Homemade Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea Recipe (with 80% LESS SUGAR)

This is my second time writing this post. Because I had it fully done before, and then my computer up and restarted, erasing the entire thing. Obviously, Satan doesn’t want you knowing this homemade Starbucks Medicine Ball recipe, because it’s of the Lord and 80% LESS SUGAR. But not today, Satan. ICYMI, Starbucks’ Medicine Ball is quite the hot drink. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s probably because it’s not on the menu. At least…not the menu you see on the board behind the baristas. It’s on Starbucks underground Secret menu.

I’ve been a Medicine Ball gal from the get go. They’ve always been one of my fave treats, especially on rainy days or whenever I’m feeling under the weather (awesome branding on their part – ha!). I’d get mine with Teavana Youthberry tea instead of the Peach Tranquility sometimes, and it’s SO YUM. J’s a more recent Medicine Ball convert, and we ended up getting a few a week (oops). Granted, they’re not the biggest buck on the menu; a venti might only be 3 bucks, while a venti latte will cost at least $5. But, the dollah dollah bills still add up, yo! Especially for tea – it’s a drink that can 100% be done at home for less. So.

Here’s what’s in Starbucks’ original Medicine Ball tea nutritionally (note the sugar content):

Aiiiiiight…so a Grande is 16 ounces. The original Medicine Ball has 33 grams of sugar in a 16 ounce cup (likely from the lemonade + honey). Inside is:

1 bag Teavana Jade Citrus Mint tea
1 bag Teavana Peach Tranquility tea
Half hot water
Half steamed lemonade
2 packets of honey

We took it upon ourselves to master a homemade Starbucks Medicine Ball recipe of our own, to curb the cost + lighten the load of sugar that was happening every time we thought we’d be “healthy” by drinking tea, inevitably forgetting the lemonade part. 😉 We use a store brand organic light lemonade that ends up being only 6.75 grams of sugar in a grande (as opposed to 33 – literally 20% the sugar content!). I’ve seen some homemade Starbucks Medicine Ball recipe online that use straight up lemon juice in water, but I’d imagine that would be a bit too tart for my liking, or too watered down of a drink at that point (since it’s mixed with hot water already).

Our own homemade Starbucks Medicine Ball is juuuuuust the right combo of sweet/not. J + I both drink it out while my mom likes it cold – it works either way!