Iced tea is one of the most refreshing drinks you can enjoy in the summer. It's wonderfully cold and deeply flavorful.
I like to infuse it with ginger, mint, and orange flavors. But even plain and unsweetened, it's delightful!
It took moving to the U.S. South to realize why sweet tea plays such a significant role here. Living in year-round cool Northern California, I didn't really get it. But summer is hot and muggy here, and cold drinks are so refreshing.
In the sweltering summer of Memphis, Tennessee, I find that iced tea (and iced coffee) is just the thing when I get back home from a long walk, a bike ride, or even just running errands.Â
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need to make iced tea. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
- Water: You'll need 8 cups of cool water.
- Tea bags: I use Earl Grey tea. I use eight tea bags - one bag for each glass of tea.
- Ginger: I like to add a small piece of fresh ginger root to the tea as it steeps. It adds a very subtle flavor. If you want a more robust ginger flavor, keep it in the tea while it cools.
- Mint: You'll need a bunch of fresh mint leaves and another bunch for garnish.
- Baking soda: This helps keep the tea clear and counteract any bitterness. You'll only need a pinch.
- Sweetener: This is optional. I typically don't add any, but if you'd like to sweeten your tea, you can add a sweetener to equal ½ cup of sugar. Each glass will contain about a tablespoon of sweetener. If this seems excessive, you can start with ¼ cup of sweetener for the entire batch and see how you like it.
- Orange: I thinly slice a fresh orange and add the slices to the tea. I like it better than lemon. It adds great flavor and a hint of sweetness.
- Ice cubes: You'll need 4-6 ice cubes for each glass.
Variations
- You can use your favorite tea in this recipe. I like Earl Grey, but you can use plain black, green, white, or herbal tea.
- You can use different sweeteners, including sugar, honey, maple syrup, sugar-free granulated sweeteners, or stevia. You can also use brown sugar if you dissolve it entirely while the tea is hot.
- It's fun to infuse the tea with different types of fruit. My favorite is orange slices, but other good options include lemon, lime, strawberry, or peach slices.
Instructions
Here's a general overview of the steps for making this recipe. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below.
Bring two cups of water to a boil. Turn the heat off and add the tea bags, ginger root, and mint leaves. Steep the tea for ten minutes.Â
Using a slotted spoon, remove the tea bags, ginger, and mint leaves from the tea. At this point, you can strain the tea into a heatproof bowl.
Stir in the baking soda and (if using) sweetener.Â
Stir in six cups of cool water. Refrigerate the tea until cold, for about an hour, or place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
To serve, transfer the tea to a glass pitcher. Fill drinking glasses with ice cubes and add one or two thin orange slices. Pour in the tea, garnish with mint leaves, and serve.Â
Expert Tips
- If your tap water has a clean taste, it's OK to use it when making this recipe. Here in Memphis, we enjoy excellent tap water, so that's what I use. But if your tap water tastes bad (when I lived in D.C., our tap water had a strong chlorine taste), it's best to use filtered or bottled water.
- I use kitchen scissors to cut the string off the tea bags. This way, I can fully immerse them in hot water without immersing their tags.
- To prevent the ice cubes from diluting the tea's flavor, you can make some tea beforehand and freeze it in ice cube trays, then serve the tea with frozen tea cubes instead of regular ice cubes.
Recipe FAQs
The baking soda is optional, but I like to use it. It counteracts any bitterness and makes the tea clear and smooth-tasting.
This is purely a matter of taste. I don't sweeten the tea. I do add orange slices, and those add a hint of sweetness.
If you enjoy sweetened beverages, you can add a sweetener. Make sure to add it while the tea is still hot, especially if you use a granulated sweetener.
Iced tea should be served refrigerator-cold, which is around 40°F. That's why it's best to chill it before serving, even if you plan on serving it with ice.
Ten minutes is ideal. Steeping tea for too short of a time will result in weak tea that doesn't have much flavor, while steeping it for too long could result in a bitter taste because more tannins are extracted.
Most tea packages will instruct you to steep the tea for 3-5 minutes, so if you worry about the tea becoming too bitter, you can steep the tea for around five minutes instead of ten.
Serving Suggestions
Iced tea can be enjoyed on its own as a refreshing drink any time of day. It's great for breakfast, as a drink to accompany lunch, or as a snack.
It also goes well with dark chocolate, chocolate-based treats such as fat bombs or homemade chocolate, and baked goods such as almond flour cookies and keto pound cake.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the tea covered and refrigerated for up to five days. Be sure to refrain from adding fruit directly to the pitcher. Add them to individual glasses right before serving.
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Recipe Card
Iced Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cups water - divided
- 8 black tea bags
- 1 inch fresh ginger root - peeled
- 2 bunches fresh mint leaves - divided
- â…› teaspoon baking soda
- Sweetener to equal ½ cup of sugar - (optional)
To serve:
- Ice cubes
- 1 orange - thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Turn the heat off and add the tea bags, ginger, and half the mint leaves. Make sure the tea bags are covered in water. Steep the tea for 10 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the tea bags, ginger, and mint leaves from the tea. If needed, strain the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl.
- Stir in the baking soda and (if using) sweetener.
- Stir in the remaining 6 cups of cool water. Refrigerate until cold, for about an hour. You can also place the tea in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- To serve, transfer the tea to a glass pitcher. Fill drinking glasses with ice cubes and 1 or 2 thin orange slices. Pour in the tea. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.
Video
Notes
- If your tap water has a clean taste, it's fine to use it when making this recipe. But if your tap water tastes bad, it's best to use filtered or bottled water.
- The baking soda helps keep the tea clear and counteract any bitterness.Â
- I use kitchen scissors to cut the string off the tea bags. This way, I can fully immerse them in hot water without immersing their tags.
- You can use any type of tea that you like. I use Earl Grey tea because I enjoy its robust flavor, but you can use plain black tea, green tea, white tea, or even herbal tea.
- You can use different sweeteners, including sugar, honey, maple syrup, sugar-free granulated sweeteners, or stevia. You can also use brown sugar if you take care to dissolve it fully while the tea is still hot.
- You can keep the tea covered and refrigerated for up to five days. Be sure to refrain from adding fruit directly to the pitcher. Add them to individual glasses right before serving.
- The nutrition info assumes that no sweetener was used.Â
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Anna Roberts
Looking forward to making this lovely drink this coming summer and cooling down some friends and neighbors in the harsh heat we experience in Australia for six months of the year.
I have followed and used your great recipes for many years now, and my family and guests have always commented on them for their great taste.
Thank you so much for your kindness in allowing us the pleasure of enjoying your wonderful low-carb and easy-make dishes. Wonderful Always.
Vered DeLeeuw
How wonderful! Thank you so much, Anna.
Yaffa
What is the baking soda doing to the cold tea?
Vered DeLeeuw
The baking soda keeps the tea clear and counteracts any bitterness.