free only if every other ingredient is too. Any blend that includes true tea, such as black or green, will contain caffeine, so check the label of pre-mixed blends before buying.

Related reading

• Which Herbal Infusions Are Caffeine Free? A Practical Guide
• How to Make Iced Tea with Loose Leaf: One-Glass Method
• Cold Brew Green Tea: Steeping Time in the Fridge