The Best Raspberry Iced Tea Recipe

Is there anything better than a tall glass of iced tea when you’re out and about during the summer months? It’s definitely a favorite of mine. And the only thing better than traditional iced tea is flavored teas made with natural fresh fruit. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make an ice tea bursting with raspberry flavor using a homemade raspberry syrup.

Personally I fell in love with raspberry iced tea the first time I visited the US. It was the one in those self serve soda machines that made me realize how good raspberry iced tea is! Now being an adult I figured I would make a better homemade version and it didn’t fail me at all!

Since you are here and love a refreshing beverage, check out this Anti-Inflammatory Ginger Turmeric Tonic Recipe, this Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher, or this 3-ingredient Peach Iced Tea Recipe.

Ingredients for this Raspberry Iced Tea Recipe

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this refreshing drink. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the detailed ingredient measurements. 

• Black Tea Bags: You can use caffeinated or decaf depending on which time of the day you would like to enjoy it. Regular caffeinated black tea is great to have at breakfast or lunch to keep you going through the day while using decaf will make a nice evening drink.
• Boiling Water: to brew the tea.
• Raspberries: You can use fresh or frozen.
• Water: to make the raspberry syrup.
• Granulated Sugar: to mix with the water to make a simple syrup for the raspberries.

How to make this Raspberry Iced Tea Recipe

This is how you can make this homemade drink. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full step-by-step instructions! 

1. Bring cups of water to a light simmer in a pot on the stove or in an electric kettle.
2. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Make sure they’re fully submerged, then let them steep. Carefully remove them and let the black tea cool down before transferring it to the fridge to chill.
3. Add the water, sugar, and raspberries to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the mixture boils, reduce to simmer. Remove from the  heat and strain using a fine-mesh sieve to remove all the raspberry pieces and seeds. Make sure to press down on the peach puree to get all the juice out. Let it chill in the fridge for half an hour or until cool.
4. Combine the black tea and the raspberry simple syrup recipe together in a large pitcher. Stir to combine, then top it off with ice cubes and serve. Add a few raspberries in there to decorate and serve.

Why do you need to make this recipe?

• This easy recipe only requires a few simple ingredients that you can easily find at the grocery store.
• Pass up on those artificial flavors of most store-bought teas and make this delicious drink with fresh berries at home instead.
• It looks pretty and has a fruity flavor, which is great to bring to bridal showers or baby showers on hot days.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

How do I store leftover iced tea?

​Pour your leftover raspberry tea into an airtight container such as a large mason jar and put it in the fridge. It should last for at least 3 or 4 days. Or you could put it in the freezer and it could last for months.

Make sure you are using a freezer safe container to freeze your tea if you chose that option.

Can I use other types of tea instead of black?

Of course! You can use green tea if you still prefer the caffeine but with a different flavor. Or you could use an herbal tea like spearmint or chamomile to add an extra flavor and make it night time friendly.

I actually used decaffeinated black tea in this recipe because I wanted something that wouldn’t affect my sleeping schedule too much.

Can I change how many tea bags or sugar are used?

Absolutely. I made this recipe to have a balanced base that is not too strong or too sweet so that people could add more if they wanted it. For a sweeter tea, you could definitely add more sugar.

I would suggest doing it after the original recipe has been made and everything has been combined so that you can add slowly and not accidentally put too much sugar, which I’ve done before believe me. If you want more tea flavor, use one or two extra bags before brewing to get it to your desired strength.

​Is there a difference between using fresh or frozen raspberries?

Not really, since they’re getting cooked down into syrup. Frozen raspberries are more convenient because they are available year-round.

How can I make the raspberry flavor stronger?

To intensify the raspberry flavor, you can increase the amount of raspberries used or let them steep longer in the tea after it has cooled down.

Can I make this into a low calorie drink?

Absolutely! I love using monkfruit sweetener in my drinks to reduce the sugar and calories. Substitute it at a 1:1 ratio.

The Best Raspberry Iced Tea Recipe

Love the cups I used in this recipe? Get them here!

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