How to make Loaded Tea without HerbaLife

There is no need to join nutrition clubs when you can make your own Loaded Tea recipe at home! Full to the brim with health benefits, this boosted tea recipe will give you a natural energy boost with just a little caffeine.

What are herbalife and loaded tea?

Herbalife is a manufactured nutrition company which specialises in personal care products and nutritional supplements like protein powders and energy drinks like their instant herbal beverages with tea extracts. One 1/2 tsp of herbalife herbal tea concentrate has 85 milligrams of caffeine, which is more than a can of Redbull. Funnily enough, the website doesn’t display a photo of their nutrition label, nor list the ingredients in the description but I managed to find one of the UK herbalife distributors who states what’s in the products. Here is what the peach loaded tea has in it:

• Maltodextrin
• orange pekoe tea extract (Camellia sinensis, 20.3%)
• fructose
• green tea extract (Camellia sinensis, 7.3%)
• natural caffeine powder (4.1%)
• natural peach flavouring
• sweetener (acesulfame K)
• flavour enhancer (citric acid)
• malva extract (Malva sylvestris, 0.12%)
• hibiscus powder (Hibiscus sabdariffa L., 0.12 %)
• cardamom extract (Elettaria cardamomum, 0.004%)

All of these ingredients seem to be extremely processed and are probably not that good for you, particularly the 1st ingredient, maltodextrin, as well as the fructose, and acesulfame K. What’s more, these dietary supplements are expensive!

My frugal loaded tea is made of ingredients I had in my kitchen. It tastes amazing, and you don’t need to worry about accidentally adding too much caffeine and increasing your heart rate. High blood pressure is a concern in my family as it is with many people, so I do my best to keep my BP low.

Why you will love this recipe:

• Natural: I used common ingredients I had in my pantry like green tea bags, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, lemon, and butterfly pea powder, and I sweetened it with honey and erythritol. I know what all of these ingredients are and I’m comfortable with putting them in my body.
• Tastes great: The ingredients in my boosted iced tea taste delicious together! I used green tea bags with mango for a fruity kick, mimicking the fruitiness of the processed version.
• Health benefits: Along with a metabolism boost, this colorful drink has vitamin c, b vitamins, green tea for sustained energy, and ingredients that aid in digestive issues and weight loss. Herbalife’s herbal tea concentrate and supplement powders have high caffeine content which can lead to health complications. Homemade Loaded Tea is a great way to support a healthy diet.
• Adaptable: You can use this method and base ingredients to make your own loaded tea recipes at home. Some things you can try are adding fruit juices, using oolong tea or black tea, or any flavoured herbal tea for a caffeine-free version. Check the list below for more options!
• Cost: Herbalife nutrition products tend to be pretty expensive. Using ingredients that you have at home instead saves money, and you can use the ingredients in other recipes as well!

Ingredients for Homemade Loaded Tea

• Water: Pure filtered water is perfect for this recipe.
• Tea: This time I chose mango and passionfruit flavoured green tea bags. Green tea naturally boosts your energy levels and is a responsible use of caffeine compared to herbalife products. You can add in any kind of tea you like! I like something with a little fruity flavour because it complements the other ingredients perfectly.
• Ginger: I sliced up fresh ginger and simmered it with the other ingredients. On the other hand, you could also use ginger juice instead. Ginger contains gingerols which have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
• Turmeric: The golden ingredient of the kitchen! I add powdered turmeric as opposed to the root. Turmeric and its active compound, curcumin, have proven health benefits like improving heart health and protecting against Alzheimer’s and cancer. It is anti-inflammatory and a powerhouse of antioxidants.
• Cinnamon: Not only does cinnamon taste delicious, but it also boasts so many benefits for your body. It can lower blood sugar levels, and reduce heart disease risk, along with so many other benefits. If cinnamon isn’t already in your diet, this loaded tea is a great way to add this warm spice in!
• Lemon: Lemon is added for a delicious tart kick, but it’s also loaded with vitamin C and vitamin B6, and may help aid weight loss, and reduce your risk of heart disease, anaemia, kidney stones, digestive issues, and cancer.
• Sweetener: I sweeten my DIY loaded teas with erythritol and a little honey for flavour. Feel free to use your sweetener of choice.

Optional for ombre effect:

• Butterfly pea flower powder: For fun, I wanted to try and imitate one of herbalife’s hued drinks without using synthetic food colorings. I have blue pea powder on hand so I mixed that with water and honey to make a blue liquid and slowly poured that into my loaded tea. Little did I know, the lemon would make it turn purple! This ingredient is optional but fun!

How to make DIY Loaded Tea

Prepare the base tea:

• In a medium pot on the stove, add filtered water. I pre-boil my water in a kettle for speed, but you can easily use cold water or warm water instead.
• Add in the sliced fresh ginger, green tea bags, turmeric and cinnamon. Allow it to simmer for 10-15 minutes until it reduces to about half of its volume.
• Remove it from the heat, add the lemon and sweetener of choice, and then allow it to cool. Pro tip: if you’d like it to cool quicker, fill a metal or glass mixing bowl with cold water and set the pot in it, making sure it doesn’t sink below water level.
• Meanwhile, if you want to make this a hued/ombre drink, mix the butterfly pea powder with a little water and honey. Set it aside.
• When the Loaded Tea is cool, remove the tea bags and sliced ginger. There will be a little residue at the bottom from the turmeric and cinnamon. That’s fine!
• To make a loaded tea drink, begin by filling a large glass with ice.
• Next, add the loaded green tea to fill about 1/3 of the glass.
• Then, with a little bit of patience, slowly pour cold water over the tea, trying not to mix them. Again, I fill about 1/3 of the glass, maybe a little more, but just enough water so that there is a little room at the top for the butterfly pea tea mixture.
• Finally, slowly and carefully pour the blue pea powder mix on top. It will turn purple, and should still be orange on the bottom.

Storage instructions

Any leftover loaded tea can be stored in an airtight container (I use a jar) for up to a week. It will separate, so be sure to give it a little shake before making a drink of iced tea!

Loaded Tea Variations

You can make other homemade herbalife tea recipes depending on what you have on hand. Here are a few to try:

Strawberry, Cucumber & Apple Loaded Tea

• 4 bags of Strawberry Tea like Twinnings Superblends Strawberry, Cucumber & Green Tea
• 1 apple, sliced
• 1 litre of water
• Sweetener, to taste (1/2 cup of erythritol or 1/4 cup of honey are my go-to’s)
• Apple juice
• Cucumber juice (optional)

To make:

1. Steep the tea bags and sliced apple in simmering water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix in the sweetener.
3. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
4. Remove the teabags and apple, and discard.
5. Fill a tall glass with ice.
6. Fill 1/3 of the glass with loaded tea concentrate.
7. Slowly top it up 1/3 of the way with cucumber juice and then apple juice, or just apple juice.

Mint & lemon Loaded Tea

• 4 Green Tea with Mint
• 1″ piece of ginger, sliced
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced
• 1 litre of water
• Sweetener, to taste

To make:

1. Steep the tea bags and sliced apple in simmering water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix in the sweetener.
3. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
4. Remove the teabags and ginger, and discard.
5. Add the lemon juice.
6. Fill a tall glass with ice.
7. Fill 1/3 of the glass with loaded tea concentrate.
8. Slowly top it up with water.

Peachy Keen

• 3 bags of Peach tea like Tetley Super Fruits Immune Peach & Orange Tea Bags
• 2 Oolong tea bags
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 peach, sliced
• 1 litre water
• Sweetener, to taste

To make:

1. Steep the tea bags, sliced peach and spices in simmering water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix in the sweetener.
3. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
4. Remove the teabags and peach, and discard.
5. Fill a tall glass with ice.
6. Fill 1/3 of the glass with loaded tea concentrate.
7. Slowly top it up with water (or peach juice).

Berry Ginger

• 2 bags of Berry Tea like Twinnings Superblends Immune Support Blackcurrant Raspberry Tea
• 2 bags of Green Tea
• 1″ piece of ginger, sliced
• Water
• Sweetener, to taste

To make:

1. Steep the tea bags, and sliced ginger in simmering water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix in the sweetener.
3. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
4. Remove the tea bags and ginger, and discard.
5. Fill a tall glass with ice.
6. Fill 1/3 of the glass with loaded tea concentrate.
7. Slowly top it up with water (or berry juice).

Hibiscus Mint Ombre drink

• 4 Mint Green Tea bags
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1″ ginseng root, sliced or 1 tbsp ginseng tea in a reusable or disposable tea bag
• Sweetener, to taste
• 1 tsp Hibiscus petals or tea
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 litre Water + 250ml

To make:

1. Steep the tea bags, and ginseng in 1 litre of simmering water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix in the sweetener and lime juice.
3. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
4. Remove the teabags and ginseng, and discard.
5. Add hibiscus tea or petals to an infuser and steep in 250ml boiling water for 5 minutes. Add in honey and mix.
6. Fill a tall glass with ice.
7. Fill 1/3 of the glass with loaded tea concentrate.
8. Slowly top it up 1/3 of the way with water.
9. Fill to the top (slowly) with hibiscus tea.

Ginger Aloe

• 2 Ginger Tea bags
• 2 Oolong Tea bags
• Aloe Vera drink (to top up)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1″ ginger, sliced
• 1 litre water
• Sweetener, to taste

To make:

1. Steep the tea bags, sliced ginger and cinnamon in simmering 1l water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix in the sweetener.
3. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
4. Remove the teabags and ginger, and discard.
5. Fill a tall glass with ice.
6. Fill 1/3 of the glass with loaded tea concentrate.
7. Slowly top it up 1/3 with water.
8. Slowly pour aloe juice onto the top.

Bahama Mama

• 4 bags of tropical fruit green tea or pineapple green tea
• 1/4-1/2 cup diced or sliced pineapple
• Coconut water (to top up)
• Pineapple juice (optional)
• Sweetener, to taste

To make:

1. Steep the tea bags and diced pineapple in simmering water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix in the sweetener.
3. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
4. Remove the tea bags and pineapple, and discard.
5. Fill a tall glass with ice.
6. Fill 1/3 of the glass with loaded tea concentrate.
7. Slowly top it up 1/3 with coconut water.
8. Slowly pour pineapple juice (or more coconut water) onto the top.

Other ingredients to try

If you want to get really creative, pick and choose between the following:

Teas:

• green tea
• black tea
• white tea
• red tea/rooibos
• oolong tea
• herbal tea (ginger tea, raspberry tea, etc.)
• yerba mate
• hibiscus
• butterfly pea flowers or powder

Juices:

• apple
• orange
• lychee
• guava
• strawberry
• peach
• lemon
• lime
• mango
• pineapple
• aloe
• ginger

Sliced or crushed fruit:

• apple
• pear
• peach
• mango
• melon
• lychee
• orange
• lemon
• lime
• strawberry
• raspberry
• blueberry
• blackberry
• grape

Herbs and spices:

• cinnamon
• ginger
• cardamom
• cloves
• star anise
• turmeric
• sumac

Sweeteners:

• Sugar or brown sugar
• erythritol or brown erythritol
• monk fruit sweetener
• coconut sugar
• sugar-free syrups or sugar-free flavoring

More Tea recipes to try

• Copycat Tazo Chai Latte Concentrate
• Starbucks Iced Chai Latte Recipe
• Sumac Tea
• Butterfly Pea Milk Tea

Was this the perfect cup of tea for you? I’d love to know all about it! Share with me on Social media sites like Instagram and Facebook, or pin it on Pinterest. Don’t forget to sign up to the email list for sparkly new recipes in your inbox!