Iced Green Tea with Lemon and Honey
Homemade iced green tea is so easy to make! This refreshing green tea is flavored with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and honey for additional antioxidants.
You don’t need to pop into Starbucks, buy a can of Arizona Tea, or keep those bottles of Lipton Green Tea with Citrus in your fridge to enjoy a refreshing glass of iced green tea.
Much like your daily coffee habit, green tea is so easy to make at home. You can quickly brew a batch of iced green tea that’s cheap, healthy, refreshing, and full of antioxidants.
I like to keep a half-gallon jar of this citrus green tea in my fridge and reach for it when I hit that mid-afternoon slump! It’s perfect to sip on while I catch up on work. And I love that it adds more antioxidants to my diet.
It’s simple, delicious, and refreshing. It’s also cheap. I can get 100 bags of organic green tea for under 5 bucks right now! Keep reading to learn how to make iced green tea at home.
Ingredients
- Buy decent quality green tea bags, but don’t worry about fancy, high-grade ceremonial teas for making iced tea. I prefer to use tea bags for iced tea. They’re convenient and mess-free.
- Raw local honey adds a touch of sweetness. I use 3 tablespoons of honey for half a gallon of tea. This keeps the sugar content low. You can add more or less honey to your preference.
- Fresh-squeezed lemon juice gives it a bright, fresh flavor. Sometimes I’ll add a sliced mandarin orange if I have some to use.
Benefits
I make this green tea with lemon juice and honey for a power trio of antioxidant-rich ingredients!
Green tea is rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. It has caffeine for a nice little pick-me-up, but it’s less caffeine than a cup of coffee or black tea, so it doesn’t make me feel jittery. There are many other claims about the benefits of green tea that you can check out.
Honey is also a great source of antioxidants and may have health benefits. It is still sugar, though, so I like to go light on it!
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice adds flavonoids, another powerful antioxidant! It also adds Vitamin C and other nutrients.
Combining freshly brewed green tea, raw honey, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice makes a refreshing beverage you can feel good about drinking! It’s a perfect treat to support a healthy lifestyle. Just be mindful of the amount of caffeine and sugar you’re consuming. An 8-ounce glass of this iced green tea has fewer than 30 calories.
Instructions
How to brew iced green tea
Heat 4 cups of filtered water to just below a boil.
Place the tea bags in a heat resistant 2-quart pitcher and pour the hot water over them. Steep the green tea for 3 minutes. Set a timer to make sure you don’t oversteep it.
Remove the tea bags and add the honey and lemon juice.
Stir, then top with 4 cups of cold filtered water. Refrigerate until chilled. Then, serve over ice.
Store the iced green tea in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Expert Tips
- Don’t use boiling water to make the tea. Boiling water can make the tea bitter. Aim for water temperature around 170-175℉, just below the boiling point.
- Don’t oversteep the tea. Green tea should not be steeped for longer than 4 minutes, less for some varieties. Only steep the tea for 3 minutes to avoid bitterness. Set a timer, folks. This is not the same process as Southern sweet tea!
Serving Tips
Make a pitcher of this iced green tea and serve it anytime! It’s refreshing on warm sunny days and makes the perfect afternoon drink. Brew a fresh batch when company’s coming over. Then, enjoy sipping it on the front porch. Keep a cold pitcher in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Refreshing Drinks
Recipe
PrintIced Green Tea with Lemon and Honey
Make a pitcher of this easy and refreshing iced green tea at home!
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 quarts 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Steep
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 8 green tea bags
- 4 cups of almost boiling water
- 4 cups cold filtered water
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ice for serving
Instructions
- Heat 4 cups of water to just below boiling (about 170-175℉).
- Place the tea bags in a heat-resistant 2-quart pitcher or a half-gallon jar.
- Pour the hot water over the tea bags and steep for 3 minutes. Do not oversteep; it will cause the tea to become bitter. Remove the tea bags.
- Stir in the honey and lemon juice. Top with 4 cups of cold water and refrigerate until cold.
Serve over ice.
Notes
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Make sure the water is not boiling and don’t oversteep the tea. Both of those things can lead to bitter tea. It’s helpful to set a timer while it steeps.
- If you’re in a hurry, replace half the cold water with ice cubes to quickly chill the tea.
- Nutrition calculations are based on using 3 tablespoons of honey for a lightly sweetened glass of tea. You can add more or less honey to sweeten to your taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 ounce
- Calories: 28
- Sugar: 6.6 g
- Sodium: 2.8 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, of course. If you’re from the South, you’ll probably prefer it iced!
Yes, iced green tea contains the same nutrient profile as hot green tea.
