Posted by Marco Graham on Sep 18th 2026
How to Make Mullein Tea (and Strain It Properly)
✿ From the Herb Shelf
How to Make Mullein Tea
Mullein tea is one of the simplest herbal teas you can make, with one step people often skip: straining it properly. Here is exactly how much leaf to use, how long to steep it, why it needs a fine strain, and five easy ways to blend it.
The Plant
What Is Mullein Tea?
Mullein tea is an herbal tea made from the dried leaves of common mullein (Verbascum thapsus), a tall biennial in the figwort family that grows along roadsides and field edges across Europe and North America. In its first year it forms a low rosette of thick, pale-green leaves covered in soft, velvety hairs; in its second it sends up a flowering spike that can reach six feet.
The leaf has been part of household herbal practice in Europe and Appalachia for centuries, brewed as a tea and used in steam bowls through the cold months. Mullein is not related to the tea plant, so mullein tea is naturally caffeine-free.
Taste
What Does Mullein Tea Taste Like?
Honestly, very little, and that is part of its appeal. Mullein brews a pale golden cup that tastes faintly of dry meadow hay with a light natural sweetness. It has no bitterness and no aftertaste, and its texture is slightly soft and silky on the tongue.
Because it is so mild, many people drink it with a spoonful of honey and a squeeze of lemon, or blend it with a more flavorful herb such as peppermint or elderflower. You will find five of our favorite combinations below.
Step by Step
How to Make Mullein Tea
This method uses dried, cut and sifted mullein leaf, like our Mullein Leaf. It makes one 8 oz mug; scale it up for a teapot.
1. Measure
1 to 2 teaspoons of dried mullein leaf per 8 oz of water. For a 32 oz teapot, use about 2 tablespoons.
2. Pour
Pour just-boiled water over the leaves. Mullein is a sturdy leaf and happy with hot water.
3. Cover and steep
Cover the cup and steep 10 to 15 minutes. Mullein gives up its body slowly, so a short steep tastes thin.
4. Strain twice
Strain once through your infuser or basket, then again through a coffee filter or fine cloth to catch the fine leaf hairs.
Sweeten with honey if you like. Mullein tea is good hot and can also be chilled and served over ice.
The Step People Skip
Why Mullein Tea Must Be Strained Well
Mullein leaves are covered in tiny hairs. Once the leaf is cut and steeped, some of those hairs float free in the water, and they are too fine for most tea baskets to catch. In the cup they can leave a scratchy, tickly feeling in the mouth and throat.
- Best: pour the tea through an unbleached coffee filter set in a funnel or pour-over cone.
- Also good: a piece of clean muslin, cheesecloth folded several times, or a fine nut-milk bag.
- Not enough on its own: a standard mesh tea ball or wide-hole infuser basket. Use it for the first strain, then filter again.
- Tip: brew in a paper tea filter bag from the start, and you only need to strain once.
Recipes
5 Mullein Tea Blends to Try
Mullein is a base, not a headline. Because it brings body and almost no flavor of its own, it lets a sharper herb sit on top. Every herb below is on our dried herbs shelf.
Mullein & Peppermint
3 parts mullein to 1 part peppermint. The menthol lifts the cup and gives it a clean finish.
Mullein & Elderflower
2 parts mullein to 1 part elderflower. Honeyed and floral: a gentle, old-fashioned cup for a cold evening.
Mullein & Marshmallow Leaf
Equal parts mullein and marshmallow leaf. Two soft, silky leaves: smooth, mild and easy to drink.
Mullein & Thyme
Mullein with just a pinch of thyme. Thyme adds the sharp, savory edge mullein lacks.
Honey & Lemon
Plain mullein tea with a spoonful of honey and a squeeze of lemon: the simplest classic.
Beyond the Cup
How to Make a Mullein Steam
Mullein is also traditionally used in steam bowls. Put a tablespoon of dried mullein leaf in a heat-proof bowl, pour over steaming-hot water, drape a towel over your head and the bowl, close your eyes and breathe gently for about five minutes. For a brighter steam, add a few eucalyptus leaves.
Keep the bowl on a stable surface, keep your face well back from the water, and keep children and pets away from hot water.
Tradition
What Is Mullein Tea Traditionally Used For?
In folk herbal practice, mullein has long been a cold-season herb: brewed as a warm tea through damp winter months and used in steam bowls. Its soft, mucilaginous leaf is the reason it became a household staple, and its mild taste made it easy to blend.
That is history and tradition rather than a medical claim. Mullein tea is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and if you are unwell you should follow your healthcare provider’s advice.
Safety
Mullein Tea Safety and Side Effects
- Always strain finely. The leaf hairs can irritate the mouth and throat.
- Use the leaves. Mullein tea is made from the leaves (and sometimes the flowers), not the seeds.
- Plant allergies: mullein is in the figwort family. If you react to related plants, start with a small amount.
- Pregnancy and nursing: talk with your healthcare provider before drinking mullein regularly.
- Children: mullein is not well studied for long-term daily use in children; check with a pediatric provider first.
- Medication or health conditions: check with your healthcare provider before adding any new herb to your routine.
FAQ
Mullein Tea FAQ
Is mullein tea caffeine-free?
Yes. Mullein is an herb, not the tea plant, so mullein tea contains no caffeine.
How long should I steep mullein tea?
10 to 15 minutes, covered. Mullein releases its body slowly, so shorter steeps taste thin.
How much mullein do I use per cup?
1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaf per 8 oz of water, or about 2 tablespoons for a 32 oz pot.
Do I really need to strain mullein tea twice?
Yes, unless you brew it in a paper filter bag. The fine leaf hairs pass through most mesh infusers and can irritate your throat.
Can I drink mullein tea every day?
Many people drink it regularly through the colder months. Because long-term daily use has not been well studied, talk with your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or giving it to children.
Can I use fresh mullein leaves?
You can, but they are harder to strain and you need to be certain of the plant. Dried, cut and sifted leaf is easier to measure and strain.
How should I store dried mullein?
In an airtight jar away from light, heat and moisture. It keeps its character for about a year; judge by smell.
Where can I buy mullein leaf?
Our Mullein Leaf comes in 0.5 oz and 1 oz bags, cut and sifted and packed to order. An ounce is a large bag and makes roughly 25 to 40 cups.
✿ Ready to Brew
Start With a Bag of Mullein Leaf
Cut and sifted, packed to order in 0.5 oz and 1 oz sizes. Pair it with peppermint, elderflower or marshmallow leaf, or browse all of our dried herbs, or read our guide to lemon balm tea.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.