Tim Hortons Apple Cinnamon Tea Recipe

Orange zest. Dried apple. Cinnamon stick. That’s it. Takes 20 minutes total, and most of that is just waiting for the steep.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Cinnamon Tea

Works when you want something warm but don’t need coffee hitting you at 3 pm. Vegan by default — no milk, no honey required. The cinnamon and apple thing tastes like fall even if it’s June. One dried apple slice is enough. Doesn’t get watered down or bitter. Cold the next day? Still works. Actually kind of good. You already have oranges around.

What You Need for Apple Cinnamon Tea

One orange — doesn’t matter if it’s big or small. Zest the whole thing, keep the pieces chunky. A dried apple slice. Like the ones from the bulk section, not a full apple. Cinnamon stick. The real kind, not ground. Ground tastes like nothing compared to a stick. Two hundred milliliters of hot water. That’s barely under a cup. One pinch of ground cardamom if you want it. Optional but it changes things.

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Tea

Zest the orange first — use a microplane if you have one, or just a regular box grater on the small side. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Pieces can be thick. Drop the zest into your cup, drop the dried apple slice in too. Then pour the 200 ml of boiling water over everything. The water should be actually hot — not just warm. Add the cinnamon stick. Cover it. Most people skip this but it matters. Keeps the steam in so the flavors don’t escape while you’re waiting.

How Long to Steep Apple Cinnamon Tea

Twelve to eighteen minutes is the window. Twelve if you like it lighter, closer to a hint of apple and spice. Eighteen if you want it strong, where you can actually taste the cinnamon like it’s coating your mouth. Start tasting at twelve. You’ll feel when it’s right. Longer than eighteen and it gets bitter — the cinnamon stick keeps giving even after the good stuff’s done. Pull the cinnamon stick out first. Then strain the orange peel and apple pieces. You want the liquid clear, no floating bits. Drink it hot or let it cool down. Both work.

Apple Cinnamon Tea Tips and What Goes Wrong

Don’t use boiling water that’s been sitting. It has to be actively hot when it hits the cup. Cold water won’t pull the flavor out, and lukewarm is worse than cold. Ground cardamom goes in at the end if you’re using it — after the steep. Not during. If you steep it the whole time it gets too strong. Tastes medicinal. The dried apple slice matters more than people think. Fresh apple doesn’t work here. Dried concentrates everything — the sweetness, the tartness. You could use two slices instead of one if you want it more apple-forward. Makes the whole thing taste like you actually planned ahead instead of grabbing whatever was in the cabinet.

Tim Hortons Apple Cinnamon Tea Recipe

By Emma Kitchen

Prep:

5 min

Cook:

15 min

Total:

20 min

Servings:

1 serving

Ingredients

• Zest from one orange
• 200 ml hot water
• 1 dried apple slice
• 1 cinnamon stick

Method

1. 1 Start with zesting orange, keep pieces intact.
2. 2 Place dried apple slice and orange zest in cup.
3. 3 Pour 200 ml boiling water over ingredients.
4. 4 Add cinnamon stick for spice.
5. 5 Cover to steep for about 12 to 18 minutes.
6. 6 Remove cinnamon stick and strain peels before drinking.
7. 7 Optional: add a pinch of ground cardamom for twist.

Nutritional information

Calories

15

Protein

0g

Carbs

4g

Fat

0g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Cinnamon Tea

Can I use fresh apple instead of dried? No. Fresh apple is mostly water. It dilutes into nothing. The dried kind is what makes this work.

Is this actually like Tim Hortons apple cinnamon tea? Closer than you’d think. Tim Hortons uses a tea blend base, so theirs is different. But the apple-cinnamon thing is there. This version tastes more like actual fruit and spice, less like a box.

How do I store dried apple slices? Airtight container. Cool place. They last forever practically. A year easy.

Can I make this without the orange zest? Technically yes. But don’t. The citrus is what makes it pop. Without it you’re just drinking hot apple and cinnamon, which is fine but flat.

What if I don’t have a cinnamon stick? Ground works. Use half a teaspoon. Stir it in at the end instead of steeping it. Tastes slightly different but still good. Just strain it before you drink or you’ll get sediment at the bottom.

Can I add honey or sugar? Yeah. The dried apple is already sweet though. Try it plain first. Most people end up not needing it.

Is this vegan? Yes. Nothing in it isn’t vegan. No milk, no honey, nothing.

Can I use dried cranberry with the apple? Haven’t tried it. Probably works. Would make it tarter. Use one slice apple, one small piece of cranberry. Not equal amounts or it gets too aggressive.