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Homemade Iced Tea
5 from 6 votes

Homemade Iced Tea

This iced tea is so refreshing! I infuse it with ginger, mint, and orange flavors, but even plain and unsweetened, it's delightful.

Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 2 kcal
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 8 cups water divided
  • 8 black tea bags
  • 1 inch ginger root peeled, fresh
  • 2 bunches mint leaf divided, fresh
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • sweetener optional, to equal ½ cup sugar
To serve:
  • ice cubes
  • 1 orange thinly sliced

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Stir in the baking soda and, if using, sweetener.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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 counteracts any bitterness. 
  • 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 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 it to individual glasses right before serving.
  • The nutrition info assumes no sweetener was used. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cup Calories 2kcal (0%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 2

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cup
Calories 2kcal 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.