How to Brew Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is forgiving enough that it's hard to ruin, which is exactly why so much of it gets brewed badly. Nobody pays attention. The bag goes in, the water goes on, two minutes later you're drinking something faintly floral and mostly hot.

Whole dried flowers reward a bit more care, and the difference between a thin cup and a good one comes down to about four variables. Here's how to get all of them right.

What You Need

• 1 to 2 tablespoons of whole dried chamomile flowers per 8 oz cup
• Water just off the boil — roughly 200–212°F
• Something to cover the cup — a saucer works fine
• A strainer or infuser with room for the flowers to expand

That's it. No special equipment, no thermometer required.

Step 1: Measure Generously

Whole dried chamomile flowers are extremely voluminous. A tablespoon of them weighs a fraction of what a tablespoon of ground tea weighs, because you're mostly measuring air trapped between intact blossoms.

This trips people up constantly. Two tablespoons of whole flowers looks like an enormous amount of tea. It isn't. It's roughly what a standard tea bag holds by weight, and often less.

You'll see lighter measurements in some references — the New York Botanical Garden suggests a teaspoon of dried flowers per 8 ounces. That's a real and reasonable starting point, and the gap between "a teaspoon" and "two tablespoons" is mostly about how broken up the flowers are and how strong you like it. Intact whole blossoms need more volume than crushed ones.

Start at 1 tablespoon. If the cup tastes thin, go to 2 next time. Adjust from there and stop thinking about it.

Step 2: Water Just Off the Boil

Chamomile isn't green tea. It has no delicate leaf structure to scorch and very little tannin to turn harsh, so you don't need to fuss over temperature.

Bring water to a full boil, then let it sit for about thirty seconds before pouring. That's close enough. NYBG's guidance is "not-quite boiling," which describes the same thing — you want hot water with enough energy to pull the aromatics out of a dense dried flower, without the violent agitation of a rolling boil hitting the cup.

If you pour at a full boil anyway, nothing bad happens. This is the least sensitive variable of the four.

Step 3: Steep 5 to 10 Minutes — Covered

Two things here, and the second one matters more than people expect.

Steep long. Whole flowers release their flavor slowly because the surface area is small compared to ground material. Five minutes is the floor. Ten gives you a fuller, rounder cup. NYBG's guidance is 5 to 10 minutes, and that range is right.

The good news is that chamomile has very little tannin, so over-steeping doesn't produce the bitter astringency you'd get from leaving a black tea bag in too long. If you want a stronger cup, steep it longer before you add more flowers.

Cover the cup. Chamomile's aroma lives in a volatile essential oil, and volatile means exactly what it sounds like — those compounds leave with the steam. An uncovered cup steaming on the counter for eight minutes is actively venting the thing you're trying to extract.

Put a saucer, a lid, or a small plate over the top. This single step does more for the finished cup than anything else on this list, and almost nobody does it.

Step 4: Strain and Finish

Strain the flowers out or lift the infuser. Chamomile doesn't need anything else, but two additions suit it particularly well:

• Raw honey — rounds out the floral sweetness without competing with it
• A slice of lemon — brightens and cuts through the softness

Milk doesn't work here. Chamomile has no body to stand up to it.

Common Problems and Fixes

"It tastes like nothing." Almost always one of three causes: not enough flowers, too short a steep, or an uncovered cup. Fix them in that order. If none of it helps, the problem is the chamomile itself — either it was harvested before the flowers fully developed, or it's ground material that lost its aroma on the shelf.

"It's bitter." Unusual for German chamomile. Check what you actually bought — Roman chamomile runs more bitter, and so does chamomile with a lot of stem and leaf mixed in. Genuine whole-flower German chamomile should be sweet and apple-like.

"It was great yesterday and weak today." Storage. Chamomile loses aroma fast when exposed to light, heat, or air. Keep the pouch sealed and out of the sun.

Cold Brewing Chamomile

Chamomile cold brews beautifully and is one of the better herbs for it, since there's no tannin to worry about and the flavor is naturally sweet.

Use about 2 tablespoons of flowers per 8 oz of cold water, combine in a jar, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours. Strain. The result is cleaner and slightly sweeter than iced hot-brewed chamomile, which can taste flat once it cools.

It also holds well — a jar keeps for two or three days in the fridge.

A Second Steep

You can get a second infusion from a generous first steep, though it will be noticeably lighter. Add fresh hot water, cover, and give it a full ten minutes.

Most people find one properly long steep gives a better cup than two short ones. But if you've used two tablespoons and want a second cup, the flowers still have something left.

How Much Is Reasonable to Drink

Chamomile is caffeine-free, so there's no stimulant ceiling. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health considers chamomile likely safe when used orally in the amounts commonly found in teas and foods.

Two caveats worth knowing. People allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, or daisies are more likely to react to chamomile, since it's in the same botanical family. And NCCIH notes reported interactions with warfarin and with some drugs metabolized by the liver, so if you take medication regularly, check with your healthcare provider first.

The Farmer Soul Approach

Our chamomile is whole dried Matricaria chamomilla flowers — German chamomile, single ingredient, no additives or fillers. It's carefully sourced from Eastern European botanical growers, USDA Organic certified, and packed in small batches in resealable kraft pouches in Las Vegas.

We sell it whole rather than ground because whole flowers hold their aroma in the pouch and give you a fuller cup at the kettle. They just want a few more minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should chamomile tea steep?

Five to ten minutes, covered. Whole flowers need longer than tea bags because there's far less surface area exposed to the water.

Can you over-steep chamomile?

Not really, in any way that matters. Chamomile has very little tannin, so long steeping deepens the flavor rather than turning it bitter. This is why steeping longer is a better move than adding more flowers.

How much chamomile per cup?

Start with 1 tablespoon of whole flowers per 8 oz and go up to 2 if you want it stronger. Whole flowers look voluminous relative to their weight, so the amount will seem generous.

Should the water be boiling?

Just off the boil is ideal — bring it to a boil and wait about thirty seconds. Chamomile is not temperature-sensitive the way green tea is, so precision isn't necessary here.

Why cover the cup while steeping?

Chamomile's aroma comes from volatile compounds that evaporate with the steam. Covering keeps them in the cup instead of in the room. It's the most underrated step in the whole process.

Can you drink chamomile tea every day?

NCCIH considers chamomile likely safe in the amounts commonly found in teas. If you're pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have allergies to plants in the daisy family, talk to your healthcare provider first.

Can you make chamomile tea with fresh flowers?

Yes, though you'll need roughly twice the volume, since fresh flowers are mostly water. The flavor is lighter and greener than dried.

Related Reading

• The Complete Guide to Chamomile Flowers
• German vs. Roman Chamomile: What's the Difference?
• How to Brew Echinacea Tea: A Beginner's Guide
• How Long to Steep Mullein Leaf Tea

Sources

• New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T. Mertz Library. Chamomile Research Guide.
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health. Chamomile: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated November 2024.
• UC Marin Master Gardeners, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Chamomile.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Chamomile is not a treatment or cure for any condition. Talk with your healthcare provider before using chamomile, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.