How to Make Homemade Raspberry Iced Tea

Looking for a refreshing drink to enjoy during a hot summer day? This easy raspberry iced tea recipe combines the robust flavor of black tea with the sweet and fruity flavor of raspberries. The perfect drink for a pool party or relaxing on the patio.

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this pretty iced tea.

Tea: 

Black tea is best as a base for raspberry iced tea, but you can experiment with your favorite tea, such as green tea or Earl Gray. I used tea bags in this recipe, but you can also use loose-leaf tea. Using a tea ball or some type of infuser will make straining easier when the tea has steeped.

Add more tea bags if you want a stronger tea.

Sugar:

I used granulated sugar, but you can use any sugar substitute or other sweetener. 1 ½ cups gives the tea a mildly sweet flavor, but you can add more sugar if you like a sweeter tea. 

Raspberries:

Fresh raspberries work best in this iced tea, but frozen raspberries will work too. Increase the raspberries to 1 ½ cups if you want more raspberry flavor.

Ingredients:

8 cups of cold water

8 black tea bags

1 cup of fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries

1 ½  cup of sugar (adjust to taste)

1 cup of water

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

ice cubes

Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil over high heat.

2. Once the water reaches a boil, remove it from heat. Add the 4 black tea bags to the hot water and let them steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags after steeping.

3. In a separate small saucepan, combine 1 cup of raspberries with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure the raspberries break down and the sugar dissolves. Use a potato masher if necessary to crush the berries.

4. After simmering, strain the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the brewed tea, discarding the berries. Stir well to combine.

5. Pour in 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir the tea mixture again.

6. Let the raspberry tea cool to room temperature, pour it into a large pitcher or other large container, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to chill thoroughly.

7. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice cubes and pour the chilled raspberry tea over the ice. If desired, garnish with fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, and fresh berries.

Enjoy your homemade raspberry iced tea. 

Servings: 10 cups