Spiced Lemon-Honey Hot Toddy
A warm, soothing drink combining lemon, honey, and warming spices to ease cold symptoms and congestion. This American-inspired recipe, ready in about 15 minutes, brings together water, fresh lemon juice, raw honey for a refreshing, crowd-pleasing drink — a bright, easy pour for parties, gatherings, or any warm-weather afternoon when you want something festive without alcohol-only options. Each serving lands at about 80 calories and feeds 1, so it works for entertaining, brunch, or a non-alcoholic option at the bar cart. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 fresh ginger slices
- 1 cup hot water
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves, and 3 fresh ginger slices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the spices.
- Step 2: Strain the spiced water into a mug, discarding the solids.
- Step 3: Add 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1 tbsp raw honey to the mug, stirring until the honey dissolves completely.
- Step 4: Pour in 1 cup additional hot water to desired temperature and stir gently. Sip slowly to soothe throat and clear congestion.
