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🍋☕️Holiday Crock Pot Tea Recipe Simmered with Fruit

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Warm Slow Cooker Christmas Fruit Tea 🍵

christmas slow cooker fruit tea

This Holiday Crock Pot Tea is the ultimate seasonal beverage – it tastes amazing, and the aroma alone will make your entire house smell like Christmas!

This recipe combines the warmth of black tea with the sweet tartness of cranberries, raspberries, and fresh citrus fruit.

Making this tea in a slow cooker is incredibly easy, requiring minimal hands-on time.

It is the perfect holiday drink to serve for a cozy, quiet evening at home or as a beautiful, warming addition to any Christmas celebration.

Just set it and let it simmer to infuse those wonderful holiday flavors!

cup of christmas fruit tea

The California Citrus Aroma Boost 🍋🍊

One of the best parts of simmering this tea is the incredible fragrance that fills your home!

For an extra special touch, use fresh, local citrus, especially if you live in a warm climate like Southern California where lemons and limes thrive.

  • Backyard Freshness: If you have fresh lemons and limes growing in your backyard, or if a neighbor has offered their harvest, use them! The fresh oils in the peel will give this tea the most vibrant, fragrant aroma.
  • Farmer’s Market Finds: If you don’t grow your own, seek out local, unwaxed citrus at a farmer’s market.
  • The Secret Scent: As the tea simmers for two hours, the combination of the citrus zest, cranberries, and black tea creates an incomparable, long-lasting holiday scent throughout your home.

easy holiday crock pot tea

🍵⛄Holiday Crock Pot Tea Recipe Simmered with Fruit

Prep time: 10 minutes ⏰
Total time: 2 hours
Serves 6-8

🥣Ingredients

  • 2 t Loose Leaf Black Tea (or 4 standard black tea bags)
  • 2 cups Fresh Cranberries
  • 1 cup Cranberry Juice
  • 1 Whole Lime 🟢 (Sliced)
  • 2 Whole Lemons 🟡 (Sliced)
  • 1/2 cup Raspberries
  • 4–5 cups of water

🥄Supplies

  • Crock Pot or Slow Cooker (Any basic model works!)
  • Mesh Tea Ball (or a simple mesh strainer for loose leaf tea)
  • Chef Knife for slicing fruit

📝Instructions

  1. Prep Tea and Citrus: Slice the lemon and lime into thin rounds. If using loose leaf tea, place it into the mesh tea ball.
  2. Combine Ingredients: Place all ingredients (sliced fruit, tea ball/bags, cranberries, raspberries, cranberry juice, and water) into the slow cooker basin. Set the temperature to High.
  3. Simmer: Allow the mixture to simmer for about 2 hours. You will know it is ready when the liquid is deeply colored and your house smells absolutely amazing.
  4. Strain and Serve: Carefully strain the tea using a fine mesh strainer to remove the cooked fruit and tea leaves. Pour the warm tea into mugs or teacups.
  5. Garnish: Garnish each mug with a few fresh cranberries and a new slice of lemon or lime. Enjoy!

Flavor Swaps, Tea Tips, and Caffeine Control ☕️💡

Customize this tea to fit your taste preferences, dietary needs, and time of day!

Caffeine Control

  • Decaf Option: This tea tastes great with either regular or decaffeinated black tea. If you are serving this drink in the evening or to children, we recommend switching to decaffeinated black tea bags or loose leaf.
  • Herbal Swap: For a completely caffeine-free drink, you can experiment by swapping the black tea for a strong herbal tea like hibiscus or rooibos.

Tea Quality and Type

  • Loose Leaf vs. Bags: While any black tea works, a higher-quality loose leaf tea is often fresher and uses whole leaves, which can provide a more complex flavor when slow-simmered.
  • Using Tea Bags: If you use tea bags, remember that four bags are generally equivalent to two teaspoons of loose leaf tea.

Serving and Storage

  • Storage: Leftover tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is delicious served chilled over ice, too!
  • Garnish: Don’t skip the garnish! The sliced citrus not only looks beautiful but also releases fresh oils as the tea cools, enhancing the flavor.

Ready to Create a Memorable Holiday Beverage? ⬇️

This easy, warming recipe is a holiday must-have, filling your home with the sweet, tart, and comforting scents of the season.

It is the perfect centerpiece drink for any holiday gathering.

Will you use fresh backyard citrus, and did you opt for regular or decaf tea? 

holiday tea in crock pot

More from Mama Likes To Cook 

Festive and Fun Christmas Recipes

Tea Recipes

Holiday Party Punch for The Family

Cranberry Recipes

Warm Drinks

Truffles to Serve with Tea

Raspberry Recipes

Are you ready to have some delicious fun in the kitchen?

holiday cranberry slow cooker tea