Iced Tea Recipe | Lemon Iced Tea
Iced Tea is simply brewed tea that’s cooled and served over ice, often with lemon, sugar, or fresh fruit juice for extra flavor. It’s one of the easiest and most refreshing drinks to make at home, especially on hot summer days. This Lemon Iced Tea is light, tangy, and comes together with just a few simple ingredients. Perfect for guests or when you need something cool and refreshing.
About Iced Tea Recipe
At its core, Iced Tea is just tea that’s served cold. What makes it special is how easy it is to customize – add a splash of lemon juice, a bit of sugar, or even some fruit juice to make it your own.
It’s a simple drink, but when chilled just right, it becomes incredibly refreshing. A favorite during hot summer months, it’s enjoyed across the world in countless variations.
At home, I like to keep things simple. My go-to is Lemon Iced Tea – cool, tangy, lightly sweet, and so easy to make.
Just four ingredients: black tea powder (or loose leaves), water, sugar, and fresh lemon juice. That’s it. No fuss, no complicated steps.
I’ve been making this for years. When the heat gets heavy, a glass of chilled iced tea brings instant relief. Sometimes I add a few mint leaves, or infuse it with fruit like mango or peach if they’re in season. One sip, and it quickly lifts the mood.
A Little Backstory
Though iced tea feels like a modern café drink, it’s been around for quite a while. Some early versions were made with green tea and called “iced tea punches.” But the real rise in popularity happened in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair, when it was introduced more widely using black tea.
Today, iced tea is loved not just in the US, but across countries like Japan, Malaysia, Greece, and even here in India—especially fruity versions like peach iced tea or lemon tea sold in cafés and restaurants.
If you enjoy fruity teas, do check out my refreshing Mango Iced Tea as well. For something light and cleansing, you might like my Green Tea, soothing Turmeric Tea, or fragrant Kashmiri Kahwa.
And if you’re in the mood for something warm and spiced, try a comforting cup of Masala Chai or Adrak Chai (Ginger Tea).
How to Make Iced Tea with Lemon
Steep Tea
1. Add 5.25 cups (approximately 1.25 litres) of water to a saucepan.
2. Set the pan over a medium heat and bring the water come to a boil.
3. Turn off the heat once the water comes to a boil. Immediately add 1 to 2 tablespoons of black tea powder, depending on how strong you want your tea to taste.
Alternatively, you can use black tea leaves or green tea leaves.
4. Add ⅓ to ½ cup raw sugar or granulated white sugar. For a less sweet taste, you can add ¼ cup sugar.
Note: Omit the sugar for a delicious unsweetened iced tea recipe.
5. Mix very well. Steep black tea powder in hot water for 4 to 5 minutes for a stronger flavor. For a lighter taste, 2 to 3 minutes is enough.
- If you’re using black tea leaves, steep them for 2 to 3 minutes.
- If using green tea, steep for only 2 minutes to avoid bitterness.
Make Lemon Iced Tea
6. After the tea has steeped in the hot water, then add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pot. For a stronger lemony taste, you can add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Note: You can also skip the lemon juice altogether and make a simple iced tea.
7. Stir well with a spoon.
8. Then strain the tea into a steel or heat-safe glass jar.
9. Let the lemon tea cool at room temperature. This will take 30 to 60 minutes. Once it has cooled you can store in the refrigerator.
It keeps well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Refrain from keeping the lemon tea outside as it may begin to ferment.
Serving Suggestions & Storage
10. To serve the lemon team, add 4 to 5 ice cubes in a glass – more or less to preference. I also suggest adding 1 to 2 slices of fresh lemon to each glass as well.
If you have refrigerated the lemon tea and serving it cold, then do not add ice cubes.
11. Pour the lemon tea into the glass(es).
12. Garnish with a lemon slice or a sprig of mint leaves.
12. Enjoy the Lemon Iced Tea immediately. You want to drink it before the ice gets a chance to melt and dilute the lemon tea flavor.
Expert Tips
- Tea leaves: You can use either black tea or green tea for this recipe. Steep the leaves to your preferred strength – light or strong.
- Avoid bitterness: Don’t over-steep the tea, especially black tea powder, as it can turn bitter. Around 3 to 5 minutes is usually enough.
- Prevent cloudiness: Let the brewed tea cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Placing hot tea directly into the fridge can make it turn cloudy.
- Fruit variations: Feel free to experiment with fruits like orange, apple, lime, or berries. You can also swap lemon juice with other citrus juices.
- Adjust sweetness: If using different fruits or juices, taste and adjust the amount of sweetener accordingly.
- Sweetener options: Use any sweetener you prefer—white sugar, raw sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, jaggery, honey, or agave. If using honey be sure to not add it until the brewed tea has cooled to room temperature. Honey becomes toxic when added to hot beverages and food, according to Ayurveda.
- No lemon? You can skip the lemon juice completely for a basic iced tea version.
- Garnish ideas: Fresh mint or basil leaves add a nice, cooling touch.
- Storage: Keep the ice tea refrigerated. It stays fresh for 3 to 4 days. Avoid leaving it out, as it may ferment.
- Scaling up: This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
FAQs
What other kinds of fruit iced tea can I make with this recipe?
You can prepare a refreshing iced tea using limes, oranges, berries, or even seasonal fruits like mango or peaches. Just swap the lemon juice with your fruit of choice.
Why does my iced tea taste bitter or look cloudy?
Bitterness often comes from over-steeping the tea, especially black tea. Steep for about 3 to 5 minutes only. For clear tea, let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating to avoid cloudiness.
How long does homemade iced tea keep well?
Store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. Always keep it chilled to avoid fermentation.
Can this recipe be doubled or halved?
Yes, easily. The base recipe makes about four servings. You can scale it up or down depending on how many glasses you need.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it in the recipe card or leave a comment below — I’d love to hear your feedback. You can also sign up for my email updates or follow me on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, or X for more vegetarian inspiration.
Printable Recipe
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Iced Tea Recipe | Lemon Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 5.25 cups water
- 2 tablespoons black tea powder or black tea leaves or green tea leaves
- ½ cup sugar – can also add ¼ cup to ⅓ cup sugar for a less sweet taste
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice – can add less or more as required
- ice cubes as required
- lemon slices – few, for garnish, optional
Instructions
Steeping tea
- In a pot or saucepan pour water.
- Heat the pan on a medium flame and allow the water to come to a boil.
- Once the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons black tea powder or tea leaaves
- Add sugar. Mix very well.
- Let the black tea powder steep in hot water for 4 to 5 minutes. For a lighter flavor, steep it for just 2 to 3 minutes. – If using tea leaves, 2 to 3 minutes is usually enough.– If using green tea, steep for 2 minutes.
- After the tea is steeped in the hot water, add 3 tablespoons lemon juice. For a more lemony taste, you can opt to add 4 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Stir with a spoon.
- Then using a tea strainer, strain the lemon tea in a steel or glass jar. The glass jar should be able to handle the heat.
- Let the lemon tea cool at room temperature. Later you can chill it in the fridge.
Making iced tea
- While serving, add 4 to 5 ice cubes in a glass or glasses. You can add less or more as per your preference. If using cold iced tea from the refrigerator, then you can skip adding ice cubes.
- Also add 1 to 2 lemon slices. Adding lemon slices is optional.
- Pour the lemon tea in the glass or glasses.
- Garnish with a lemon slice or a sprig of mint leaves.
- Serve Lemon Iced Tea immediately. While drinking do stir lemon iced tea with a stirrer or a spoon.
Storage
- If you are not planning to serve ice tea on the same day, then keep it in the fridge.
- It keeps well for 2 to 3 days when refrigerated. Do not keep it outside as it may start to ferment.
Video
Notes
- Opt to omit lemon juice from the recipe and make a simple Iced Tea.
- You can swap lemon juice with lime juice or any citrus fruit juice. Adjust the sugar as needed if you using any other citrus fruit juice.
- For garnish a few sprigs of mint leaves or fresh basil can be added.
- The recipe can be scaled easily and you can make a big batch of it.
Nutrition
Iced Tea recipe from the archives was originally published on May 2017.
Just use a electric kettle for boiling water & teabags it makes everything a thousand times faster and just as good. Also if you make or use sugar syrup you can control the sugar ratios better. Simply taste test to your liking.
Thank you for the suggestions. I know that using an electric kettle makes things easy, but everyone does not have it. The sugar syrup tip is a nice one.
Super and refreshing iced tea recipe. Enjoyed it with friends.
Thank you.
For how many days can we store it?
For a week in the fridge.
Hi .nice recipe …can we use normal daily use tea instead of black tea
yes that is in fact black tea. so you can use it.
nice recipe!
prepared iced tea one hot afternoon….kids loved it…it left them wanting for more…
PS:can we added a few strands of ginger to the iced tea
thanks radhika and nice to know. yes you can add ginger strands when heating water. in fact any spice also can be added.
Hi , which cookware is it? Pan looks very sturdy and nice finish. Not something we get easily in India ? Where can I buy it ?
Hi! Is it or to store this for few hours and den serve. I was hoping to pack this along with my husband’s breakfast. A lot of ice cubes might keep keep it chilled. What do you suggest ?
of course, you can store ice tea for a few hours or couple of days and then serve. a lot of ice cubes can also dilute the tea a lot and the taste will become like lemon flavored water. so add less ice cubes and preferably while serving.
Thank you so much.
I am glad that I will be able to make Iced Tea using fresh fruit flavors at home now.Cafes etc use tap water and readymade powder to make the same.
Thanks a lot.
welcome beena. it was only after your comment, that i actually went ahead with the video. initially it was in the back of mind to take pics for iced tea, but i kept postponing it. and for this i should thank you. so thanks a lot ????
just a tip – 2 tablespoons tea is slightly on the stronger side. for a light infusion, you can add 1 tablespoon tea.