Stay cool and refreshed with this caffeine-free strawberry iced tea that’s made with real strawberries and hibiscus tea.
If any drink was made for warm weather sipping its iced tea. Crisp and refreshing, iced tea begs for leisurely weekend picnics, warm evenings on the back porch and tall ice filled glasses after long days in the sun.
This strawberry iced tea is no exception, it’s wonderfully fruity, floral and totally refreshing to boot; the perfect drink for backyard barbecues or poolside sipping. The light raspberry-like notes of hibiscus tea and the natural sweetness of strawberries combine to make a caffeine-free iced tea with a punchy pink hue. Adults and kids alike will love the berry flavor and pretty pink color. It’s easy to make ahead of time and keeps well in the fridge, all you need are a few simple ingredients.
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Tea – I like to use hibiscus tea which is naturally caffeine-free. Its lovely light floral flavor pairs perfectly with the strawberries and creates a pretty pink drink.
- Strawberries – For best results use fresh strawberries but frozen can be substituted in a pinch. They’ll be used to create a strawberry simple syrup to flavor the iced tea. (Save a few for garnishing)
- Sweetener – Honey is great for sweetening iced tea but maple syrup can also be used to make it vegan.
- Water – Use filtered water if possible for the best tasting tea.
- Ice – For serving.
How to Make Strawberry Iced Tea:
(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
While the tea itself is easy to make, it does require chill time so I recommend you start at least a few hours ahead of time or the night before.
- The first step is simply to brew your hibiscus tea then let it chill completely in the fridge.
- Next you’ll make the strawberry simple syrup by combining the strawberries with your sweetener of choice and some water. You’ll simmer the mixture over low heat until the berries are soft and the liquid is syrupy, at which point you’ll strain and cool the syrup.
- Now it’s just a matter of assembly. You can either pour the tea into ice filled glasses then top them with a couple spoonfuls of syrup to taste or combine the syrup and tea into an ice filled pitcher before serving. Add a few sliced strawberries dropped in the glass or pitcher for a nice garnish and you are ready to sip!
It’s fruity, thirst-quenching powers are no match for the stuffiest of summer days.
Variations:
Want to mix things up? Try these variations.
- Raspberry leaf, rose hip or rooibos tea are other caffeine-free options you can try instead of hibiscus.
- Feel free to use other berries like raspberries, blackberries or blueberries.
- Honey, maple syrup or cane sugar can all be used to make the syrup.
- Make refreshing iced tea popsicles by pouring the iced tea into popsicle molds.
More Summer Drinks:
- Watermelon Juice
- Fruit Slushie
- Non-Alcoholic Sangria
Yield: Serves 4-6
Strawberry Iced Tea
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the tea:
- 6 cups/1.5 liters filtered water
- 6 hibiscus tea bags
- Ice for serving
For the strawberry syrup:
- 12 ounces/340g strawberries, hulled and sliced (divided use)
- 1 cup/240ml filtered water
- ½ cup/120ml honey or maple syrup
Instructions
Make the tea:
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep according to package instructions, remove tea bags, let cool and chill in fridge until needed.
Make the strawberry syrup:
- Combine 8 ounces of the strawberries, water, and sweetener in a saucepan set over low heat.
- Bring to a bare simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the syrup is red and the strawberries are pale and softened.
- Using a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, strain the mixture to separate the syrup from the strawberries (for a clear syrup avoid pressing down on the strawberries). Save the cooked strawberries for stirring into yogurt or ice cream.
- Chill the strawberry syrup in the fridge until cool (at least an hour).
- To serve either fill glasses with ice and top with chilled tea, 1-2 Tablespoons of syrup and a few sliced strawberries or combine chilled tea with syrup and strawberries in an ice filled pitcher and serve.
Notes
Variations
Substitute raspberry leaf, rose hip or rooibos tea instead of hibiscus.
Use raspberries, blackberries or blueberries in addition to or instead of strawberries.
Honey, maple syrup or cane sugar can all be used to make the syrup.
Make iced tea popsicles by pouring the iced tea into popsicle molds and freezing.
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge for 5 days.
Dietary info
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo, Refined-Sugar Free
For Vegan use maple syrup or cane sugar instead of honey.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 87Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 0g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
