If you want a warm mug of citrus spice without paying café prices, this Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix gets the job done with pantry staples and about five minutes of work. Stir together Tang, lemonade mix, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves, then scoop it into boiling water whenever you want something cozy, bright, and a little old-school in the best way.
Each 2 1/2-teaspoon serving makes 1 cup, and this batch yields about 61 servings, depending on how generously you scoop. The flavor lands somewhere between hot orange cider and spiced tea, only without the fuss.
- 🍊 Ingredients
- 🥄 How to Make Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
- 💡 Tips for the Best Flavor
- 🔁 Easy Variations
- 📦 Storage and Shelf Life
- 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- 💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
- 🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
- 📌 Love this Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
Ingredients
- 1 (10 oz) jar Tang
- 2 oz lemonade mix
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
That small spoonful of cloves matters more than it looks like it should. Cinnamon gives the mix warmth, but cloves bring the deep spiced note that keeps it from tasting like plain hot orange sugar water. Nobody wants that.
How to Make Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
- Combine the Tang, lemonade mix, sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves in a large bowl.
- Whisk thoroughly until the spices are evenly distributed and the mix looks uniform.
- Transfer the drink mix to a clean, dry container with a tight-fitting lid.
- To serve, stir 2 1/2 teaspoons of mix into 1 cup boiling water until dissolved.
If you want the smoothest cup possible, whisk the dry mix well before storing it. Ground spices like to settle where they please, usually right to the bottom where they can surprise the last few mugs.
Tips for the Best Flavor
- Use a dry spoon every time you scoop. Moisture causes clumping fast.
- Shake the container before using if it has been sitting for a while so the spices redistribute.
- Adjust by the mug if you like it bolder. Start with 2 1/2 teaspoons, then bump to 3 teaspoons for a stronger cup.
- Use truly boiling water for the cleanest dissolve and best spice bloom.
If you enjoy homemade pantry mixes, you might also like these Assorted Drink Mix Recipes or this Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix for another warm, giftable option.
Easy Variations
- Sweeter, softer cup: Use a slightly rounded 2 1/2 teaspoons for a mild mug.
- Stronger spice flavor: Add a pinch more cinnamon to your individual cup, not the whole batch, unless you want to remake the entire thing.
- Gift jar version: Spoon the mix into a clean jar and include the serving directions on a tag.
- Party thermos: Make several cups at once and hold them hot in an insulated server for brunch or holiday mornings.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store the dry mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard away from heat and steam. For best quality, use it within 1 year. That shelf-life estimate is based on the ground spices, since they lose flavor before the sugary drink powders do.
Once prepared with water, treat it like any other mixed beverage and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. For best quality and safety, use the mixed drink within 3 to 4 days. The general refrigerator window for leftovers comes from USDA food safety guidance on leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hot on cold mornings, at holiday brunch, or tucked into a care package with a mug and spoon. It also fits nicely beside coffee-cake style breakfasts, simple toast, or a plate of cookies when you want something warm that is not coffee and not cocoa.
For more homemade sipper ideas, browse the full Beverage and Drink Mixes collection.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
10 oz jar Tang |
$3.84 |
1 ≈ 1 recipe count = a 10 oz jar; costed from current 20 oz Tang price per ounce |
$1.92 |
|
Lemonade mix |
$3.24 |
2 oz |
$0.34 |
|
Sugar |
$2.98 |
2 C. |
$0.66 |
|
Ground cinnamon |
$1.27 |
2 t. |
$0.09 |
|
Ground cloves |
$2.98 |
1 t. |
$0.15 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$3.16 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.05 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Tang Orange Powdered Drink Mix, 20 oz
- Country Time Lemonade Powdered Drink Mix, 19 oz
- Granulated Sugar, 4 lb
- Ground Cinnamon, 2.37 oz
- Ground Cloves, 1.75 oz
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
Not if you want the same flavor and mixing ratio. Tang provides most of the orange base, sweetness, and dissolve-friendly powder texture, so swapping it out changes the drink more than you might expect. If Tang is unavailable, use another orange powdered drink mix canister and expect to adjust the scoop size a little.
Use another sweetened powdered lemonade mix, then taste the first mug before serving a crowd. The lemonade mix sharpens the citrus flavor, so if the substitute tastes sweeter or flatter, increase the serving to 3 teaspoons per cup instead of changing the whole batch up front.
Moisture is the usual culprit. Steam from the stove, a damp measuring spoon, or storing the container near heat can make the sugar and drink powders grab onto each other. Break up small clumps with a fork, then move the jar to a cool, dry cupboard and use a completely dry spoon from here on out.
Increase the mix in the mug, not the spice in the whole container. Go from 2 1/2 teaspoons to 3 teaspoons per cup first. That gives you a bolder orange flavor and fuller spice without turning the whole batch heavy on cloves, which can go from cozy to cough-drop in a hurry.
Absolutely. Double, triple, or quadruple the batch and keep the same proportions exactly. For the cleanest blend, whisk the spices into the sugar first, then stir in the drink powders so you do not wind up with one jar that tastes mild and another that tastes like straight cinnamon.
You’ll get about 61 cups from one batch if you use the stated 2 1/2 teaspoons per mug. That number is an estimate, but it is a practical one for planning gifts, brunch service, or figuring out whether the jar will survive winter.
Yes, but dissolve it in a little hot water first. Once the powder is fully dissolved, add cold water and ice. If you dump the mix straight into cold water, the spices tend to float and the powder can stay stubbornly grainy, which is not the kind of excitement anybody asked for.
It pairs well with simple breakfast breads, cinnamon toast, butter cookies, or holiday brunch foods that are mild and a little sweet. The drink already has bright citrus and warm spice, so it works best beside foods that do not fight for attention.
You can, but the flavor will shift. Since both Tang and lemonade mix already contain sweetener, cutting the added sugar by 1/2 cup is a reasonable place to start if you want it less sweet. I would not slash more than that in one go unless you enjoy experimenting with an entire batch on the line.
Use a glass jar or food-safe plastic container with a tight lid and enough headroom to shake the mix before scooping. Wide-mouth containers make life easier because you can get a measuring spoon in and out without wearing half the cinnamon on your countertop.
📌 Love this Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix? Pin it!
Did you make this recipe? Tell us how you served it or what little tweak worked best in your kitchen. Drop a comment below and help the next reader skip the guesswork.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
Hot Spiced Orange Drink Mix
Instructions
- Combine the Tang, lemonade mix, sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves in a large bowl.
- Whisk until the mixture is evenly blended.
- Transfer the mix to an airtight container and store covered.
- To serve, stir 2 1/2 teaspoons of mix into 1 cup boiling water until dissolved.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Prep time is an estimate based on measuring, mixing, and transferring the dry ingredients.
For best quality, store the dry mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and use within 1 year.
Prepared drink should be refrigerated within 2 hours and used within 3 to 4 days.
i was wondering if you had a recipe for a dry mix of spiced apple cider. i would love to make some for my boyfriend but looking all over online left me helpless. thank you 🙂
Here you go:
https://www.budget101.com/jar-gift-kitchen-mixes-gifts-kitchen/1692-apple-cider-spice-mix.html