Nourishing and easy Chinese red dates tea recipe can be made on the stove or instant pot pressure cooker.
I was almost towards the end of eighth months of pregnancy when I initially wrote this post. My mom called me and asked me if I have any dried red dates (jujube) in my pantry. I normally use red dates for cooking Chinese traditional herbal soup, so the answer was YES. I was told that at around 34 weeks of pregnancy, is the perfect time to start drinking red dates tea daily.
BENEFITS OF CHINESE RED DATES (JUJUBE)
For casual daily consumption
Red dates are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, good for overall skin complexion, improve digestion, improve relaxation, and help to ease ailment such as sore throat
For pregnant women
The Chinese also believes that Red Dates have “tonic” effect on the liver for a pregnant woman (not earlier than 34 weeks) and also to the baby. Some researches have shown that red dates help with easier labor and delivery
For confinement or post-pregnancy
It is also believed that post-pregnancy, the body loses “heat” or the Chinese often call “Qi”. My mom prefers to make this Black dates ginger goji berry and dang shen tea instead of just red dates tea for confinement as it is more “heaty” and helps to restore “Qi”. The tea is consumed daily, almost replacing the amount of water you drink daily
WATCH HOW I MADE CHINESE RED DATES TEA
EASY NOURISHING CHINESE RED DATES TEA STEP-BY-STEP PREPARATION GUIDE
1. Rinse the dates cleaned with water. You don’t need to core the red dates and just leave the pits inside
2. Take each date and use a pointy scissors or a small paring knife to create few slits, around 5-7, around the edge on one end of the dates. This helps to release flavor and nutrients to the tea
3. If cooking on the stove: Place the red dates in a saucepan. Pour in water
4. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for the next one hour
5. If using Instant Pot pressure cooker: Place the red dates in the inner pot of Instant Pot. Pour in water.
6. Close the lid and turn the valve to “sealing”
7. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes and then release pressure
8. Strain the tea into tea pot or glass container
9. Serve warm with or without the cooked dates
CHINESE RED DATES FAQ
IS THERE ANY TEA LEAVES
This tea doesn’t use any tea leaves so you don’t need to worry about caffeine. It is just called tea because of the color of this beverage
RED DATES NUTRITION FACTS
Dried red dates (jujube) is high in antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenolics. They are also packed with vitamins, especially the B and C vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron.
WHERE TO BUY DRIED RED DATES
They are usually available at some Chinese grocery stores, Chinese medicine halls, and also at Amazon
CHOOSING DRIED RED DATES
Choose the one that still looks plump (even though they are dried) and has a decent size. You may see some of the red dates have “whitish” coatings on the outside, you can simply rinse them off with clean water before using

Chinese Red Dates (Jujube)
CAN I EAT THE DATES AFTER MAKING THE TEA?
Yes, you may. Most of the nutrients have leached out into the tea, but consuming the cooked red dates are no harm. In fact, I like to do that too
CHINESE RED DATES VS MEDJOOL DATES
Use Chinese red dates for this tea if possible. If you have no access to them, then you can use Medjool dates. Medjool dates are much sweeter though, I suggest half the amount if you decide to use Medjool dates
HOW TO PREPARE AHEAD
You can make red dates tea in a bigger batch for consumption up to one week. They can be kept in the refrigerator. I suggest to reheat them and not drinking it cold especially if you are drinking during pregnancy or confinement.
SIDE EFFECTS
Red dates tea is suitable for daily consumption for anyone in a reasonable amount, such as one to two cups daily (with an exception for confinement when you drink this more often). Like many foods and things in life, too much of anything can’t be good. Know your own health and consult your physician if in doubt. What I wrote here is not to replace your doctor’s advice.
OTHER USE OF DRIED RED DATES
The Chinese commonly use them in cooking savory soup or sweet dessert too
*I was still pregnant with our first child when I first shared this recipe. How time flies! Now 2 kids later and I’ve updated the recipe to an easier approach (less fussy!) and to include a short video too.
Easy Nourishing Chinese Red Dates Tea
Instructions
Prepare the red dates:
- Rinse the dates cleaned with water. You don't need to core the red dates and just leave the pits inside. Take each date and use a pointy scissors or a small paring knife to create few slits, around 5-7, around the edge on one end of the dates. This helps to release flavor to the tea
Cooking on the stove:
- Place the red dates in a saucepan. Pour in water. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for the next one hour
- Let it cool down and ready to drink. If you are drinking this for "fun", you can add sugar to lightly sweetened the tea
Cooking with Instant Pot pressure cooker:
- Place the red dates in the inner pot of Instant Pot. Pour in water. Close the lid and turn the valve to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes and then release pressure. Your tea is ready
DID YOU MAKE THIS EASY NOURISHING CHINESE RED DATES TEA?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
44 comments
I am also based in MN. Do you get your red dates and longan somewhere locally?
Hi Daniela, I got mine from the Asian grocery store. Red dates are easier to find, but dried longan can be hard to find, they don’t always have them.
Can I cook them and store in fridge? is it ok to drink them cold?
Hi Val, yes, you can store them in the fridge and drink them cold if you prefer it that way 🙂
Hi, Do I need to remove the date pits? My red date tree produces the smaller Chinese variety. I am not sure if I can cut 7 slits into a date. Curious what is the significance of #7. Thank you very much for sharing this helpful recipe. I will be making the tea for my pregnant daughter in-law.
Hi Susan, you don’t need to remove the pits from the date. My mom said that cutting the slits is to help releasing the “good stuff” and for better aroma. Honestly though, I don’t think it has to be exactly 7. If you have smaller dates, just 1 or 2 slits should be good 🙂
I’m so excited when I found your blog! I’m 38weeks pregnant and looking for confinement recipes. Thank you for posting this.
Just curious, have you ever used instant pot? Which makes everything faster?
Hi Elisse,
Congratulation on your pregnancy! So excited for you! I have yet to try instant pot with this red dates tea, but I do own an IP (which I love). This is one of my older recipe and I haven’t owned IP yet at that time. You can certainly make this tea with IP. I would double or triple the recipe and pressure cook on high for 20-30 minutes.
Is 1 glass the limit for a day during PP? Am only 6 days PP now. Can I start now?
Hi Janani, No, you don’t have to limit to 1 glass/day. The recipe just shows how to make that portion. You can definitely have it 2-3 times daily. You can definitely have it now too. Congratulation on your baby btw! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. Is it beneficial to eat the red dates after drinking the tea?
Hi Melissa, I still eat them after the tea though because I like them. They may not taste as sweet anymore. I think it may not have “much” left after being cooked for a period of time!
Can i use dried dates instead of the fresh ones?
Hi Merlina, I’m using the dried dates 🙂
I was never a tea drinker up until I moved to Ireland where I started drinking tea with milk a lot :). Later on my boyfriend introduced me to loose tea (which I wasn’t fond of much) and now I can’t imagine a day going by without drinking tea. Mostly loose ones. I love this version and was wondering if you can use normal dates to make the tea. Never seen red dates selling anywhere.
Hi Julia. Thank you so much for stopping by. I was never really a tea drinker myself until I moved to this part of the U.S., where winter is absolutely horrible! I seek comfort in hot/warm tea now. You know, I’ve never tried it with the regular dates before, but I don’t see why not. Perhaps you can let me know if you end up trying it 🙂
hi, can i use slow cooker to boil overnight
using low heat?
Thank you
Hi Jc,
Sorry for the late reply. I’ve never tried using slow cooker for this recipe, so I can’t tell you exactly in terms of the “benefit” from drinking the tea after such long cooking hours. But, for convenience wise, sure..I don’t see why not.
Thanks for your recipe. I’ve been wanting to make red date tea for months and now I am, thanks to your recipe! Your blog is lovely.
Thank you Caroline 🙂