Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy) (2024)

Crisp and refreshing homemade iced tea is easy to make and easy to scale up for a crowd. This is always a hit at summer gatherings. Serve it with your favorite sweetener or enjoy it unsweetened.

Homemade drinks like Lemonade, Iced Coffee, and this Iced Tea are such a treat in summer and so much better than storebought.

Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy) (1)

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Whether you’re looking for a drink to round out your summer BBQ with Juicy Burgers and Grilled Corn on the Cob, or just want to have some quick caffeine on hand throughout the day, you’ll love this iced tea recipe.

We’re sharing all the tips and tricks you need to make the most flavorful, refreshing sweetened, or unsweetened iced tea.

How to Make Iced Tea

Homemade iced tea only requires a few simple steps and ingredients. Follow the process below and you’ll be sipping tea on the porch in no time.

  • Brew the Tea: In a saucepan, bring half the water to boil and remove it from heat. Add in the tea bags and allow them to steep for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the Tea Bags: Remove the tea bags from the hot water. If you want sweet tea, add the sugar and whisk until it’s completely dissolved.
  • Add the Cold Water: Add the remaining cold water to the hot tea and whisk. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or until chilled.
  • Serve: Serve the tea over ice with lemon slices and fresh mint.
Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy) (2)

Tips for the Best Iced Tea

Below, find a couple of tips and tricks to help you make the best iced tea.

  • Be sure to measure the water. To prevent your tea from turning out too strong or too watery, measure the water to make sure you aren’t adding too much or too little.
  • Set a timer for the steeping. Don’t let the tea steep longer than 10 minutes, or else it will turn bitter. Set a timer so you don’t forget to remove the bags.
  • Experiment with different teas. If you’re not a fan of black tea, try using green tea instead. You could also go caffeine-free and use a variety of herbal teas. Mint tea is especially delicious iced.
  • Play around with different sweeteners. You can use honey, agave syrup, coconut sugar, or even maple syrup to sweeten your tea. Play around with different sweeteners and tea combinations to see what you like best!
  • Use filtered water. Use filtered water instead of tap water to get the smoothest flavor. There are lots of additives and minerals in tap water that can dull the taste.

Can I use loose-leaf tea? Yes, one teabag roughly equals about one teaspoon of loose leaf tea so you’ll need 2 Tablespoons. Simply dump the tea leaves into the hot water and strain them out using a fine-mesh sieve. Follow the directions as noted and enjoy!

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Storing Iced Tea

Store iced tea in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Use a pitcher that has a sealable spout so your tea doesn’t soak up the smells in your refrigerator.

Note: As the tea sits, you may notice some tea particles settling at the bottom of the pitcher. That’s perfectly natural and normal and there’s no need to shake before serving.

Common Questions

Is iced tea good for you?

Iced tea does have health benefits. It’s packed with antioxidants and has much less acidity than coffee, making it a great option for folks with a sensitive GI system.

What is sun tea?

Sun tea is an old-fashioned method of brewing iced tea. You brew sun tea by putting a pitcher of water in the sun with tea bags or loose tea. Over the course of the day, the tea will steep in the natural sunlight. Once brewed, place it in the refrigerator to chill.

Can I cold brew my iced tea?

Absolutely! You can cold brew your iced tea by placing tea bags or loose leaf tea in filtered water. Let the mixture steep in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours, or until the tea tastes to your liking.

Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy) (4)

Homemade iced tea is so quick and easy to make and you’ll love that it keeps really well in the refrigerator.

More Summer Recipes to try

Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy)

5 from 163 votes

Author: Natalya Drozhzhin

Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy) (6)

Crisp and refreshing homemade iced tea is easy to make and easy to scale up for a crowd. This is always a hit at summer gatherings. You can add your favorite sweetener or serve iced tea unsweetened.

SavePinReviewPrint

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 6 servings (makes 1/2 gallon)

  • 8 cups water, divided
  • 6 bags black tea
  • 1/3 cup sugar, optional, adjust to taste

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, bring half of the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add tea bags. Allow the tea bags to steep for 10 minutes.

  • Remove the tea bags from the water. Note: If you prefer sweet tea, add the sugar or your preferred sweetener to the tea while it’s still hot and stir until dissolved.

  • Add the remaining water to the tea. Leave it refrigerated until fully chilled (about an hour).

  • Serve with ice, lemon slices, and fresh mint if desired.

Nutrition Per Serving

43kcal Calories11g Carbs16mg Sodium1mg Potassium11g Sugar10mg Calcium1mg Iron

  • Full Nutrition Label
  • Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy)

Amount per Serving

Calories

43

% Daily Value*

Potassium

1

mg

%

Carbohydrates

11

g

4

%

Sugar

11

g

12

%

Calcium

10

mg

1

%

Iron

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: homemade iced tea, iced tea

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 43

Natalya Drozhzhin

Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy) (7)

Natalya is a food blogger who founded Momsdish.com to make cooking easier. Growing up on a farm in Ukraine, Natalya was inspired by the amazing dishes that were prepared using simple ingredients. Natalya is most notably known for making cooking approachable for any person.

Read more posts by Natalya

Iced Tea Recipe (Extra Easy) (2024)

FAQs

What does adding baking soda to iced tea do? ›

Once you've brewed your ice-tea a dash of baking soda helps to neutralize the tannin content, offering a smoother taste, and reducing that murky appearance. The tannin content is high in black tea and green tea, so be sure to add baking soda if you're using these types of tea.

How do you make a large amount of ice tea? ›

Generic Cold Brewing Instructions
  1. Add 1 oz loose leaf tea per gallon of finished iced tea in a pitcher/vessel.
  2. Fill pitcher/vessel 1/3 full of hot water (not boiling). ...
  3. Add cold water the rest of the way in your pitcher/vessel. ...
  4. When done cold brewing overnight, strain out tea leaves.
Jun 27, 2020

What do restaurants use to make iced tea? ›

Restaurants use a variety of tea brands to make their signature iced teas. Some brew it themselves with bagged, loose leaf or powdered teas while others use tea concentrate, while still more use ready-serve tea.

How much baking soda do I put in a gallon of iced tea? ›

Once water comes to a roiling boil, pour into one gallon pitcher. Add 3 family-size tea bags and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (you don't need to stir) to the pitcher. Just make sure the bags are submerged in the water.

How do you make crystal clear iced tea? ›

Try using bottled or filtered water and let the tea stand at room temperature for an hour after steeping. If the tea turns murky in the refrigerator, add a cup of boiling water to one quart of tea -- it should clear up the cloudiness. Remember, it will also dilute the tea, so add less ice.

How many teabags should I use to make a gallon of iced tea? ›

Ways to make 1 Gallon of iced tea:

For 1 gallon, boil 1 quart water (32 ounces or 4 cups). Remove from heat and pour over 1 Luzianne Gallon Size Iced Tea bag (or 4 Family Size or 16 Individual Cup Iced Tea bags). Brew 3-5 minutes and sweeten to taste.

How to make tea from scratch? ›

When making herbal tea, use two to three teaspoonfuls of fresh or dried herbs for one cup of water. Bring the water to a boil and allow the herbs to steep for 10 to 15 minutes and then strain the herbs out of the tea before serving. Use a tea strainer or tea ball to contain the herbs if desired.

How long should you steep tea for iced tea? ›

Watch the clock. (Don't let the tea steep too long.) Check your package instructions, but typically 3 to 5 minutes of steeping should be enough for any black tea being used to make iced tea. Beyond that, you'll lose some of that delicate tea flavor and will be getting into bitter tea territory.

What kind of tea does McDonald's use for their iced tea? ›

McDonald's Iced Tea recipe features a brisk blend of orange pekoe black tea, freshly brewed and served ice cold. Wondering if there are any calories in Unsweet Tea from McDonald's? Unsweetened Iced Tea is a zero-calorie, sugar-free iced tea that pairs perfectly with your menu favorites. *At participating McDonald's.

What is iced tea called in the South? ›

Sweet tea, also known as sweet iced tea, is a popular style of iced tea commonly consumed in countries such as the United States (especially the South) and Indonesia.

What iced tea does KFC use? ›

Lipton Peach Ice Tea | Drinks | KFC Menu.

Is there a difference between Ice Tea and iced tea? ›

Do you know the difference between ICED tea and ICE tea? Iced tea refers to hot tea that has been poured over ice. Ice tea is tea that has either been brewed cold or has been cooled down before serving.

What is the best sweetener for iced tea? ›

White sugar or sugar syrup are neutral in flavour, serving to simply sweeten or enhance the rest, while brown sugar lends a delicate caramel note alongside the sweet. Honey and agave tend to be sweeter than sugar, but bring out more floral notes, making them a good match for floral oolongs or fragrant black teas.

How many tea bags to use for iced tea? ›

To brew iced tea without a recipe, start with these standard ratios: Use two tea bags per cup of water for hot brew and one tea bag per cup of water for the cold and sun tea methods.

Can you add baking soda to tea for weight loss? ›

Baking Soda and Green Tea

According to the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" (2010), green tea's catechins play a significant role in weight loss. Adding a pinch of baking soda to your green tea may enhance the absorption of these beneficial compounds.

Why add baking soda to tea or coffee? ›

Baking Soda Is an Alkaline

Baking soda helps neutralize some of the naturally occurring acid in the coffee. As little as a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda for a pot of coffee can smooth the harsh flavor of inexpensive coffee and make it easier to digest.

Does baking soda neutralize acid in tea? ›

Baking soda is a base, which when mixed with water (the base of any tea) achieves a PH level of around 8. The alkaline mixture combines and neutralizes the acidic tannins, resulting in a less bitter tea.

How do you add baking soda to tea? ›

Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda into a 64-ounce, heat-proof glass pitcher. Pour in boiling water and add tea bags. Cover and allow to steep for 15 minutes.

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