Lemon Balm Recipe for Weight Loss: Easy Tea + Evidence

This lemon balm recipe for weight loss is a lemony herbal tea you can make with fresh or dried leaves. Research has not established that the brewed tea causes weight loss. Here you’ll find a practical recipe and a clear explanation of that distinction.

Published June 29, 2025.

At a glance: 5 minutes prep and water heating · 5–7 minutes steeping · allow about 12 minutes total · 1 serving, made with 1 cup of water. Heating time varies by kettle.

General information only; this recipe is not medical advice or a treatment plan. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or managing a medical condition, ask a qualified clinician or pharmacist about using lemon balm.

Does Lemon Balm Tea Help With Weight Loss?

The distinction is between a brewed drink and a studied product. A 12-week trial in adults with type 2 diabetes and depressive symptoms tested a lemon balm extract; the difference in weight and BMI changes between groups was not statistically significant. It did not test this tea. See the clinical trial and its limitations.

The European Medicines Agency’s melissa leaf summary describes traditional medicinal uses and distinguishes them from proven clinical effectiveness. It does not list weight loss as a use. That traditional-use information does not establish a fat-burning effect for this cup. Honey and lemon add flavor; they do not turn it into a weight-loss treatment.

Choose the Right Leaves

Lemon balm is Melissa officinalis, a mint-family herb, as identified by Kew’s plant reference. Buy food-grade leaves clearly labeled with that name. Do not brew an unidentified garden plant. Lemon balm and lemongrass are different ingredients; for the latter, use our fresh lemongrass tea recipe and its own method.

Choose clean fresh leaves or food-grade dried leaves. Discard anything moldy or spoiled. Fresh leaves need rinsing; dried leaves need measuring. Extracts, essential oils, tinctures, and supplement powders are outside this recipe and should not replace the leaves.

Fresh, Dried, and Optional Flavor Swaps

This recipe keeps its established fresh-to-dried volume ratio of 2:1. It falls within the general herb amounts in Oregon State University’s Food Hero herbal tea guide. It is a starting point for flavor, not a medicinal dose or a universal conversion for every herb. The full ingredient amounts appear once, in the printable recipe card.

Keep the recipe simple if you want to taste the lemon balm itself. For a separate drink with a sharper ginger flavor, try lemon ginger turmeric tea, rather than treating those ingredients as required additions here.

Why This Infusion Works

Steeping means leaving the leaves in hot water, then removing them; there is no need to simmer this tea. In a laboratory study of lemon balm brewing conditions, researchers prepared a hot infusion with boiled water for five minutes and measured differences in its composition. That supports hot infusion as a real preparation method, but it does not prove a weight-loss benefit or establish a perfect taste for every batch.

A saucer or lid limits heat and steam escaping during the steep. Check the aroma and taste at the shorter end of the range, then remove the leaves when the flavor suits you. The card allows the full seven-minute steep in its timing. A heat-safe mug with room above the water makes pouring and removing an infuser easier.

Flavor Cues and Troubleshooting

Pale tea: color varies with the leaves and brewing strength. Look for a lemon-herbal aroma and taste the tea carefully; chasing a darker color can make a cup stronger than you want.

Weak flavor: give the leaves the stated steeping time, then check whether they still smell aromatic. For the next cup, try fresher leaves before increasing the amount. Avoid adding several herbs at once, which makes it harder to identify what changed.

Too strong or harsh: remove the leaves and dilute the brewed tea with a little hot water. Next time, check the dried-leaf conversion and taste at five minutes. Extra honey changes sweetness, rather than fixing an overly strong infusion.

Leaves in the drink: use a fine-mesh strainer if you brewed them loose. An infuser makes removal easier, but small pieces may still need straining.

Lemon Balm Tea Recipe

The printable card contains the ingredient amounts and complete method for one serving. Use the fresh or dried option, then choose whether to add honey and lemon.

Lemon Balm Tea Recipe

Amanda S

A lemony herbal tea made with fresh or dried lemon balm leaves and optional honey and lemon. Brew one serving; lemon balm tea has not been shown to cause weight loss.

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Servings 1 cup

Equipment

• 1 Heat-safe mug or pitcher Choose a vessel larger than the total amount of water, with room above it; use a saucer or lid to cover it.
• 1 Tea infuser or fine-mesh strainer Use an infuser for easy leaf removal, or strain loose leaves.
• 1 Kettle or small saucepan For bringing the water to a boil.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon balm leaves or half this volume of dried lemon balm leaves
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon honey optional
• 1 slice lemon optional

Instructions

 

• Rinse fresh lemon balm leaves under running water. If using dried leaves, measure them instead. While preparing the leaves, bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat.
  2 tablespoons fresh lemon balm leaves, 1 cup boiling water
  
• Put the leaves in a tea infuser inside a heat-safe mug, or place them loose in the mug. Choose a vessel larger than the total amount of water so there is room above it. For scaled batches, use a suitably sized heat-safe pitcher or brew separate cups.
  2 tablespoons fresh lemon balm leaves
  
• Pour the boiling water over the leaves and cover the mug with a saucer or lid. Steep for 5 minutes, then taste carefully. If you prefer a stronger cup, continue up to 7 minutes total. Look for a lemon-herbal aroma and a flavor you enjoy; color alone does not indicate strength. Do not simmer the leaves.
  2 tablespoons fresh lemon balm leaves, 1 cup boiling water
  
• Remove the infuser or strain out the loose leaves. Stir in the optional honey and add the optional lemon slice to taste. Allow the tea to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature and serve warm.
  1 teaspoon honey, 1 slice lemon
  

Lemon Balm Tea Recipe

Notes

The recipe makes one serving from 1 cup of water; the amount poured after straining may be slightly smaller. Dried leaves replace fresh leaves at half the volume. The listed total allows 5 minutes to prepare and heat the water and the full 7-minute steep; kettle speed varies. Honey and lemon are optional flavor additions, not weight-loss ingredients.

For iced tea, strain first, then refrigerate in a clean covered container within 2 hours. Add ice when serving; it will dilute the flavor.

Nutrition is not listed because recipe-specific data for the strained lemon balm infusion are unavailable. Optional honey and lemon change the nutrition.

Keyword how to make lemon balm tea, lemon balm recipe, lemon balm tea recipe

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Iced Tea and Leftovers

For a cold drink, strain the tea before chilling it and add ice when serving. Ice dilutes the flavor, so taste before adding more. Refrigerate leftovers in a clean covered container within two hours, following the Food Hero storage guidance. This recipe is intended for a small batch; no tested shelf life or freezer duration is claimed.

Prefer a cold infusion with a different flavor? See our pear and fennel infused water for that preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions