Iced Black Tea with Lemonade Recipe: Make at Home!

This easy DIY iced black tea with lemonade is a refreshing pick-me-up, perfect on hot day! Enjoy the delicious combination of freshly brewed, high quality black tea with tangy and bright homemade lemonade. This recipe is healthy and homemade, free from refined sugar!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Easy

This easy recipe only requires a few simple steps. First, make a batch of homemade lemonade concentrate with fresh lemon juice and  maple syrup. Next, boil some water, steep tea,  and let it cool a bit. Finally, layer these ingredients with ice cubes in a glass and enjoy!

Healthy 

This iced black tea lemonade is healthier than the version you would find at Starbucks or other restaurants. Instead of processed sugar, this recipe is made with naturally sweet maple syrup. The fresh lemon juice in this delicious drink offers a healthy dose of vitamin C, while high quality black tea provides antioxidants!

Delicious

This refreshing drink combines the earthy, aromatic flavors of freshly brewed black tea with fresh lemon juice and sweet maple syrup. You don’t need a Starbucks barista to make your favorite drink; you can make this iced tea lemonade at home with healthy ingredients! This sweet tea is perfect for a hot summer day when you need a little caffeine. 

Simple Ingredients That Make This Recipe Amazing

High Quality Black Tea: there are a variety of black teas to choose from! Assam, Darjeeling, English Breakfast, or Irish Breakfast, are all great options. Earl grey (infused with citrusy bergamot oil) makes an especially unique and flavorful drink! Choose high quality organic and preferably loose leaf teas (no tea bags) for the healthiest option. 

Fresh Lemon Juice: fresh lemon juice gives this recipe a deliciously tart and refreshing taste. 

Lemon Zest: lemon zest brings out the citrus notes in homemade lemonade. It adds so much lemony flavor to homemade lemonade!

Maple Syrup: this black tea lemonade recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Feel free to swap maple syrup out for a mild organic honey or panela cane sugar of you prefer.

Salt: salt acts as a natural flavor enhancer in this recipe. 

How to Store Black Tea Lemonade 

Prefer to make a large batch ahead of time? This homemade version of black tea lemonade can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and still taste great! If you want to serve it in layers, simply store the lemonade concentrate and black tea separately. I like to use a mason jar with a lid for this.  

Tips and Tricks

Use loose leaf tea: by using high quality organic loose leaf tea, you are avoiding potential toxins that come with black tea bags like plastics, glues, and chemicals. Why not avoid these all together by using loose leaf tea instead? Plus, the tea tastes better! Use organic tea for a healthier drink. 

Brew tea properly: to make the best tasting tea, follow the proper brewing methods for your black tea of choice. This means the right temperature, for the right brewing time! 

Use filtered water: for the healthiest and best tasting beverage, use filtered water! I recommend reverse osmosis or high quality spring water. 

How to Make Healthy Black Tea Lemonade

​Make Lemonade Concentrate

Combine maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, 1 cup of water, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix until well combined. 

Make Black Tea

Add loose tea leaves to a heat resistant cup.

In a tea kettle or small pot, bring 1 cup water to a boil. 

Pour hot water over tea leaves and let tea steep for 5 minutes (this makes a strong brew, perfect for adding ice).

Strain tea through a fine mesh sieve or cloth into a separate cup and allow hot tea to cool to about room temperature or colder.  

Make Iced Black Tea Lemonade

In the bottom of a 16 oz glass, add lemonade concentrate. 

Add ice cubes to cup. 

Pour black tea over ice for a lovely two-layered cold drink. 

Enjoy!