How to Make Banana Tea for Sleep (2 Banana Peel Tea Recipes) (2024)

Last Updated on February 12, 2024

In pursuit of a good night’s sleep? Try unwinding with some banana peel tea, rich in compounds that support restful sleep. Here’s what to know about how to make banana tea for sleep with nutmeg for added flavor and sleep support.

WASTE NOT WANT NOT WITH BANANA PEEL TEA FOR SLEEP!

Love the idea of a tasty drink that may help you sleep better tonight? Love it even more if it’s basically free?

One of the first rules of green living is cutting waste wherever possible. Putting something that most folks toss in the trash to use in the kitchen and home remedy toolkit is one way to get more out of the resources you bring into your home.

Want others? Check out this collection of root to stem recipes for tons more creative ways to waste less food.

If you love the idea of getting more out of your produce purchases, be sure to check out these 35 creative uses for orange peels. Orange peels are a fantastic addition to herbal tea recipes, like this ginger tea with orange peel. Here’s how to make orange peel tea.

You can also make homemade vinegar using fruit scraps or leftover wine.

Waste even less by tossing what’s leftover from your banana tea for sleep into the compost, where it can become banana peel fertilizer.

Best of all, we get to use these banana peels as a natural sleep remedy, letting us create something that can significantly improve our quality of life using something we would have normally thrown away.

WHAT IS BANANA PEEL TEA, ANYWAY?

Banana peel tea is simply fresh or dried banana peels simmered briefly in boiling water. Banana peels contain minerals such as potassium and magnesium, which are thought to support relaxation and sleep, though the amounts you’ll get in a cup of banana tea probably aren’t enough to make a huge difference in sleep quality.

To make sure you’re getting plenty of these sleep-regulating nutrients, you’ll want to look into the best foods for sleep. One of them is bananas, so if you’re after a great night’s sleep, eat a banana and then use the peel to make banana peel tea and drink up an hour or two before bedtime.

Importantly, banana peels contain tryptophan, a precursor to the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin as well as melatonin, which helps cue our bodies to go to sleep. A strong cup of banana peel tea may give you a helpful boost in these compounds and encourage more restful sleep.

Since the sweet fruit of the banana is readily eaten and delicious in yummy treats like banana ice cream and dried bananas ‘candy,’ it makes sense to make banana tea only with the peel. Some banana tea recipes call for boiling the whole banana, but that seems like a huge waste of food when you can make a tasty tea using nothing but the banana peel.

If you’re curious, though, go ahead and throw in a little banana and see what you think of the flavor. As for me, I’m going to save my bananas for healthy smoothies and other yummy recipes, and stick with peels only in my banana tea for sleep.

WHAT DOES BANANA PEEL TEA TASTE LIKE?

While the prospect of a tea made from banana peels may not sound immediately appealing (yuk, yuk), the flavor really isn’t bad. When you make banana tea for sleep from the peels only, you get a hint of banana flavor without an overwhelming banana-ness.

This banana tea recipe includes a sprinkle of nutmeg, which adds a pleasant flavor and a bonus boost of sleep-inducing compounds. Some banana peel tea devotees add cinnamon or a little vanilla, so experiment with what sounds good to you. A little splash of almond or coconut milk might be nice as well.

FRESH OR DRIED BANANA PEELS FOR THIS BANANA TEA RECIPE?

The easiest way to make banana peel tea is to toss a whole banana peel in water when you’re using a banana for a snack or recipe.

But if you’ve got a bunch of bananas you’re using at once or want to save your peels for another reason, you can chop and dehydrate them to use later.

I find the flavor of dried banana peels a little less banana-y, and the liquid you get from simmering dried peels is less clouded with banana particles.

So if you have a choice, I would go with dried banana peels for making banana tea for sleep when you can, but throwing in a whole fresh peel is significantly easier and more likely to happen in general.

HOW TO DRY BANANA PEELS FOR BANANA TEA:

Cut up banana peels into 1/4 inch pieces and place on a dehydrator tray. Dehydrate at 135 degrees for about 8 hours, until crispy.

You can also use your oven on its lowest setting, typically 150-170 degrees. Dry banana peels for about 6 hours, flipping about halfway through.

Each banana peel makes about 2 tablespoons dried.

Store fully dried banana peels in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

TIPS FOR MAKING BANANA PEEL TEA

Always use organic banana peels when possible. Bananas are a heavily-sprayed crop, and rather than tossing a pesticide-laden peel, with banana peel tea, we’re eating it the part of the fruit that likely got hit with spray. Rinsing won’t get rid of all the pesticide residues, so do use organic bananas if you can.

Another place unwanted industrial chemicals can find their way into our banana tea for sleep is through our water. Most water supplies contain scores of unregulated chemicals, and most water filters don’t take them out. Here’s what to know about choosing an effective water filter.

While many recipes for banana tea use cinnamon, I recommend trying nutmeg, an Ayurvedic sleep enhancer. Nutmeg adds a very pleasant flavor to banana peel tea, and as a spice known for its anti-inflammatory properties, it may help if pain is one of the things interfering with your sleep.

Nutmeg can be on the pricey side, but a little goes a long way. I like to buy it in small quantities from my local natural foods store, but you can also get it online here. and here.

For extra flavor, you can grind whole nutmeg yourself when you want it. Whole nutmeg keeps far longer than ground, so it’s a smart way to always have nutmeg on hand. Three organic whole nutmegs cost me a little over a dollar at the local co-op, and they should keep in me in nutmeg for banana peel tea and other recipes for a very long time.

HOW TO MAKE BANANA TEA FOR SLEEP

Banana Tea for Sleep

Yield: 1 cup

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 minute

This easy banana peel tea makes a tasty drink out of something you'd usually throw away. Banana tea contains compounds helpful for promoting better sleep, as does nutmeg.

Ingredients

• 1 fresh banana peel or 2 tablespoons dried peel
• 1 cup water
• Pinch ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. If using fresh banana peel, rinse and remove ends. You can leave the peel whole or chop it up.
2. Place fresh or dried banana peels in water and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Strain into a cup.
4. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg and sweeten if desired.

Notes

You can drink your banana peel tea plain or spice it up with a pinch of ground nutmeg. Some people enjoy a splash of milk or a little honey for sweetness. Up to you!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 10Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 3gSugar: 14gProtein: 1g

Nutritional information was auto-generated based on serving size, number of servings, and typical information for the ingredients listed. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circ*mstances shall this website or author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate and complete.

OTHER TEAS FOR PROMOTING SLEEP

Even if it helps your sleep, I suspect you’re not likely to want to make banana tea every night. You can vary your sleep-promoting evening tea with many other tasty options. I’m a fan of lemon balm tea, and often mix lemon balm with other useful herbs for sleep. When I travel, I always take a delicious bagged tea blend called “Snore and Peace,” which mixes lemon balm, lavender, and chamomile. It’s really good!

–> Wondering about banana tea for plants? If you’re not drinking your banana tea for sleep, you can certainly feed it to your plants, but know that all the fuss on the interwebs about the miracles of banana tea for plants has been way overblown. Read more about how to make banana peel fertilizer that actually benefits plants.

ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR GETTING BETTER SLEEP

• Soak in a hot bath with magnesium-rich DIY bath salts before bed
• Try a soothing aromatherapy blend (I absolutely LOVE this roll on from Plant Therapy)
• Keep your bedroom cool (68 degrees is considered ideal)
• Invest in a comfortable non-toxic mattress
• Get blackout curtains (added bonus: they’ll save energy on heat as well)
• Exercise every day (but not too close to bedtime)
• Keep electronics out of the bedroom and use a blue-light filter if you’re looking at a screen before bed.

Have you tried banana peel tea? Leave a comment and share how you like your banana tea for sleep!

Pin to save this banana peel tea recipe for later!

Disclaimer: I’m a health enthusiast, not a medical professional. Content on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide personalized medical advice. I draw on numerous health sources, some of which are linked above. Please consult them for more information and a licensed professional for personalized recommendations.