So you want to know how to make dandelion tea? Of all varieties – because perhaps you like to use the whole plant. Or there’s one method that would suit you better. So, let me take you through what you need to do to make your own Dandelion tea – of all varieties and using each part of the plant!

How to make Dandelion tea

Here’s your quick summary of each of the parts, roots, flowers, and leaves, then we’ll go through what you need and more about the method in greater detail…

Steps to make dandelion root tea…

1. Roast 4½ tsp dandelion roots, (about a quarter cup), in medium size pan over medium heat
2. Add one cup of water into the pan with the roasted roots 
3. Bring to a boil at 212°F (100°C), and simmer for 30-45 minutes 
4. Remove from the heat and strain into a teapot
5. Add any sweeteners of your choice
6. Stir well, and enjoy!

Steps to make dandelion flower tea…

1. Wash the flowers in a colander to remove any debris or small insects
2. Remove the petals and place them in a bowl. Discard other parts of the flower.
3. Place a kettle or medium size pan over medium heat bring to a boil
4. Once at 212°F (100°C), remove the pan from the heat
5. Put the flower petals into the hot water, cover, and leave to steep
6. Steep for 3-10 minutes, a longer steep means a stronger flavor
7. Strain and pour the tea into the teapot which will remove the petal remains
8. Pour into a cup and add any sweeteners or flavors as you wish
9. Stir well, and enjoy!

Steps to make dandelion leaves tea…

1. Add water into a medium size pan or kettle and place over medium heat 
2. Add chopped or dried dandelion leaves to the teapot 
3. Bring to the boil at 212°F (100°C) 
4. Add leaves to the teapot
5. Pour the water into the teapot over the leaves
6. Steep for 5-10 minutes, or longer for a stronger taste
7. Pour into a teacup
8. Add sweetener or other flavorings of your choice
9. Stir well, and enjoy!

And the benefits of Dandelion tea are numerous too. And here’s what herbal tea is good for in general.

So after taking you through more detailed steps for each, I’ll then go on to what your finished dandelion tea should taste like. Then you’ll be on your way to becoming a real tea drinker! But first, let’s get straight into the detailed ingredients and the method…

Parts of the dandelion plant used to make dandelion tea?

Some believe that dandelion tea can only be made using dandelion roots.

But surprisingly, this plant allows you to make an earthy tea out of not just roots but leaves and flowers as well. You can make dandelion tea using just about any part of the plant. 

Equipment – what you need to make dandelion tea

• Kettle or medium size pan 
• Teapot 
• Strainer
• Spoon
• Teacup to serve

The things you need to make dandelion tea are pretty basic and apply to all the methods outlined below. So refer back to this list before undertaking the brew to be sure you’re prepared.

How to make dandelion tea using roasted dandelion roots

This is the most popular way to make dandelion tea. And there are again two methods in which you can make dandelion tea using dandelion roots. 

Ingredients

• 4½ tsp. dried dandelion root
• 2 cups water (simmering will make the tea closer to one cup, so 2 cups of water are for one cup of tea)
• Sugar or honey as desired
• As an option to enhance flavor, you’re free to add 1 cinnamon stick, ½ teaspoon of dried ginger, or even a splash of vanilla extract. But these are not added in the authentic method of making dandelion root tea

Steps/Instructions 

1. Place a medium-size pot or kettle over medium heat with dandelion roots on the bottom
2. Roast the dandelion root until it turns fragrant and golden brown
3. Skip roasting dandelion roots if you already have roasted ones. Just add your roasted dandelion roots to the pan.
4. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil at 212°F (100°C)
5. Once the water reaches boiling temperature, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes. This allows the flavor of the dandelion roots to incorporate well into the tea
6. While simmering you can add other optional flavorings of your choice
7. Remove the pan from the heat and strain using the strainer into the teapot
8. Then serve to a teacup and, depending on your choice, add sugar or honey as you prefer
9. Stir well, and enjoy!

How to make dandelion tea using raw dandelion roots

For this, you need to follow the same process as above, except steps on how to make a dandelion tea using roasted roots, but you simply skip the step of roasting the roots.

So you will keep the roots in the pan, add water and bring the water to a boil and let it simmer for the same 30-45 minutes. Then follow the remaining steps. 

Can you skip simmering when making dandelion root tea? 

Yes, you can but this may not give you a strong flavor. The simmering helps the dandelion roots to release more of their flavor. And unlike flowers and leaves, the roots take time to release flavors. So when you skip this, the infusion of the beautiful flavor of dandelion roots could be missed.

But, if you’re running out of time or want a quick dandelion root tea, you can skip the simmer step.

However, if you skip the simmering step, make sure your water is at a temperature of 212°F (100°C). This is the standard temperature for brewing herbal teas or infusions. 

And also, you will need to let the root infuse for at least 15-20 minutes. Some say infusing for three hours gives a greater and stronger flavor. This may be suitable if you want to use the tea a few hours later from the time you prepare it.

How to make dandelion tea using dandelion flowers

Let’s move on to how to make Dandelion tea using the flowers of the dandelion

Ingredients

• Dandelion flowers, around 8-10 heads.
• One cup of water (Add a little more, as some will evaporate when boiling)
• Any sweetener, creamer, or flavorings of your choice, but the authentic version doesn’t use these.

Steps/Instructions 

1. Wash the flowers in a colander to remove any debris or small insects
2. Pull the petal away from the flower base. Place the petals in a bowl. Discard other parts of the flower.
3. Place a kettle or medium size pan over medium heat and let it come to a boil
4. Once the water reaches a temperature of 212°F (100°C), remove the pan from the heat
5. Put the dandelion flower petals into the hot water, cover, and let steep
6. Let it steep for few minutes, anywhere from 3-10, a longer steep means a stronger flavor
7. Strain and pour the tea into the teapot. Straining removes the petals
8. Serve into a cup and add any sweeteners or flavors as you wish
9. Stir well, and enjoy!

How to make dandelion tea using dandelion leaves

Ingredients

• One cup of water 
• ½ quarter of freshly chopped dandelion leaves (You will need 6 dandelion leaves for this quantity) or you can use one spoon of purchased dried dandelion leaves.
• Any sweetener of your choice. 
• Some like adding mint to the dandelion leaf tea too. But the authentic brew is plain.

Steps/Instructions

1. Add the water into a medium-size pan or kettle and place over medium heat 
2. Add the chopped or dried dandelion leaves to the teapot 
3. Bring it to boil 212°F (100°C) 
4. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the water into the teapot 
5. Steep for 5-10 minutes, or even longer for a stronger taste
6. Pour into the teacup 
7. Add sweetener or any other flavorings of your choice
8. Stir well, and enjoy! 

How to make dried dandelion leaves at home (Dehydrating dandelion leaves)

There are two ways you can make dried dandelion leaves at home to brew the perfect cup of dandelion leaf tea. On Amazon there’s a selection of Dandelion tea already prepared, so you can take the hassle out of making it and just enjoy the flavor!

Method one

1. Collect a handful of dandelion leaves, collect smaller and younger leaves where possible
2. Wash them thoroughly and spread them on a rack for some time until they are dry
3. Place the dry dandelion leaves in your food dehydrator at 140°F (60°C) until the leaves are crispy
4. Remove the leaves and rub between your hands or use a pestle and mortar to crush
5. Remove any larger stems
6. Store in an airtight container for use as required

Method two

1. Collect a handful of dandelion leaves, smaller and younger leaves where possible
2. Wash the leaves thoroughly 
3. Pat the leaves dry with a paper towel 
4. Spread the leaves on a tray 
5. Let them dry in a warm room or an airing cupboard. Do not keep in direct sunlight as it will alter or ruin the delicate flavor of the leaves
6. Turn the leaves occasionally until they are completely dried out. 
7. Once dry, chop the leaves. You won’t be able to crush them like in method one
8. Store them in an airtight container and away from direct sunlight

How to make dandelion tea with added caffeine

Dandelion tea does not contain any trace of caffeine, because it’s only an infusion and is not made from the true tea plant; Camellia Sinensis.

If you’re expecting a punch of caffeine in your dandelion tea, to make it more palatable, then you can blend it with one of the true tea varieties.

It’s perfectly ok to mix and blend two teas together. In fact, Tea Sommeliers are paid to do this.

Many herbal teas are blended with actual tea varieties to add caffeine properties and flavor.

So you can do the same, as long as you are focused on a palatable flavor profile and less on the health benefits.

If you’re focused on health benefits, then you could consider tea varieties with less caffeine content to blend with dandelion tea.

Here are a few examples of actual tea varieties and their caffeine content.

• Green tea – 30 and 50 milligrams
• White tea – 15 to 30 milligrams
• Oolong tea – 10 to 60 milligrams
• Rooibos tea – No caffeine

Dandelion tea blend

Steps/instructions

• The easy way to blend dandelion with actual tea is just to dunk a teabag of your choice into the dandelion tea while it’s steeping or after you serve the dandelion tea to your cup. The latter helps in keeping the tea flavor low.

• If you use tea leaves, it requires a little more processing. You can either add the tea leaves when you allow the dandelion to steep and let the tea leaves also steep together or let the dandelion tea steep for a time and then add the tea leaves of your choice while it’s hot. The latter helps in not allowing the tea flavor to overpower the dandelion flavor.

• You could just use dandelion teabags and another teabag of your choice. You can let them steep together in hot water, or let the dandelion steep for longer, and then let the tea variety steep for less time.

Now that you’ve finished, let’s take a look at what your finished brew should taste like. If you want to carry out a full tea tasting to impress your friends and family, then you should get my Tea Sommelier Course. Here’s a quick rundown on what the course can do to “take your tea a huge steep forward!”.

Find out more about the Teahow Tea Sommelier Course!

What does dandelion tea taste like?

First things first, not all of you are going to like the flavor of dandelion tea, because comparatively, it can come across as having a more bitter and stronger flavor than many herbal tea or infusions.

But with a dash of honey or sugar to arrest the bitterness, this tea can taste earthy, and vegetal, with elegant after tones.

Dandelion tea should never taste bad. If it comes across as an awful taste to you, then you may not be brewing it fully or correctly. If so, then take a recap (and perhaps a retry) on the above ways this tea can be brewed.

Find out more about the Teahow Tea Sommelier Course!

To finish…

I hope this has given you hours of pleasure, and thoroughly answered the question on how to make dandelion tea!