This Lipton Iced Tea Recipe makes the best sweet iced tea. With five simple ingredients needed, this makes the perfect Southern sweet tea, loaded with great flavor. You'll love the simple process and great taste so get your ice-filled glasses ready!
I love homemade iced tea. This recipe makes the best iced tea. Even if you're not from the Southern USA, you can still appreciate the flavor of this sweet tea. It just may become your new favorite drink.
People call this America's favorite tea for a reason, and you're about to find out why. Lipton tea bags offer such a great tea flavor, which is why it's a popular brand to buy and use. I keep Lipton tea bags in my house for both hot tea and cold tea.
For another simple drink recipe, be sure to try my Lemonade Recipe for One. Such a simple thirst quencher!
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Ingredients
- Lipton tea bags - I like to use regular black tea, but any flavor and variety will work.
- Baking soda - This helps to neutralize tannins, reducing bitterness. It can also clear any cloudiness from mixing the tea, sugar, and water.
- Boiling water - Hot water is needed to steep the tea bags.
- Sugar - For added sweetness.
- Cold water - To chill the tea and also stretch it further.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make this Lipton Iced Tea Recipe
Step One: Put the tea bags and the baking soda in a glass measuring cup. Pour in the boiling water. Let the tea steep for 5 minutes.
Step Two: Take out the tea bags and add the sugar. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
Step Three: Add the tea and the cold water to a large pitcher.
Step Four: Pour into glasses over ice cubes.
Top Tip
Wait until the very last minute to add the ice cubes to your glass. This will keep them from adding any excess water, which can, in turn, water down your sweet tea. I add the ice cubes and pour the tea right before I get ready to drink, and it makes the best sweet tea ever.
Substitutions
- Vary the flavor - You can make this with green tea bags, natural black tea or black tea bags, herbal tea, or any flavor that you want. Feel free to vary the original recipe to fit your personal preference.
Variations
- Fresh mint - Add a bit of fresh peppermint to your glass pitcher to add a mint flavoring. Mint tea would be fun for summer gatherings! I also love this Mint Lemonade Recipe.
- Orange slices - Drop a few sliced oranges into the pitcher to add a fun citrus flavor.
- Lemon slices - Add lemon slices to the brisk iced tea for a burst of lemon flavor.
- Unsweetened - You can make unsweetened iced tea by leaving out the added sugar.
- Ice cube shape - Have fun with the ice cubes and get some cute ice cube molds to change the shape.
See this Iced Guava White Tea Lemonade for another one of my favorites!
Equipment
This ice tea recipe only needs a measuring cup and a large half gallon pitcher.
Storage
While I think this brewed tea tastes best fresh, you can easily make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you are ready to drink or serve it. I like to store it in an airtight container so that the tea doesn't take on any other flavors.
Don't add ice until serving. Otherwise, that ice will melt, even in the fridge. This will then cause the entire tea batch to be watered down!
Common Questions
While you can make sun tea using these same ingredients, the process isn't the same. You won't need to boil the water. Add the water and tea bags to a pitcher and set in the sun until it has brewed to your liking.
I do make sun tea during the summer, but this recipe is meant to be quicker.Â
We have an instant hot water dispenser on our sink which I absolutely love and highly recommend.
Otherwise, I like to boil it on the stove. Some people will microwave it in a microwave-safe container, while others might actually run water through a coffee maker to get it hot and ready.
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📖 Recipe
Lipton Iced Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Lipton tea bags
- pinch baking soda
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 cups cold water
Instructions
- Place the tea bags and the baking soda in a large glass measuring cup.
- Pour the boiling water over the tea bags.
- Let the tea steep for 5 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags and add the sugar.
- Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the tea and cold water to a large pitcher.
- Serve over ice cubes.
J Orlando
I'm sure it's delicious but you must bring back the unsweetened iced tea mix ! Heard it was discontinued & I've been using it for decades !! Please bring it back !!
Taryn
I am not affiliated with Lipton. You should reach out to them on their website with your comment.
Jeff
Delicious sweet tea!!!
Same recipe I've used for years.
Only difference I steep for 15 minutes.