Russian Tea Recipe {Slow Cooker Hot Drink} | Tastes of Lizzy T (2024)

Julie Clark

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Comforting, warm, Russian Tea made in the slow cooker. This from scratch drink recipe is perfect for an evening drink after it simmers all day in the slow cooker.

Table of Contents
  1. Russian Tea From Scratch
  2. Ingredients Needed
  3. Does Russian Tea have caffeine?
  4. How do you make Russian Tea?
  5. How do you serve Russian Tea?
  6. Russian Tea Recipe
  7. Other Tea Recipes

Cool nights are coming and it’s getting dark earlier than ever! It’s evenings like this where I love to sip a warm drink before bedtime. Sometimes it is tea…other times it is coffee.

But when we’re feeling fancy, I make up this Russian Tea recipe (originally found in many of my old church cookbooks) and let it simmer all day. Not only will you love the taste of this comforting drink, but the house will smell amazing from all the spices, too.

Russian Tea Recipe {Slow Cooker Hot Drink} | Tastes of Lizzy T (2)

Russian Tea From Scratch

Many Russian Tea recipes are made with Tang orange drink mix and lemonade mix which allows the recipe to be a dry mix “Instant” tea. Although we love that Instant tea for gift giving and busy mornings when we are short on time, this is a “from scratch” recipe that uses juice and strongly steeped tea.

The flavors simmer in the slow cooker (or Dutch oven) for as long as you’d like. You’ll need to plan ahead just a few hours for this, but it is so worth it.

Ingredients Needed

Our Russian Tea mix is made from strongly steeped tea (think 5 tea bags to 2 cups of hot water!), sugar, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. No powder mixes.

We use cinnamon sticks and whole cloves to add flavor like no other. It’s easy to keep these ingredients on hand so you’re ready to serve up warm tea any day you’d like.

Does Russian Tea have caffeine?

We normally make our Russian Tea with black tea which does contain caffeine. If you’d like you can use caffeine free tea bags for a treat that won’t keep you up all night.

Russian Tea Recipe {Slow Cooker Hot Drink} | Tastes of Lizzy T (3)

How do you make Russian Tea?

We like to use our slow cooker to make Russian tea. You can also make it in a dutch oven on the stovetop.

  • Simply add the sugar and juices to the pot and mix well.
  • Steep the tea bags in hot water along with the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Then drain off the tea into the juice mixture. Discard any cloves or cinnamon sticks.
  • Lastly, add 2 fresh cinnamon sticks to the tea mix. Cover and simmer.

That’s it! It will take a few hours to heat through depending on which method you use, but as soon as the beverage is heated through it’s ready to drink.

Russian Tea Recipe {Slow Cooker Hot Drink} | Tastes of Lizzy T (4)

How do you serve Russian Tea?

If you are having a dinner party that is more buffet style, it may be best to leave the tea in the slow cooker and allow people to serve themselves. If you choose this you can add cinnamon sticks and orange slices to the top of the tea for a pretty look.

If you are serving individual glasses of tea, slice oranges and cut them in quarters. Spear a whole clove into the orange slice and serve on top of each individual glass as shown below. It looks so pretty and adds just a hint more flavor.

Russian Tea Recipe {Slow Cooker Hot Drink} | Tastes of Lizzy T (5)

Russian Tea Recipe {Slow Cooker Hot Drink} | Tastes of Lizzy T (6)

Russian Tea

4.66 from 32 votes

Comforting, warm, Russian Tea made in the slow cooker. This from scratch drink recipe is perfect for an evening drink after it simmers all day in the slow cooker.

Servings 12

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Print RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 5 black tea bags
  • 12 whole cloves
  • 4 cinnamon sticks (divided)
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2-3 quarts hot water (to taste)

Optional Serving Ingredients:

  • 1 orange (sliced and quartered)
  • 12 whole cloves

Instructions

  • In a slow cooker, combine the sugar, pineapple juice, orange juice and lemon juice.

  • In a large measuring cup, place the tea bags, cloves and cinnamon sticks.

  • Pour the hot water over the tea bags and let it steep for 5 minutes.

  • Strain the tea into the sugar and juice mix. Discard the cinnamon sticks and cloves that you strained out.

  • Add 2-3 quarts of hot water, to taste. Add 2 quarts in immediately, then add more water until you get the taste you’d like.

  • Add the 2 remaining cinnamon sticks to the tea and cover the slow cooker. Cook on low until heated through.

  • To garnish, slice an orange into thin slices, then halve or quarter them if you’d like. Push a whole clove into the orange slice and place it in the cup on top of the tea.

  • You can also serve the tea from the slow cooker. You can decorate the top with orange slices and cinnamon sticks if you’d like.

Video

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 12 people, with 1 serving being 1 cup of hot tea. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 20.5mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Drink

Cuisine American

Calories 161

Keyword hot drink, hot fruit drink, hot tea recipe, slow cooker tea

Have you tried this recipe?

Share a review below or share on Instagram with the tag #tastesoflizzyt.

Other Tea Recipes

  • Cranberry Pineapple Iced Tea
  • Lemon Ginger Iced Tea
Russian Tea Recipe {Slow Cooker Hot Drink} | Tastes of Lizzy T (2024)

FAQs

What kind of tea do they drink in Russia? ›

Traditionally, black tea is the most common tea in Russia, but green tea is becoming more popular. Traditional tea in Russia includes the traditional type known as Russian Caravan as it was originally imported from China via camel caravan.

What is zavarka? ›

What is Zavarka? Zavarka is a semiproduct produced in the bakeries by mixing boiling water with different flours, up to the gelling point. Along this process dextrines and other simple sugars are released, and these sugars play an important role in keeping the bread fresh, with moist and juicy crumb.

Does Russian tea have caffeine? ›

Like other black teas, Russian Caravan tends to be high in caffeine, containing about half as much caffeine per cup as coffee.

What are the benefits of Russian tea? ›

Feeling a little stuffy? This warm tea will loosen mucus in your sinuses and it contains antioxidants that may even help to shorten your cold too!

What makes Russian tea different? ›

It was traditionally composed of black tea with lemon and sugar, orange and pineapple juices, cinnamon, clove, honey, and lemon or orange wedges for garnish. It was typically afforded only by the elite at this time and enjoyed during the cold of winter as a way to warm up.

What do Russians put in their tea? ›

Traditionally-speaking, Russians preferred strong black tea from China with a heady aroma and they would let a spoonful of sugar or jam dissolve in their mouths just before drinking it.

What is Smoky Russian tea? ›

Inspired by the ancient classic Russian caravan tea that got its smoky flavour from the old tea trade routes, and the caravans evening campfires along them. This is a pinewood smoked Lapsang Souchong black tea. Blended with Formosa Oolong sourced from Taiwan & Mao Feng Keemun sourced from China.

What is Russian Ivan tea? ›

Russian Ivan Tea is a tea made by fermenting the willow herb plant also known in North America as fireweed.

What is Ivan tea made of? ›

This traditional Russian tea recipe uses rosebay willowherb, also known as bombweed, fireweed and blooming Sally. Print Choose your welcome gift when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife magazine! My favoured use for rosebay willowherb is in the preparation of Ivan's tea, or Koporye tea.

Why is Russian tea called Russian? ›

The tea takes its name from the black tea with lemon and sugar that was the preferred beverage of upper-class Russians in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, before becoming a Southern staple, handed down in church cookbooks for years.

What do Russians put in coffee? ›

Raf or raf coffee is a popular coffee drink in some countries of the former USSR, which appeared in the late 1990s. Prepared by adding cream and vanilla sugar to a single shot of espresso and then foaming the mix with a steam heater.

Do Russians drink coffee or tea? ›

Russians are often known as the tea-drinking people and there are different reasons for that. One of the stats has shown that around 78% of people love tea at least once a day. Some people like to have it with sweets and pastry which makes the tea break perfectly in every sense.

Why is it called Russian tea in USA? ›

Place of Origin

American recipes for the drink date back to the late 19th century, when according to Garden & Gun, well-to-do Yanks adopted the Russian style of serving tea with lemon and sugar. As the blog Yesterdish notes, the name Russian Tea initially referred to a simple iced brew with lemon.

Do Russians put milk in tea? ›

They drink tea with lemon and/or milk, they can add sugar or jam. Russians drink tea daily, sometimes around-the-clock, everywhere - and on any occasion.

How is tea drank in Russia? ›

Samovar: A samovar is a traditional Russian tea urn that is used to heat water and keep it hot for extended periods. It is often used to serve tea during social gatherings or family events. Glass holders: Russians typically drink tea from a glass, which is held in a metal holder called a "podstakannik".

Why do Russians drink black tea? ›

Black tea is the most traditional tea in Russia.

In past times, it was necessary - just to make it more high-calorie. In Soviet times, when there was a total deficit of sweet things, people used to drink tea while biting sugar cubes.

What is Russian black tea called? ›

Russian Caravan is a blend of oolong, keemun, and lapsang souchong teas. It is described as an aromatic and full-bodied tea with a sweet, malty, and smoky taste. Some varieties do not include lapsang souchong, and thus have a less smoky flavor, while others include assam tea.

Do Russians add milk to their tea? ›

A typical style of drinking tea in Russia is brewing tea using traditional tea thing "Samovar", and add jam in their tea. Adding milk in the tea is not very popular, however, there is one region in Russia where people add butter and milk in their tea.

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