How to Make Guayusa Tea: Hot, Iced, Cold Brew and Powder

In the Ecuadorian Amazon, families have brewed guayusa before dawn for generations, gathered around the fire to share stories and plan the day. The good news for your kitchen: guayusa is an easy, forgiving leaf to brew. No special water temperature, no whisk, no timer anxiety.

This guide covers how to make guayusa tea every way we drink it at PACHA: hot, iced, cold brew, tea bags, instant, powder and Guayusa Cacao in a French press. There's a quick reference table at the end.

New to the leaf? Start with What Is Guayusa?

How to Make Hot Guayusa Tea (Loose Leaf)

This is the classic way to prepare guayusa tea, and it's how we recommend tasting it the first time.

1. Measure the leaf. Use 2 full (heaped) teaspoons of loose leaf guayusa per 8 oz cup.
2. Pour boiling water. Pour 8 oz of boiling water over the leaf.
3. Steep 5–10 minutes. Five minutes gives you a lighter cup; ten gives you a fuller, more earthy one.
4. Strain and enjoy. Use a filter, French press, teapot or strainer.

Want it stronger? Steep longer or add more leaf. That's the only rule.

What the lab says about steeping time. A 2024 study that brewed guayusa under controlled conditions found that longer infusions pulled more phenolic compounds (mainly chlorogenic acid and its relatives) into the water. The researchers used much longer steeps than you would at home, so take it simply as confirmation of what your taste buds already tell you: more time, fuller cup.

Our Guayusa Loose Leaf is a medium cut that steeps clean in a French press or teapot. It has a medium earthy aroma, a pleasant bitterness, a light floral note and a slight natural sweetness, with about 66 mg of caffeine per serving. One 2 lb bag makes roughly 225 cups at a 4 g serving.

How to Make Guayusa Iced Tea

Guayusa makes an excellent iced tea, and it's an easy batch to keep in the fridge.

1. Brew a hot cup or pot following the steps above (2 full teaspoons per 8 oz of boiling water, 5–10 minutes).
2. Strain the leaves out.
3. Let it cool to room temperature.
4. Add ice, or refrigerate until cold.

Making a pitcher? Just scale up: keep the same ratio of 2 full teaspoons per 8 oz of water.

Simple add-ins: a slice of lemon or orange, a few mint leaves, or a little honey while the tea is still warm. Guayusa's gentle sweetness means many people drink it plain.

How to Cold Brew Guayusa

Cold brew is the lowest-effort method of all. No heat, no kettle.

1. Add loose leaf guayusa to cold water in a jar or pitcher. Use the same ratio as hot tea as a starting point.
2. Stir.
3. Let it steep for at least 2 hours. You can leave it in the fridge longer if you want a stronger brew.
4. Strain and serve over ice.

How to Make Guayusa Tea With Tea Bags

Tea bags are the quickest way to brew guayusa at work, while traveling or any time you don't want to strain leaves.

Hot:

1. Place one bag in a mug.
2. Pour 8 oz of hot water over it.
3. Steep 5 minutes, or longer for a stronger cup.

Iced (cold steep):

1. Drop a bag into a glass or bottle of cold water.
2. Let it steep in the fridge.

Iced (quick): Steep one bag in a large glass of hot water, let it cool and pour it over ice.

Our Guayusa Tea Bags (100 ct) hold 2.5 g of leaf each, about 41 mg of caffeine per bag. They come without tags, strings or individual wrappers, so there's less waste. If you want a stronger, coffee-level cup, our 50-count box uses 5 g bags (about 82 mg each).

How to Make Instant Guayusa

For days without time to brew, Instant Guayusa Pure is 100% guayusa leaf in instant form, with no sugar or flavors added.

1. Add 1/4 teaspoon to 8 oz of hot or cold water.
2. Shake or stir for 30 seconds.
3. For a stronger drink, use a little more powder or a little less water.

Each serving has about 60 mg of caffeine, and it dissolves in cold water too, which makes it handy in a shaker bottle.

How to Use Guayusa Powder

Guayusa Powder is the whole leaf, ground fine. It's one of our strongest formats, at about 120 mg of caffeine per serving, with a strong earthy flavor and an intense but pleasant bitterness.

Blend it:

1. Add 1 full teaspoon to a smoothie, juice, yogurt, milk or water.
2. Blend or shake until smooth.

Brew it as hot tea:

1. Pour 8 oz of boiling water over 1 teaspoon.
2. Steep 5–10 minutes.
3. Filter.

Iced or cold brew: Cool the hot infusion and add ice, or steep the powder in cold water for 2+ hours, then filter.

Espresso-style: Brew it in a stovetop espresso maker for a short, strong guayusa shot.

For more ideas, see our guayusa powder and cacao recipes.

How to Brew Guayusa Cacao in a French Press

Guayusa Cacao blends guayusa leaf with fine-aroma Arriba cacao from Ecuador. It has a light cacao flavor with a floral finish and about 80 mg of caffeine per teaspoon. The French press is the best way to brew it.

For an 8-cup French press:

1. Warm the press with hot water, then discard the water.
2. Add 36 g (about 6 tablespoons) of Guayusa Cacao.
3. Fill with hot water and wait 6–9 minutes.
4. Press and pour right away into a carafe so it doesn't turn bitter.

For a stronger cup: grind it as coarse as breadcrumbs and press at 6 minutes. For iced: let it cool and pour over ice.

Quick Reference: How to Prepare Guayusa Tea by Format

*Caffeine figures come from our product listings. Steeping time and amount change the strength of every cup. For a deeper look, see how much caffeine is in guayusa.

A Few Easy Tips

• Store your guayusa in a sealed container, away from light and moisture.
• Mind the timing. Guayusa contains caffeine, so drink it when you'd drink coffee or tea, not right before bed.
• Know your limit. The FDA says up to 400 mg of caffeine a day is not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults. If you're pregnant, nursing, on medication or sensitive to caffeine, talk to your doctor first.

Many drinkers describe guayusa as a smoother, steadier-feeling lift than coffee. Everyone responds to caffeine differently, so start with one cup and see how it feels for you.

Find Your Format

If you're coming from Runa, which was discontinued in 2024, you can read what to drink instead. Otherwise, pick the method that fits your morning: a pot of loose leaf for slow weekends, tea bags for the office, or powder for your smoothie. However you brew it, it's the same Ancient Energy Amazonian families have shared for generations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you prepare guayusa tea?

Pour 8 oz of boiling water over 2 full teaspoons of loose leaf guayusa and steep for 5–10 minutes, then strain with a filter, French press, teapot or strainer. With tea bags, steep one bag in 8 oz of hot water for 5 minutes or longer. For a stronger cup, steep longer or use more leaf.

How long should I steep guayusa?

For loose leaf, steep 5–10 minutes in boiling water. Five minutes makes a lighter cup, ten a fuller and earthier one. Tea bags need about 5 minutes, or longer if you like it stronger. Cold brew takes at least 2 hours in cold water. Guayusa Cacao in a French press takes 6–9 minutes.

How do you make guayusa iced tea?

Brew guayusa hot (2 full teaspoons per 8 oz of boiling water, 5–10 minutes), strain it, let it cool to room temperature and pour it over ice, or refrigerate it. You can also cold brew the leaf directly in cold water for 2+ hours, or let a tea bag steep in a glass of cold water in the fridge.

Can you cold brew guayusa?

Yes. Put loose leaf guayusa straight into cold water, with no heat, stir and let it steep for at least 2 hours before straining. It's an easy overnight method: set it up in the fridge before bed and it's ready in the morning. Pour it over ice and add lemon or mint if you like.

How much guayusa powder should I use?

Use 1 full teaspoon of Guayusa Powder in a smoothie, juice, yogurt, milk or water, or steep 1 teaspoon in 8 oz of boiling water for 5–10 minutes and filter. Each serving has about 120 mg of caffeine, so it's one of the strongest ways to drink guayusa. You can also brew it in a stovetop espresso maker.