Homemade cold brew iced tea is a simple and refreshing drink perfect for summer. Made with green or black tea bags and just a few more ingredients, it's easy to customize to your taste. Learn how to make your own with our easy-to-follow recipe.
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Are you a fan of iced tea? If so, you'll definitely want to try making your own homemade cold brew iced tea.
Not only is it a refreshing and delicious drink for hot summer days, but it's also incredibly easy to make. All you need is some tea bags or loose-leaf, water, and a bit of patience.
In this blog post, we'll show you how to make the perfect summer drink at home, so you can enjoy this tasty beverage anytime you want.
If you like this recipe, be sure to try our iced matcha latte or our strawberry puree for drinks!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make with just a few simple ingredients!
- Much cheaper than buying store-bought concentrate!
- Makes a ton - great for summer BBQs or parties.
- Customizable - make it using green, black, or your favorite.
- No iced tea maker is needed!
- A safer alternative to sun tea.
- A healthy alternative to sugary beverages and sodas (just like our sleepy girl mocktail).
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
You will need a large glass container with a lid and beverage spout.
I purchased this container at IKEA, however, you can generally find these beverage dispensers on Amazon or at Walmart.
I like to make cold-brew iced tea using green and black teas for a variety of flavors. You can use any brand you find at home like Lipton, Celestial, or your favorite brand.
Earl Grey, green, herbal or fruit, or even matcha tea bags all provide great taste.
Lemon provides a citrus flavor that is common in cold brew iced tea. You can also infuse flavors into the recipe with other fruit like raspberry.
Taste
It has a clean and smooth finish that is light, crisp, and refreshing!
It is more mellow and mild than traditional tea.
This cold-brewed version is less bitter than when made with boiling water.
How to Make This Recipe
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe with the best results. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Step 1
Fill a large glass jar with cold water.
Step 2
Add sliced lemons and bags to the jar.
Step 3
Cover the jar and refrigerate for 6-12 hours.
Step 4
Remove tea bags and lemons and discard. Serve over ice and sweeten as desired.
Best Sugar-Free Sweetener for Iced Tea
Although you can use sugar or simple syrup to sweeten iced tea, I like to opt for no-sugar sweeteners.
Liquid stevia or monk fruit sweetener is the easiest no-calorie no sugar sweetener to use to sweeten it.
You can also use powdered stevia, monk fruit, or Truvia.
Expert Tips
If you like a more concentrated flavor, use more tea bags for a stronger flavor.
Serve alongside any of your favorite summer meals like pasta salad, burgers, or grilled chicken.
Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Recipe FAQS
Yes, with this simple recipe and overnight refrigeration, you can make it homemade with a few simple ingredients.
Yes. I use a mix of black and green that I have on hand.
Iced tea is made using hot water while cold-brewed iced tea is brewed cold over a longer period of time.
Generally cold brewed teas and coffee have a mild, more "mellow" flavor which many people enjoy.
Generally, one bag per cup of water for a medium-brewed iced tea. To make a stronger flavor, increase the amount of bags or reduce the water.
How many bags you use for cold brewed iced tea will depend on your taste preferences. If you are used to more a concentrated flavor, you will need to add more bags per cup of water.
Although this largely depends on taste, I enjoy mixing green, black, and herbal teas to make this recipe at home.
I especially like bolder black teas like Earl Grey to add even more flavor.
Yes. You will need a cheesecloth to hold the loose-leaf tea for overnight refrigeration.
Generally, you will need one teaspoon of loose-leaf for each cup of water according to Twinings.
One week in the refrigerator.
Related Recipes
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Homemade Cold Brew Iced Tea
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 gallons water
- 36 tea bags more for stronger flavor
- 12 slices lemon
Instructions
- Fill a large container with 2 gallons of water.2 gallons water
- Place lemon slices and tea bags into the large container and cover.36 tea bags, 12 slices lemon
- Refrigerate for 12 hours and then serve over ice.
Notes
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Shelby Beard says
Can you tell me how much stevia and water for a gallon of tea...also with the family size tea bags
mommafitpgh@gmail.com says
This recipe is for 2 cups and there are about 16 cups in a gallon so I would try multiplying by 8 to get a gallon measurement. Hope that helps!
Mary Ann says
I love slenda natural stevia!! My go yo for everything. 😊
mommafitpgh@gmail.com says
I love it too! My favorite stevia I've had so far.