Quick Answer
The best Christmas tea for most tables is a spiced black tea: Beach House Starboard Spice is black tea with cinnamon, orange peel and cloves, and its maker calls it a holiday blend. For a dessert cup, pour Culinary Teas Vienna Eggnog. For an evening cup that its brand lists as caffeine free, brew Plum Deluxe White Chocolate Peppermint or August Silent Night.
Below are all eight Christmas teas we recommend for the 2026 holiday season, what is in each one and when it suits, three advent calendars and gift sets, a table of holiday tea flavors, a caffeine guide and a recipe for a crowd. You can also explore the full Christmas tea collection, the Christmas tea gifts and the tea advent calendars.
How We Picked
We compared the holiday teas we carry on five things:
- The flavor it stands for — the list covers the Christmas flavors: spiced black tea, eggnog, peppermint, chocolate, citrus and spice, apple and cinnamon.
- Base and caffeine — black tea for the morning of the holidays, rooibos and herbal blends for the evening and for a mixed table.
- What is actually in the blend — ingredients and allergens as the brand lists them, not as the name suggests.
- Format — loose leaf tea, tea bags and sachets are all here, because a tin of sachets is easier to serve to guests and easier to give.
- Stock — every tea here was in stock when this guide was written, and we drop anything that sells out.
Flavor notes come from each blend’s ingredients and the producer’s own description. One tea per brand, so the list covers eight different blenders.
Christmas Teas at a Glance
# |
Tea |
Best for |
Base |
Caffeine |
From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Beach House Starboard Spice Black Tea |
The classic spiced cup |
Black tea |
Caffeinated |
$16.00 |
2 |
Tea with Tae Winter Bliss |
A cup for every guest |
White, black and green tea |
Caffeinated |
$35.00 |
3 |
Culinary Teas Vienna Eggnog Black Tea |
Eggnog flavor in a tea cup |
Black tea |
Caffeinated |
$6.99 |
4 |
Plum Deluxe White Chocolate Peppermint Herbal Tea |
A peppermint dessert cup |
Rooibos and honeybush |
Caffeine free, per the brand |
$8.99 |
5 |
Piper and Leaf Mistletoe Grove Herbal Tea |
Citrus and spice for the whole table |
Green rooibos |
Caffeine free |
$13.99 |
6 |
Harney & Sons Williamsburg Holiday Heritage Black Tea |
Apple and cinnamon in a tin |
Black tea |
Caffeinated |
$17.99 |
7 |
August Uncommon Tea Silent Night Chocolate Nutmeg Rooibos |
Chocolate and nutmeg for the evening |
Rooibos and honeybush |
Caffeine free, per the brand |
$14.09 |
8 |
Leaves of Leisure Snow Angel Herbal Tea |
A cool mint cup after dinner |
Mint and herbs |
Caffeine free |
$20.99 |
8 Best Christmas Teas in 2026
Each holiday tea below comes from a different brand, and each was in stock when we checked.
1. Beach House Starboard Spice Black Tea – Best spiced black tea
What’s in it: Organic black tea with organic cinnamon chips, organic orange peel and organic cloves, as the pouch label lists them. The label also lists “pure extract” and does not say of what. Beach House blends it by hand on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula and calls it its holiday blend.
How it tastes: The warmth of spice with the zing of citrus, in the brand’s words. The label reads “contains caffeine”.
When to pour it: Enjoy it on the morning of the holiday, or with something buttery from the cookie tin, which is the pairing the brand suggests. The brand steeps a heaping teaspoon for four to six minutes; add milk and sugar if you like.
2. Tea with Tae Winter Bliss – Best tea for a houseful of guests
What’s in it: Three teas in one sachet: Pai Mu Tan white tea, Ceylon black tea and Chinese green tea, blended with coconut, cinnamon chips and chocolate, as the brand lists them for this bag. Tea with Tae’s pages for other formats of the same blend also list almonds and hazelnuts, so skip it if you avoid tree nuts.
How it tastes: Lightly sweet and earthy, with chocolate and vanilla notes, in the brand’s words. Tea with Tae calls it Christmas in a cup and rates the caffeine as high.
When to pour it: A house full of people: family gatherings, open houses, the office party. The bag holds 50 pyramid sachets, each wrapped on its own, so guests can make a cup whenever they like. The brand steeps one for five to six minutes in 8 oz of boiling water.
3. Culinary Teas Vienna Eggnog Black Tea – Best eggnog tea
What’s in it: Black tea with cinnamon and ginger pieces, clove and natural flavors. The eggnog taste comes from the flavoring: the brand lists no egg or cream, and does not say what the natural flavors are made of. Culinary Teas says its teas are packed at a facility that may use nuts or nut extracts.
How it tastes: Sweet caramel with a light cinnamon and ginger finish, as the brand describes it. Culinary Teas rates the caffeine as high.
When to pour it: Perfect with the cookie plate, or after dinner with a splash of milk. The brand counts 10 to 12 cups per ounce and steeps the tea four to six minutes.
4. Plum Deluxe White Chocolate Peppermint Herbal Tea – Best peppermint dessert tea
What’s in it: Red rooibos, honeybush, peppermint, cocoa nibs, coconut flakes and white chocolate essence. Plum Deluxe blends by hand in Portland, Oregon, in a facility that also handles tree nuts, and lists the blend as having no caffeine. The brand says its teas are vegan and dairy free.
How it tastes: Creamy vanilla, peppermint and rooibos, in the brand’s words. The brand adds no sweetener; the coconut gives the blend a touch of sweetness.
When to pour it: A cozy cup after dinner, which is when the brand says it is a favorite. One ounce brews 15 to 20 cups by the brand’s count.
5. Piper and Leaf Mistletoe Grove Herbal Tea – Best citrus and spice tea without caffeine
What’s in it: Green rooibos with apples, orange and lemon rind, cinnamon, ginger, hibiscus, lemongrass, rosehips and peppermint, finished with lemon oil and blood orange oil. Piper and Leaf is a family tea company from north Alabama, and lists the blend as caffeine free.
How it tastes: Citrus, spice, warm and sweet, as the brand puts it: a gingery, lightly spiced rooibos.
When to pour it: Perfect to share at a mixed family table, since the brand lists it as caffeine free. Nine pyramid sachets come in a hand-printed muslin bag, and the brand steeps one for seven minutes in 10 to 12 oz of boiling water.
6. Harney & Sons Williamsburg Holiday Heritage Black Tea – Best apple and cinnamon tea in a gift tin
What’s in it: Black tea with orange peel, apple pieces, ground cinnamon, cinnamon pieces and ground cloves, plus cinnamon and apple flavors. Harney notes that it contains natural flavors, and says purchases of its Williamsburg teas support the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
How it tastes: Spicy and sweet in the aroma, cinnamon and apple in the cup, medium-bodied: that is how Harney describes it. The brand lists it as caffeinated.
When to pour it: Perfect when the tea is also the present. The festive tin holds 20 sachets, and each one brews a 12 oz cup in five minutes.
7. August Uncommon Tea Silent Night Chocolate Nutmeg Rooibos – Best chocolate tea for the evening
What’s in it: South African rooibos and honeybush with cacao shell, Indian nutmeg, marigold flowers and flavors of chestnut, hazelnut and chocolate. August blends its teas in Germany and lists this one as caffeine free. The brand packs in a facility that also handles dairy, gluten and other allergens.
How it tastes: Chocolate ganache, nutmeg and shortbread, in the brand’s words. August says milk brings out a creamy sweetness that recalls eggnog.
When to pour it: A cozy cup late on a winter night. The 15 cup bag holds 50 grams, and the brand uses 3.5 grams, about two teaspoons, for a 10 oz cup.
8. Leaves of Leisure Snow Angel Herbal Tea – Best mint tea after dinner
What’s in it: Peppermint and spearmint leaves with rosehip pieces, ginger, rooibos, hibiscus and rose, calendula and osmanthus petals. Leaves of Leisure is a woman-owned brand from New York, and lists the blend as caffeine free.
How it tastes: A crisp mint blend, in the brand’s words. Its flavor notes are peppermint, rosehip and spearmint.
When to pour it: Enjoy it as the last cup of the evening, when the table wants something light and cool. The canister holds 15 tea bags, and the brand steeps one for five minutes in boiling water.
Tea Advent Calendars and Gift Sets
A tea gift does not have to be a Christmas blend. An advent calendar is a way to celebrate the season one cup at a time, and a box of several teas is the safe choice when you do not know what the other person drinks.
These three are the ones we would wrap, and all three were in stock when this guide was written. The rest are in the Christmas tea gifts and the tea gift sets.
Tea with Tae Bestsellers Tea Bento Box – Best gift box when you do not know their taste
What’s inside: Six mini tubes with five pyramid sachets each, 30 sachets in all: Calming Tea, Jasmine Green, Lavender Earl Grey, Nighttime Routine, Spa Bliss and Tae’s Chai. Three of the six are caffeine free and three are not. The brand calls the box its modern take on the Japanese bento box.
Who it suits: Perfect for anyone whose taste you are guessing at. It is not a Christmas blend: it is six different teas, so there is a good chance one of them lands.
Harney & Sons 12 Days of Tea Winter Countdown – Best short countdown
What’s inside: Twelve doors, twelve teas and two tea bags behind each door: 24 tea bags in all. The box holds spiced black teas such as Hot Cinnamon Spice and Chai next to classics such as English Breakfast, Organic Earl Grey Supreme, Paris, Japanese Sencha, Organic Green with Citrus & Ginkgo, Egyptian Chamomile and Organic Peppermint.
Who it suits: Perfect for someone who would enjoy a countdown but not 24 days of it. It comes in a green box and a red box; the red one swaps Lemon Herbal for Harney’s Holiday tea, which lists almond flavor. Three of the twelve teas in the red box are herbal and marked caffeine free: Egyptian Chamomile, Organic Peppermint and Raspberry Herbal. The black and green teas are not.
Piper and Leaf 24 Teas of Advent – Best full advent calendar
What’s inside: A complete advent calendar: 24 blends, two tea bags a day, 48 in all. Each day you pull a small “book” off a reusable advent shelf: inside are the two tea bags, a story, poem, verse or song and an activity. The brand describes the mix as black teas, green teas and herbal blends, some with caffeine and some without, and does not publish the list of teas.
Who it suits: A household that wants a daily ritual to celebrate Advent from December 1. The calendar mixes teas with and without caffeine and the brand does not publish the list, so read each day’s tea bag before you pour it for a child. The readings are Christian in theme, which is worth knowing before you give it.
What Makes a Tea a Christmas Tea?
Christmas tea is not a category with a rule behind it. It is a habit of the holiday season: tea blended with warming spices, festive fruit and the aromas of holiday baking, the same cinnamon, clove and orange that go into the cookies and the mulled drinks. Shops sell these festive blends as Christmas tea or as holiday tea, and the two names mean the same shelf.
Seven flavors cover almost everything on the holiday tea shelf. Spiced does not mean hot here: these spices are aromatic and sweet, not peppery. Dessert teas go one step further and borrow from holiday baking itself: eggnog, gingerbread and chocolate.
Holiday flavor |
What it brings to the cup |
Usual base |
Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
Cinnamon, clove and orange peel |
The classic spiced Christmas blend, sweet and citrus at once |
Black tea |
|
Peppermint |
Cool and sweet, the candy cane note |
Herbal blends, rooibos or black tea |
|
Eggnog and vanilla |
A creamy, custard-like sweetness that comes from flavoring |
Black tea or rooibos |
|
Ginger and gingerbread |
Baking spice with a gentle warmth |
Black tea or rooibos |
|
Chocolate |
Cocoa nibs or cacao shell, a dessert in a cup |
Rooibos or black tea |
|
Cranberry and apple |
Tart fruit that lifts a heavy spice blend |
Black, white or herbal tea |
|
Chai |
Cardamom, ginger and pepper over a strong tea |
Black tea |
Peppermint has its own guide: see the best peppermint teas. For the dessert side of the season, the best chocolate teas go deeper.
Caffeine in Christmas Tea
The base decides who at the table can drink a holiday tea and when. A spiced black tea suits the morning the presents are opened; a rooibos with the same warming spices suits the night before.
Base |
Caffeine |
On this list |
|---|---|---|
Black tea |
Typically 40–70 mg in an 8 oz cup |
Starboard Spice, Vienna Eggnog, Williamsburg Holiday Heritage |
White, black and green tea together |
High, as the brand rates it; no figure given |
Winter Bliss |
Rooibos and honeybush |
No tea leaf; the brands list these as caffeine free. Cocoa in two of them adds a trace |
White Chocolate Peppermint, Mistletoe Grove, Silent Night |
Mint, rosehip and ginger herbal blend |
None, as the brand lists it |
Snow Angel |
The black tea range is a typical one for an 8 oz cup, and steeping time moves it: a longer steep pulls more caffeine out of the leaf. Black tea left too long also turns bitter, so for a stronger cup use more leaf, not more minutes.
Two of the caffeine free blends here contain cocoa: cocoa nibs in White Chocolate Peppermint and cacao shell in Silent Night. Their brands list both as caffeine free. Cocoa carries a little caffeine of its own, so if you avoid it strictly, choose Mistletoe Grove or Snow Angel, which have neither tea leaf nor cocoa.
Caffeine Free Christmas Teas for the Evening
December evenings are long, and a holiday table usually holds someone who does not drink caffeine after noon. Herbal tea is the answer: holiday tea with no tea leaf in it, built on rooibos, mint, fruit and spice.
Four of the eight teas above are listed as caffeine free by their brands: White Chocolate Peppermint and Silent Night for dessert, Mistletoe Grove for citrus and spice, and Snow Angel for mint. The two dessert blends contain cocoa, as the caffeine note above explains.
Rooibos is the base to look for in a cozy evening cup. It takes cinnamon, orange and chocolate as well as black tea does, and it does not turn bitter if the pot sits while you talk. The rooibos teas and the wider caffeine free collection hold the rest, and the decaf teas are there if you want real black tea with most of the caffeine taken out.
Christmas Tea Recipe for a Crowd
This is one of the simplest holiday recipes there is, and the pot to put on the stove when the house is full of family. It is a warm way to celebrate with a crowd, with no alcohol in it. Plain black tea, whole spices and an orange: it tastes like the holidays and needs nothing you cannot find in a grocery store. As written it makes about eight 8 oz cups.
Ingredients
- 8 cups of water, which is 64 fluid ounces or 2 quarts
- 8 teaspoons of loose leaf black tea, about 16 grams, or 8 tea bags
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 oranges, sliced
- Honey or sugar, served at the table rather than stirred in
Instructions
- Simmer the water and spices. Bring the water, cinnamon, cloves and the slices of one orange to a low simmer and hold it there for ten minutes.
- Steep the tea off the heat. Take the pot off the burner, add the tea and steep four minutes. Black tea left on a simmer turns bitter.
- Strain and serve. Strain into a warmed teapot or a thermal carafe, or back into the pot over the lowest heat. Add a fresh slice from the second orange to each cup.
- Sweeten in the cup. Guests differ, so leave the honey on the table and let each add their own. A teaspoon of sugar adds about 16 calories; the tea itself has almost none.
For a caffeine free pot, swap the black tea for rooibos and steep five to seven minutes. Any of the spiced black teas above works in place of plain black tea; leave out the cinnamon and cloves if the blend already has them.
As a Christmas Tea Latte
Eggnog, chocolate and chai blends all take milk. Brew the tea double strength, 1 teaspoon of leaf or one tea bag in 4 ounces of water, for five minutes. Add 4 ounces of steamed milk and a dusting of ground cinnamon or nutmeg. Citrus blends such as Mistletoe Grove are better without milk.
How to Choose a Christmas Tea
- Start from the flavor you love. Gingerbread, candy cane, eggnog, a clove-studded orange: pick the one you want in a cup and find it in the flavor table above.
- Read the base, not the name. Black tea for the morning, rooibos and herbal tea for the evening and for anyone at the table who skips caffeine.
- Check the ingredient list. Dessert blends use coconut, nut flavors and chocolate, and the product page lists what the brand declares.
- Pick the format for the occasion. Keep your guests in mind. Loose leaf tea gives you whole spices and the most cups per ounce. Tea bags and sachets are easier when guests make their own cup.
- Brew it the way the package says. Black holiday tea wants water just off the boil, 200 to 212°F, for three to five minutes; rooibos and herbal blends take five to seven. When the brand prints a time, follow it.
- Buy a small size first. A 1 oz bag makes ten cups or more, which is enough to learn whether the blend belongs on your table.
- Order early. Festive blends are seasonal, and a holiday tea can go out of stock before the holidays. If one matters to your table or your gift list, order it in November.
FAQ
What is the best tea to drink for Christmas?
A spiced black tea is the place to start: black tea with cinnamon, clove and orange peel. It is strong enough for milk and for a plate of cookies. For a cozy evening, choose a rooibos or peppermint blend, which has no tea leaf in it.
What is Christmas tea?
Christmas tea, also sold as holiday tea, is a seasonal blend, not a regulated category. It is usually black tea or rooibos mixed with warming spices and fruit: cinnamon, clove, orange peel, ginger, cardamom, apple or vanilla. Each brand has its own recipe, so two Christmas teas can taste quite different.
Does Christmas tea have caffeine?
It depends on the base. A Christmas blend built on black tea has caffeine, typically 40 to 70 mg in an 8 oz cup. Blends built on rooibos, peppermint or fruit and spice, with no tea leaf, have none, though cocoa in a blend adds a trace. Read the base on the label, because the name alone will not tell you.
What are good tea presents for Christmas?
A tin of holiday tea sachets, a tea advent calendar or a box of several teas. Sachets and tea bags are the easy choice for someone who does not own an infuser. A box of several teas works when you do not know what the other person drinks.
Can you make Christmas tea ahead for a party?
Yes. Brew a large pot and strain out the leaves, spices and fruit, because black tea turns bitter as it sits. Hold the tea at 140°F or above, checked with a thermometer, in a pot over low heat or in a slow cooker. A thermal carafe cools over time, so use it for serving. Refrigerate leftover tea within two hours, or within one hour in a room above 90°F.
Final Notes
However you celebrate the season, two teas cover it. If you buy one holiday tea, make it a spiced black tea for the day itself. If you buy two, add a rooibos or peppermint blend with no tea leaf in it for the evening, and the whole table is covered for the holidays. More festive blends are in the Christmas tea collection, and small gifts are in the tea stocking stuffers.
Prices, stock and ingredients were checked at tasteoftea.com in October 2026. The black tea caffeine range is a typical one for an 8 oz cup and varies with the blend and the steeping time. Where a brand rates its own tea, we quote the brand.
Behind the Cup
