Southern Sweet Tea Recipe – easy to make at home

Published: July 12, 2023 from dina

This south Sweet tea recipe is just the thing to enjoy this summer. Follow my easy recipe to prepare this delicious and refreshing sweet tea for you and your guests.

If you love a cold drink on a hot day, you should try this Brown Sugar Boba or this Mango Smoothie.

Glass of sweet tea with a straw and a slice of lemon garnished with mint.

Table of contents

recipe details

If you think that sweet tea is just sugar mixed into iced tea, then this recipe will prove you right. This refreshing beverage is a Southern staple and I’ll show you how to make it just right. Once you’ve had some really sweet tea, you won’t want to go back!

TASTE GOOD: This drink is sweet with an intense, malty flavor that it gets from black tea.
TEXTURE: The granulated sugar is melted so that this tea is perfectly smooth.
TIME: It only takes 5 minutes to prepare.
EASE: This recipe is quick and easy with just 3 sweet tea ingredients. You can also prepare it in advance and store it in the fridge.

what you will need

Ingredients for sweet tea: black tea, water and granulated sugar.

Ingredient Notes

Black tea- Use a quality black tea or one made specifically for iced tea, like Lipton, Tetley, or Red Diamond.
Sugar- We use granulated white sugar to sweeten this tea.

Add-Ins and Substitutions

add fruit- Steep lemon slices (or lemon juice), peach slices, or raspberries in the sweet tea to add a fruity flavor to this drink.
Replace artificial sweetener If you are diabetic, you can use artificial sweetener instead of sugar. However, it has a slightly different taste.
add mint- Mint leaves in the sweet tea give it a refreshing mint flavor that’s perfect for hot days.
replace honey- If you avoid refined sugar, you can use honey instead of sugar. This gives the tea a slightly different taste, but it is still perfectly sweet.

How to make sweet tea

Let the tea steep. Bring 2 cups of filtered water to a boil and steep 3-4 black tea bags for 8-10 minutes.
Add the sugar. Squeeze the tea bags and then throw them away. Stir in the granulated sugar and stir until completely dissolved.

Pro tip: Press the tea bags against the side of the measuring cup and squeeze out as much tea and aroma as possible. You can also squeeze them out with a spoon.

Sweet Tea Preparation Steps: Put the tea bags in boiling water and then add the sugar.

Add cold water. Now pour in the cold filtered water, stir and then pour into a pitcher. Serve the iced tea on ice cubes and garnish with lemon and mint (optional).

Steps to make sweet tea: stir until the sugar dissolves, then pour the tea into cold water.

recipe tips

Adjust the strength of the tea. If you like your tealight, stick to 3 bags. If you like it stronger, use 4-5 tea bags.
Don’t rush to soak. Don’t rush to brew your tea. This gets as much flavor out of the tea bags as possible.
Let the tea steep when the water is no longer hot. To avoid burning your tea, remove the boiling water from the heat, then add the tea bags to steep.
add baking powder- If you want to make this sweet tea and keep it in the fridge for a few days, add a pinch of baking soda to keep it from turning bitter.

FAQs

How many tea bags does it take to brew one gallon of tea?

If you want to make a large amount of sweet tea, you need about 8-10 tea bags. But if you like it strong then use 12-15 tea bags for extra flavor. Store your sweet tea in a gallon pitcher in the fridge before serving over ice.

Why do you need baking soda in sweet tea?

While not everyone agrees with the addition of baking soda, its purpose is to eliminate the cloudiness that comes from mixing the ingredients and also to limit the bitterness that comes from brewing the tea. This is especially helpful if you have made a large batch and want to store it in the fridge.

A mug of sweet tea with lemon slices and ice.

serving suggestions

This is the best sweet tea and the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Serve it for lunch, with a barbecue, or with desserts for a delicious combination.

sandwiches: Enjoy it with a brisket sandwich, a classic BLT sandwich, a grilled cheese sandwich, or a caprese sandwich.
salads: Serve this sweet tea with a couscous and arugula salad, a broccoli salad with bacon and cheese, a cucumber tomato feta salad, or a spinach salad.
Barbecue/smoked meat: Pair this drink with barbecue pork ribs, grilled BBQ chicken thighs, smoked brisket, or BBQ chicken wings.
Dessert: Enjoy with a slice of berry Chantilly cake, no-churn ice cream, vanilla macarons, or pecan shortbread cookies.

Make this recipe ahead of time

Go on: You can prepare this sweet tea in advance and keep it in the fridge. Serve over ice when done.

storage: Store this sweet tea in a jar or container with a lid in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freeze: Pour this sweet tea into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, place tea cubes in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months.

More refreshing drinks!

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Full Recipe Guide

Sweet tea recipe

This sweet tea recipe is just the thing to enjoy this summer. Follow my easy recipe to prepare this delicious and refreshing sweet tea for you and your guests.

Press Pen rate

Course: drink

Kitchen: American

Diet: Gluten free

Preparation time: 5 protocol

Cooking time: 0 protocol

Servings: 6

Calories: 128kcal

instructions

Bring 2 cups of filtered water to a boil and steep 3-4 black tea bags for 8-10 minutes. If you like your tealight, stick to 3 bags. If you like it stronger, use 4-5 tea bags.
Remove the tea bags and squeeze out as much flavor as possible before throwing them away. Then stir in 1 cup of granulated sugar. Mix until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Now stir in 8 cups of cold, filtered water and transfer to a pitcher. Serve the iced tea on some ice and garnish with lemon and mint (optional).

Remarks

Adjust the strength of the tea. If you like your tealight, stick to 3 bags. If you like it stronger, use 4-5 tea bags.

Don’t rush to soak. Don’t rush to brew your tea. This gets as much flavor out of the tea bags as possible.

Let the tea steep when the water is no longer hot. To avoid burning your tea, remove the boiling water from the heat, then add the tea bags to steep.

add baking powder- If you want to make this sweet tea and keep it in the fridge for a few days, add a pinch of baking soda to keep it from turning bitter.

Nourishment

Hello, I’m Dina, I’m so glad you stopped by! I think life is too short for bad coffee and boring food. With my easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes, you’ll be amazed at how quickly a healthy and delicious meal can be prepared. I hope you find something you enjoy!

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