Practically Perfect Peach Iced Tea ·

16 Sep 2024, 00:00

three image collage showing freshly brewed peach iced tea in tall glasses garnished with mint sprigs and peach slices. center color block with text overlay.

This delicious Peach Iced Tea is wonderfully refreshing and the perfect drink for a hot summer day! Sure to impress with its beautiful color and incredible flavor, this stunning Peach Tea recipe is a breeze to make and perfect for summer get-togethers, BBQs and poolside parties!

It’s hot out there! Here are some more refreshing drinks to try: Strawberry Lemonade, Orange Julius and this tasty Peach Sangria!

Peach Tea

Skip the drive-thru and make your own peach iced tea at home! There is absolutely nothing that beats a refreshing glass of Peach Tea on a warm summer day! This delightful recipe combines the sweetness of ripe peaches (or frozen peaches!) with the robust flavors of black or green tea for a delicious, thirst quenching treat that the whole family will love! Make up a double batch for a poolside party or your next BBQ.

This tasty, thirst quenching beverage is not only easy to make but also serves as a gorgeous, inviting drink that’s sure to impress at any gathering. Whether you’re looking to cool down or simply enjoy something sweet and refreshing, this Peach Tea recipe ticks all the boxes.

This peach tea gets its delicious and sweet peach flavor from a no-cook syrup. Peaches and sugar are combined and left to sit for 24 to 48 hours in order to yield a rich and flavorful syrup. The syrup is combined with brewed tea and fresh lemon juice for a sweet and refreshing drink.

Don’t have the time (or patience!) to wait? No problem! I’ve provided a 20 minute, cooked peach syrup option in the recipe card at the end of this post.

free email course

5 SECRETS TO GETTING DINNER ON THE TABLE...FAST!

Why You’ll Love This Peach Iced Tea Recipe

I’ve yet to meet someone that will turn down a glass of practically perfect peach tea. I mean, it even sounds amazing. Here’s a few of the many reasons you’ll love this recipe:

Incredibly Refreshing: The combination of fresh peaches and green or black tea creates a freshness that is sure to revitalize and refresh you on a hot day.
Customizable: Choose between black tea for a bolder taste or green tea for a lighter, more delicate flavor profile. Amp up or reduce the sugar for a less sweet tea.
Minimal Ingredients: With just a handful of ingredients needed to create this stunning result, you’ll find this tea is perfect for entertaining or as an everyday treat for those sweet and simple timeouts.

How To Make Peach Tea

This peach tea recipe has two components: the peach syrup and the tea. The peach syrup is what you’ll make first since it has to sit for a day or two. (Don’t have time? No worries, I share a quick and is easy cooked peach syrup in the recipe card below.) The tea can be made just before serving or a day or so in advance. I like my tea iced so I tend to make it a day before and really chill it and then add ice when serving.

As always, you can find the full, printable recipe card with all the information you need to make this recipe at the end of this post. Let’s take a quick look at how to make peach tea!

Peach Syrup For Tea

Combine diced peaches with granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Stir until combined.

Refrigerate covered for a day or two until the sugar has dissolved into a syrup. Stir a few times while it’s refrigerating to speed up the process.

Strain the peach syrup through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently on the peaches to help extract as much syrup as possible.

Set the strained syrup aside. Reserve the peach solids for another use (delicious on yogurt, pancakes, etc.)

Prepare Tea

Brew the Tea: Steep the tea bags in boiled water, then add cool water and let the tea come to room temperature.

Combine and Serve: Mix the peach syrup and lemon juice into the tea, serve over ice, and garnish with peach slices and mint sprigs.

Storage Information

Advance Preparation: You can make the peach syrup up to 48 hours in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
Refrigeration: Keep the prepared Peach Tea in the fridge and enjoy it within 3-4 days for the best taste.
Freezing: Freeze the peach syrup in ice cube trays and thaw when ready to use for instant tea refreshment.

Cold Process, No Cook Peach Syrup

A traditional peach syrup is made by cooking water, sugar and peaches until a syrup forms. A “no-cook” or “cold process” syrup eliminates the cooking process. Simply combine peaches and sugar and allow it to sit in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. During this process, the sugar breaks down the cell walls of the fruit, drawing out the juices. The juice combines with the sugar and creates a rich, peach-flavored syrup.

Do I really need to let the syrup sit for 24 to 48 hours?

Yep! This allows time for the sugar to draw out the peach juices and for it to fully dissolve and yield a flavorful syrup.

Cooked Peach Simple Syrup

Don’t have the time for a cold process syrup? Use the recipe in the notes section of the recipe card at the end of this post to have your syrup ready in just 20 minutes!

Can I use frozen peaches?

Fresh peaches are recommended, but frozen peaches will work in a pinch. Thaw and drain well to avoid diluting the syrup.

How can I make it less sweet?

Reduce the sugar or increase the lemon juice to adjust the sweetness to your liking.

Is it possible to make Peach Iced Tea with decaffeinated tea?

Absolutely, decaffeinated tea bags can be used to make this recipe suitable for evening enjoyment without affecting sleep.

Can I make this Peach Tea sugar free?

Sure! Just omit the sugar from the recipe. Alternatively, you can substitute with honey or stevia.

Variations To Try

Herbal Touch: Add herbs like mint, basil or rosemary in the syrup for a light herbal note in your peach iced tea.
Berry Peach Tea: Include fresh raspberries or strawberries for a mixed berry version.
Spiced Peach Tea: Introduce cinnamon sticks or star anise during the syrup-making process for a spiced twist.
Tea Selection: Experiment with different flavors of tea in this recipe.

Trish’s Tips

Use ripe, juicy peaches for more flavor and sweetness. Look for firm peaches that give slightly under light pressure.
Modify the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of the peaches and your personal preference.
Make sure not to brew the tea too long to avoid bitterness, especially if using green tea in this recipe.
Consider adding a splash of sparkling water for a fizzy peach tea, or a shot of bourbon or rum for an adult tea cocktail.
Garnish with fresh mint, peach slices, edible flowers or a lemon wedge.
Consider cold brewing the tea while the syrup sits. Simple add the tea bags to cold water and refrigerate. This can reduce any bitterness you might find in the tea.
Once you’ve strained the syrup, don’t throw away the peaches! They can be enjoyed with yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, or ice cream.
For a stronger tea, use 8 tea bags. For a weaker tea, use 6 or 7 tea bags.
This recipe can be made with black or green tea depending on your preference. For a non-caffeinated version, use rooibos tea.

More Summer Drinks To Try

Cherry Limeade

Pineapple Mango Mocktail

Raspberry Iced Tea

Watermelon Lemonade

Watermelon Slushie

Peach Iced Tea

This delicious Peach Iced Tea is wonderfully refreshing and the perfect drink for a hot summer day! Sure to impress with its beautiful color and incredible flavor, this stunning Peach Tea recipe is a breeze to make and perfect for summer get-togethers, BBQs and poolside parties!

Course Beverages, Drinks Cuisine American Keyword peach iced tea, peach tea, peach tea recipe Prep Time 15 Chilling Time 1 Servings Calories 177kcal Author Trish – Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

4 medium peaches diced
1 ½ cups granulated sugar use more or less depending on how sweet you like your tea
6 to 8 cups cool water
6 to 8 black tea bags or green tea bags
2 tablespoons lemon juice
ice

Garnish (Optional)

mint sprigs
peach slices

Instructions

Combine the peaches and the sugar in a large bowl. Stir to coat the peaches in the sugar, then cover and place the bowl in the fridge for 24-48 hours or until the sugar has fully dissolved and yielded a pink syrup. You can stir the peaches once or twice throughout this process to help encourage the sugar to dissolve.
4 medium peaches, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
Strain the peach syrup, pressing gently on the peaches to help extract as much syrup as possible. Set the strained syrup aside. Reserve the peach solids for another use.
Once you’ve strained the peach syrup, bring four cups of the water to a boil. Place the tea bags in a large bowl or heat-proof vessel. Pour the boiled water over the tea bags. Steep the tea for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, then add the remaining four cups of cool water to the tea. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature then pour it into a large pitcher.
6 to 8 cups cool water, 6 to 8 black tea bags
Add the syrup and the lemon juice to the pitcher and stir to combine. If you prefer, you can chill the tea fully before serving. Otherwise, pour the tea over plenty of ice.
2 tablespoons lemon juice, ice
Garnish each glass with a peach slice and a sprig of mint. Serve and enjoy!
mint sprigs, peach slices

Notes

Storage Information You can make the peach syrup up to 48 hours in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Keep the prepared Peach Tea in the fridge and enjoy it within 3-4 days for the best taste. Freeze the peach syrup in ice cube trays and thaw when ready to use for instant tea refreshment. Cooked Peach Syrup Don’t have the time for a cold process syrup? Use the following method to have your syrup ready in just 20 minutes!

Wash, peel and dice peaches.

Combine peaches, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 cup water and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir to coat.

Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the peaches from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once at a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 10 to 15 minutes until thickened.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, gently pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

Cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. It will be good for up to 5 days.

Use as directed in the recipe and enjoy!

Nutrition

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rrvMqKWtoZ2avLbAjZympmegmq6ktIyimp6cXamyons%3D

Practically Perfect Peach Iced Tea