How to Make Marshmallow Root Tea

Marshmallow root tea can be made in two ways. A hot brew steeps 1 tablespoon of dried cut root in 250ml of water at 70 to 80°C for 10 minutes. A cold infusion uses the same ratio in cool water for an hour or longer and comes out noticeably thicker because more of the mucilage is drawn out.

Two Methods to Make Marshmallow Root Tea

Both methods use the same ratio: 1 tablespoon of dried cut root per 250ml of water. The difference is temperature and time.

A hot brew takes 10 minutes and gives you a lighter cup. A cold infusion takes at least an hour and gives you a thicker one.

Start with cut and sifted root rather than powder. Powder slips straight through a normal sieve and you end up drinking the sediment.

If you want to experience pre-cut marshmallow root alongside six other powerful botanicals, then consider trying Cosmic Hue.

Hot Infusion (10 Minutes)

1. Boil the kettle and let it stand for about 5 minutes, so the water drops to roughly 70 to 80°C.
2. Measure 1 tablespoon of dried cut marshmallow root into a mug.
3. Pour over 250ml of the cooled water.
4. Cover the mug with a saucer to keep the heat in.
5. Leave it for 10 minutes.
6. Strain it through a fine sieve and drink it warm.

The cup comes out lightly cloudy and faintly golden, with a mild earthy taste. It carries less mucilage than a cold infusion, so it feels thinner in the mouth.

Cold Infusion (1 Hour or Longer)

1. Measure 1 tablespoon of dried cut marshmallow root into a jar or a teapot with a lid.
2. Add 250ml of cool or room-temperature water.
3. Stir once and put the lid on.
4. Leave it for at least an hour. Overnight in the fridge works well.
5. Strain it through a fine sieve, pressing the root against the mesh.
6. Drink it cool.

You can tell a cold infusion has worked by the texture. The liquid turns cloudy, it feels slippery on the tongue and it pours a little slowly. A thin, watery cup usually means the soak was too short.

Should You Choose Hot or Cold?

	Hot Brew	Cold Infusion
Amount	1 tablespoon dried cut root per 250ml	1 tablespoon dried cut root per 250ml
Temperature	70 to 80°C	Cool or room temperature
Vessel	Mug with a saucer over the top	Jar or teapot with a lid
Time	10 minutes	1 hour minimum
Result	Lightly cloudy and thinner	Cloudy, thick and slippery

Choose hot when you want a warm drink in 10 minutes, and cold when you want the thickest cup the root can give you.

The difference comes down to mucilage. Marshmallow root is roughly 5 to 10% water-soluble polysaccharides, long sugar molecules that swell and hold onto water. That swelling is what you feel as slipperiness on your tongue.

Hot water draws some of the mucilage out in 10 minutes. Cool water and a long soak draw out more, which is why a cold infusion pours thicker.

What Is Marshmallow Root Tea Used For?

Marshmallow root tea has been traditionally used for gut discomfort and a dry cough with an irritated mouth or throat.

It is a demulcent, which just means it coats what it touches. The mucilage settles over irritated tissue as a thin physical film. This is why it works equally in the throat and the gut.

Marshmallow root was one of the plants I worked with in my kitchen during my journey with Crohn's disease and it became one of the seven plants in Cosmic Hue.

Who Should Not Drink Marshmallow Root Tea?

If you take oral medication, timing matters. The mucilage coats your gut lining, which can slow how quickly tablets are absorbed.

The EMA advises leaving half an hour to an hour either side of other oral medicines.

It also isn't recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding. That's because safety hasn't been established, not because harm has been found.

The EMA doesn't recommend it for gut discomfort in children under 12. For mouth and throat irritation, its guidance starts at age 3.

If your symptoms aren't settling, see a GP. The NHS advises this if you're bloated regularly, diet changes haven't helped, or bloating comes with unintentional weight loss or blood in your stool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Marshmallow Root Tea Better Hot or Cold?

Cold, if texture is what you are after. A cold infusion needs an hour at minimum and comes out thick and slippery. A hot infusion takes 10 minutes and comes out thinner, which is a fair trade when time is short.

Is It Safe to Drink Marshmallow Root Tea Every Day?

Yes, for most adults, marshmallow root tea is safe to drink every day within the EMA's traditional-use maximum of 15g of dried root a day. However, always consult your doctor before making changes to your health routine.

Conclusion

Pick your method of making marshmallow root tea by what you want out of the cup.

A hot brew gives you a warm drink in 10 minutes. A cold infusion takes you an hour and gives you a much thicker cup. Same root, same ratio, different result.

If you would rather not measure anything, Cosmic Hue has marshmallow root in it alongside six other botanicals. One scoop, hot water and a daily ritual you can enjoy.

References

Deters, A., Zippel, J., Hellenbrand, N., Pappai, D., Possemeyer, C., & Hensel, A. (2010). Aqueous extracts and polysaccharides from marshmallow roots (Althaea officinalis L.): Cellular internalisation and stimulation of cell physiology of human epithelial cells in vitro. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 127(1), 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.09.050

European Medicines Agency. (2016a). European Union herbal monograph on Althaea officinalis L., radix (EMA/HMPC/436679/2015). Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-althaea-officinalis-l-radix_en.pdf

European Medicines Agency. (2016b). Marshmallow root: Summary for the public (EMA/570566/2016). https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-summary/marshmallow-root-summary-public_en.pdf

National Health Service. (2025). Bloating. https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/bloating/