8 Awesome Iced Tea Recipes

With the summer heating up, we thought we would share our favorite 8 awesome iced tea recipes. Most of these recipes are adapted from Fred Thompson’s Iced Tea; check it out for even more delicious creations!

New to brewing iced tea? See our Blog Post “How to Make Iced Tea” for the complete rundown on making iced tea.

1. Verla’s Tea
This unique tea is a favorite of Lacey’s. If you are not a fan of raspberry, try substituting our Ginger Peach, Moroccan Mint or Pomegranate Green Tea for the Raspberry Fruit.

• 8 cups cold water, more if needed
• 1 ½ tbsp Earl Grey tea
• 1 ½ tbsp Irish Breakfast or English Breakfast tea
• 1 ½ tbsp Raspberry Fruit tea
• ½ cup granulated sugar

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small saucepan. Add all tea, cover and remove from heat. Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer into a 2-quart heatproof container. Add sugar and remaining 6 cups of water. Add more water, if needed, to make 2 quarts. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, refrigerate and serve over ice.

2. Almond Iced Tea
This tea is a wonderful enhancement to a meal of grilled foods, perfect for summer meals outdoors!

• 8 cups cold water
• 4 tbsp Black Tea or Winter Blend tea
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tsp almond extract
• Juice of 3 lemons

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small saucepan. Add tea, cover and remove from heat. Let steep 10 minutes. Strain tea through a fine mesh strainer into a 2-quart heatproof container. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Add remaining 6 cups of water and stir. Let cool, refrigerate and serve over ice.

3. Cinnamon Apricot Iced Tea
This incredibly flavorful herbal tea makes an exceptional iced tea. Try adding some club soda to a glass of this tea for a sparkling cooler. For a real treat, make milk shakes using vanilla ice cream. Just use the tea as you would the milk in a regular shake.

• 8 cups cold water
• 4 tbsp Cinnamon Apricot tea
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in small saucepan. Add tea, cover and remove from heat. Let steep for 12 minutes. Strain tea through a fine mesh strainer into a 2-quart heatproof container. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add remaining 6 cups water and stir. Let cool, refrigerate and serve over ice.

4. Mango Iced Tea with Lemon Syrup
This flavorful iced tea is perfect for picnics. The addition of lemon syrup allows each person to customize the final flavor of his or her tea.

• 7 1/3 cups cold water
• 5 tbsp Mango tea
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Fresh mint, for garnish

Bring 7 cups of water to boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add tea, cover and remove from heat. Let steep 10 minutes. Strain out tea leaves. Let cool completely and refrigerate.

While the tea is steeping, combine lemon juice, sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup water in a small nonreactive saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Uncover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

To serve, fill a tall glass with cracked ice. Pour the steeped tea into the glass and stir in 1 tbsp (more or less to taste) of the lemon syrup. Garnish with a sprig of mint, if desired.

5. Berry-Spice Iced Tea
Black currant and cranberry are the perfect berry combination, especially when cinnamon and clove are through into the mix. This drink is truly incredible!

• 3 cups water
• 2-3 tbsp Black Currant tea
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 10 cloves
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups cranberry juice
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a small saucepan. Add tea, cover and remove from heat. Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain out tea leaves using a fine mesh strainer. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and sugar. Cover and let cool at room temperature. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. Add the cranberry juice and lemon juice and stir to combine. Chill and serve over ice.

6. Green Tea-Pineapple Fruit Spritzer
Green tea pairs well with a variety of fruits, pineapple being no exception. The delightful spritzer is perfect for a hot day. Try adding an ounce of amaretto liquor for a delicious and refreshing cocktail!

• 4 cups cold water
• 3-4 tbsp Green Tea or Pineapple Papaya Green Tea
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 cups Pineapple Juice
• Chilled sparkling water, as needed
• Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small saucepan. Add tea, cover and remove from heat. Let steep 15 minutes. Remove tea leaves using a fine mesh strainer. Stir in honey until dissolved. Pour tea into a 2-quart heatproof container. Add remaining 2 cups water and pineapple juice. Let cool then refrigerate. When ready to serve, fill tall glass with ice. Fill glass ¾ full with tea and top off with sparkling water. Garnish with mint if desired.

7. Iced Chai
This is our take on a traditional Thai Iced tea. Thai Iced Tea, or Cha Yen, is often consumed in Thailand to calm their spicy cuisine. Since true Thai tea can be difficult to come by, we have adapted this recipe using our Chai tea.

• 4 cups water
• 3-4 tbsp Chai tea
• One 10-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• Cracked or crushed ice
• ¼ cup milk, half-and-half, or evaporated milk

Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add tea, cover and remove from heat. Let steep 10 minutes. Strain tea through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof container. Stir in condensed milk until blended. Chill thoroughly.

When it is time to serve, fill 4 glassed with cracked or crushed ice. Pour the tea into glassed and top with 1 tbsp of milk, half-and-half, or evaporated milk.

8. Creamsicle Tea Smoothie
This delicious concoction can be adapted for just about any palate. Change up the yogurt and tea flavors to suit your own personal taste.

• 2 cups unsweetened brewed Orange Spice tea, chilled
• 1 cup French Vanilla yogurt
• Orange slices for garnish, optional

Process the tea and yogurt in a blender for 20 seconds. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve in well-chilled glasses and garnish with orange slices if desired.

Other Flavor Combinations:

• Pomegranate Green Tea with Raspberry Yogurt
• Raspberry Fruit Tea with Raspberry Yogurt
• Ginger Orange Peach green tea with French Vanilla Yogurt
• Passion Berry Tea with Raspberry Yogurt
• Triple Berry Tea with Blueberry Yogurt