Rooibos Tea: Cold-Steep Recipe, Detox Claims and Safety

Rooibos tea is a naturally caffeine-free herbal infusion that takes at least 2 hours 5 minutes to prepare and makes about 1 cup (240 mL). For another personalized recipe, try the AI detox recipe generator. You can also explore herbal detox tea for more ideas.

What is rooibos tea?

Rooibos tea is made from the leaves and stems of Aspalathus linearis, a plant native to South Africa. Traditional rooibos is oxidized during processing, giving the dried leaves their characteristic reddish-brown color. It is an herbal infusion, not a tea made from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.

Plain rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free. A blend containing rooibos and black or green tea may contain caffeine, so check the ingredient list if you want to avoid it.

How do you make rooibos tea?

This cold-steeped rooibos tea needs a clean container, a refrigerator and a strainer. The longer end of the steeping range gives the leaves more time to flavor the water.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Steep time: 2–4 hours
Total time: At least 2 hours 5 minutes
Yield: About 1 cup (240 mL)

Ingredients

2 g loose rooibos, about 1 teaspoon
240 mL drinking water, about 1 cup

Steps

Place the rooibos in a clean, covered cup or jar.
Pour in the water and cover the container.
Refrigerate for 2–4 hours, depending on how strong you like the flavor.
Strain out the rooibos and serve the tea chilled.

Keep the prepared rooibos tea covered and refrigerated, and drink it within 24 hours for best flavor. Discard it sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than a few hours.

For a larger batch, use the same proportion of rooibos and water and a clean container with enough room for both. Strain the leaves after steeping rather than leaving them in the container indefinitely; this also lets you adjust the flavor before serving.

What does rooibos tea do for detox?

Rooibos tea can contribute to your fluid intake, but there is no good evidence that it speeds up detoxification or removes toxins from the body. Its value as a drink is practical: it offers a caffeine-free way to have water with flavor.

Your liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification, while your lungs and gut also help eliminate waste. Sweat removes only trace amounts. Staying hydrated supports normal body function, but drinking rooibos tea does not replace the work these organs do.

Rooibos contains plant compounds often described as antioxidants. The presence of those compounds, or an effect observed in a laboratory, does not establish that a cup of rooibos tea has a particular health benefit. Read more about the evidence for rooibos tea benefits.

How much rooibos tea should you drink, and when?

There is no established amount of rooibos tea needed for detoxification. A cup can be part of your usual fluid intake; there is no reason to force yourself to drink large amounts for a supposed cleanse.

You can have plain rooibos tea at a time that suits you, including in the evening, because it is naturally caffeine-free. If your clinician has advised you to limit fluids, count rooibos tea toward that limit and follow their advice.

What are the side effects of rooibos tea?

Plain rooibos tea is generally consumed as a beverage, but individual reactions are possible. Stop drinking it if you notice a reaction, and seek urgent medical care for trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or want to give rooibos tea regularly to a young child, ask a health professional about its use because safety information is limited. If you take medicines or have a medical condition, check with a clinician or pharmacist before using concentrated rooibos products or drinking unusually large amounts regularly. See more on rooibos tea side effects.

Rooibos tea FAQs

Rooibos is sold both loose and in tea bags. The answers below cover its flavor, another common name and how to use a tea bag for this recipe.