Get the recipe for a sweet iced tea which is perfect beverage for hot summer days. It is super simple and easy to make. Southern Sweet Iced Tea is a delicious, quick and refreshing drink. This 3 ingredients recipe tastes way better than any store brought iced tea drinks.
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We also show you how to make Sweet Iced Tea in Instant Pot. This homemade tea is strong, smooth and not bitter - all important factors to make it the Best Iced Tea!
Homemade Sweet Tea
This recipe makes classic ice tea concoction. I am also listing several optional add-on so you can make customized Iced Tea of your choice.
Speaking of teas, we also LOVE this Indian masala chai also called spiced chai latte which is classic black tea brewed with different mulling spices in India.
Additionally, homemade ice tea literally costs fraction compared to what you pay for the store brought bottles or at the Starbucks.. I love saving money. Added bonus, this cool beverage can be made ahead of time and kept chilling in the fridge until needed.
Drinking iced tea keeps you hydrated. Since tea is full of natural antioxidants, it is my preferred drink of choice. Iced tea is much healthier than soda.
Ingredients
Just three basic ingredients are used. I suggest you suggested freshest tea bags for refreshing taste.
- Tea Bags : We use black tea bags. You can use single serve or family size tea bags. Adjust the water proportionately depending upon which size you use.
- Sugar : Sweet tea uses sugar to sweeten it. You can use other sweetener if you prefer.
- Lemon Slices : Add nice refreshing taste.
- Water and Ice : cold water to brew the tea and ice to make it cold.
- You can also add fresh mint leaves as a garnish.
How To Make Sweet Iced Tea
- Add the tea bags, water and sweetener (or sugar) into your Instant Pot insert, cover your Instant Pot and set the vent to ‘sealing.’
- Select the MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK button , select high pressure and set the timer to 4 minutes.
- Once Instant pot is done cooking, wait on KEEP WARM timer for 5-7 minutes. Then release the leftover pressure by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING.
- Once the silver pin drops, open the lid. Using the tongs, pick up the tea bags and discard them. (otherwise the tea will become bitter). Add baking soda and mix well.
- Let the tea mixture cool completely, then serve over ice. Enjoy !
💡💡💡Pro Tips
- My ratio for smooth tea is 1.5 cup of water per 1 tea bag. So for 6 cups of water, use 4 tea bags. However, if you prefer a stronger tea, you can do 1:1 ratio and use 6 tea bags instead.
- Since adding the ice will dilute the tea, it's ok if the tea tastes bit too strong initially.
- It is essential that you remove the tea bags soon after it finished steeping. If you leave them to steep longer, the tea becomes bitter.
- Adding a pinch of baking soda will reduce any bitter flavor, if you think you might not get the tea bags out quickly.
- If using a calorie-free sweetener, adjust the amount to your desired sweetness. Some sweetener measure the same as sugar, but some like stevia will require far less.
- I prefer to use Lipton Assam Black Tea bags or Tazo Iced True Black Tea Bags for making this recipe
Different ways to flavor classic iced tea
Start with this classic iced tea recipe. Then add your favorite flavors to make it more exciting. Here are some my favorite pairings. All mixing measurements listed below are per 500 ml or 1 tall glass of Classic Ice Tea
- Lemon Iced Tea : Mix in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and slices of half lemon.
- Thai Iced Tea : Mix in 1 tablespoon of condensed milk.
- Cold Chai Latte : Mix in ¼ cup of cold milk
- Iced Masala Chai Latte : ⅛ teaspoon Chai Masala ( Indian Tea Spice Blend ) + ¼ cup milk.
- Hibiscus Ginger Iced Tea : ½ teaspoon of hibiscus flower concentrate + ½ teaspoon minced or sliced fresh ginger root
- Ginger Lemon Iced Tea : ½ teaspoon minced or sliced fresh ginger root + 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and few slices of fresh lemon.
- Orange Ginger Ice Tea : ½ teaspoon minced or sliced fresh ginger root + 1 tablespoon of orange juice and few slices of fresh orange.
- Herbal Ice Tea : Add in few fresh twigs of rosemary, thyme, basil , mint or lavender. For more intense flavors, crush or muddle few leaves and add it in.
- Fruit Iced Tea : Add about ¼ of cup cut up Peach or Mango, kiwi or Oranges and other citrus fruits, per serving.
- Vanilla Iced Tea : stir in ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Pumpkin Spice Iced Tea : ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice blend + ¼ cup cold milk.
Easy To Adjust
You can adjust how sweet you want your cold tea and how rich or mellow you want it . You can also choose how you want to serve it - on the rocks or slushy
I like my tea to be strong yet smooth. So boiling it to the perfect temperature is a key. Otherwise, it can get strong and bitter which is not very desirable
Just like Classic English tea, the one they serve with fancy crockery, your tea should be well-steeped, not over-boiled. Relax with a tall, refreshing glass of iced tea all year long. You can also pack and carry it in portable coolers
Serving Ideas
Instant Pot Iced Tea or flavored Iced tea can be enjoyed as a thirst quencher all season long. It's especially delightful during summer during picnics, BBQ, brunches, afternoon teas, book clubs, GNO s and more.
Ice tea ideally should be served with other finger food munchies like Tea Sandwiches, Italian Bruschetta or Masala Toast Sandwich.
For summer picnics and potlucks, serve a big pitcher of this sweet iced tea along with other salads and munchies. I also make a pitcher of Saffron Rose Lemonade.
Recipe FAQs
Adding a pinch of baking soda neutralizes the tannins in the tea. It also helps makes the tea taste smoother. This is the best kept secret to Southern-style sweet tea. Since pinch is a relative term, I suggest you use ⅛ teaspoon baking soda per 4 cups of water.
Sweet tea is a cold drink made from brewed black tea with sugar and water and served with lemon wedges.
Store iced tea in an airtight glass container so it doesn’t absorb the flavors of other things in the fridge. If you plan to make a big batch and use it over multiple days, leave the sugar out of while brewing.
Typically iced tea is made using variety of black tea bags. If you want to make green iced tea, use your favorite green tea bags. I recommend using 1 green tea bag per 1 cup of water.
If you are looking to make this tea decaffeinated, use Decaffeinated Tea bags instead. I recommend using 1 tea bag per 1 cup of water for decaffeinated tea.
Dump and go recipe - everything goes in at the same time. So it's practically hands off recipe. No need to monitor boiling water, watching over the stovetop.
Doesn't heat up the kitchen .. especially useful on those hot humid days. You will love how easy it is to make this ice tea at home. Plus I am suggesting several ideas to perk up the flavors.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Sweet Iced Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Black Tea bags tags removed
- ½ cup sugar or sweetner of your choice
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 cups water
- Ice - for serving
- Lemon wedges - optional for serving
Instructions
How To Make Instant Pot Sweet Iced Tea
- Add the tea bags, water and sweetener (or sugar) into your Instant Pot insert, cover the lid of your Instant Pot and set the vent to 'sealing.'
- Select the MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK button , select high pressure and set the timer to 4 minutes.
- Once Instant pot is done cooking, wait on KEEP WARM timer for 5-7 minutes. Then release the leftover pressure by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING.
- Once the silver pin drops, open the lid. Using the tongs, pick up the tea bags and discard them. (otherwise the tea will become bitter). Add baking soda and mix well.
- Let the tea mixture cool completely, then serve over ice. Enjoy !
Video
Notes
How To Make Sweet Iced Tea on Stove Top?
Bring the water to a boil. Place the teabags and sugar (or your choice of sweetener) in a heatproof jug and pour the just boiled water. Let it steep for 10 mins before discarding the tea bags. Add baking soda and mix well. Set aside to cool. Refrigerate for a few hours and serve over ice. Enjoy !Nutrition
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Deb.
Can you use green tea? Black tea has tanins in it and that gives me kidney stones. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
admin
Yes you can. You can even use any special flavored green tea if you like.