Iced Tea

Iced tea makes for the best summer drink, especially on a hot summer’s day, and luckily, it’s an easy homemade refreshment that can be made from scratch with only a few simple steps. You can make our iced tea recipe with hot brewed or cold brew tea.

Iced Tea Ingredients

Indulge in the classic charm of this iced tea recipe, where an orange & black pekoe blend is steeped with water to create the perfect intensity.

Sweetened with sugar and enhanced with lemon slices that add a citrusy tang, you’ll have a soothing and refreshing drink to enjoy.

Substitutions And Additions

TEA: You could use just about any type of tea you like for this iced tea recipe. If you have a favorite loose-leaf tea, you can use that instead.

However, bagged teas tend to be a bit easier than loose tea as well as less messy.

You could also try green tea, white tea, or herbal teas in place of black tea for a different flavor.

LEMONS: The lemons in this iced tea recipe are completely optional.

The lemon juice adds a nice bit of flavor. You could use other varieties of fruit as a garnish as well.

Try adding peaches, strawberries, raspberries, or oranges. You could also try mint leaves for a fun and simple flavor.

SYRUP AND OTHER SWEETENERS: You can have some fun here. If you like flavored iced tea, you can add a variety of homemade syrups.

You can also simply add honey for some sweetness and flavor. As mentioned in the ingredients list, the amount of sugar you add is up to your discretion (and sweet tooth!).

How To Make This Ice Tea Recipe

For Cold Brewed Tea

STEP ONE: Pour eight cups of cold water into a pitcher with a lid.

STEP TWO: Place tea bags inside the pitcher of water, with tea tags hanging out of the pitcher.

STEP THREE: Place the pitcher in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 12 hours.

STEP FOUR: Remove tea bags and discard them. If the tea bags burst, strain the tea mixture through a screen sieve.

STEP FIVE: Heat the remaining ½ cup of water to a simmer, and remove from heat.

STEP SIX: Pour sugar into heated water, and stir to dissolve.

STEP SEVEN: Pour the sugar mixture into cold tea. Stir to incorporate the sugar mixture.

STEP EIGHT: Serve your tea by pouring it over ice cubes and serving it with lemon slices.

For Hot Brewed Tea

STEP ONE: Bring four cups of water to a boil.

STEP TWO: Add the tea bags to the water. Remove from the heat and let them steep for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like your tea to be.

STEP THREE: Carefully remove the tea bags from the hot water.

STEP FOUR: Add sugar to the hot tea mixture. Stir to completely dissolve the sugar.

STEP FIVE: Add the hot tea mixture to the remaining four cups of cold water.

STEP SIX: Refrigerate until cooled.

STEP SEVEN: Serve your tea by pouring it over ice and serving it with lemon slices.

How To Serve The Best Iced Tea

Serve up the perfect iced tea with any meal or snack you are enjoying.

It would be fantastic to wash down a grilled meal such as grilled chicken, bacon-wrapped corn on the cob, and broccoli salad.

Finish your delicious meal with a pan of our heaven on Earth cake.

Looking for some other refreshing drinks to serve with your summer meals? This sweet peach iced tea and southern strawberry sweet tea are two of our favorite easy recipes. If you’re a fan of iced tea, we think you’ll like them!

Or try our caramel iced macchiato for a cold specialty coffee.

Storing Homemade Iced Tea

IN THE FRIDGE: Be sure to keep any leftover iced tea in the refrigerator.

Generally speaking, for the best flavor, you’ll want to drink your homemade iced tea within one day.

But it will stay good in the fridge for up to three to four days. If you have extra of your simple syrup from your cold brew tea, you can store it in the fridge, and it lasts for several weeks.

IN THE FREEZER: This iced tea is not meant to be frozen. It is best made fresh.

You can’t go wrong with a refreshing glass of iced tea on a hot day. Now, you can cross the store-bought teas off your list on your next trip to the grocery store. Making delicious iced tea at home has never been so easy. With this iced tea recipe, you will have delicious, refreshing iced tea in no time!

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Texas Tea
• Raspberry Iced Tea
• Iced Mocha
• Pineapple Lemonade
• Orange Julius