The phrase ‘tea recipes’ can conjure up many things depending on where exactly you live.
For example, if you’re from Alabama, Tennessee, or Mississippi, you likely think of a tall pitcher of tea so sweet, it’ll make your teeth hurt.
If you live in one of the New England states, though, it’s more likely unsweetened.
Then other people around the world might go to green tea, fruit teas, herbal teas, chai, or an array of loaded tea recipes.
Luckily, no matter what your favorite tea recipes are, this list has you covered. It may even give you some new ideas to try!
1. Sweet Lemon Iced Tea
Sweet iced tea with lemon is a southern staple, but it’s also gained popularity in other areas of the U.S. over the last several decades.
It tastes phenomenal, of course, but part of its popularity comes from how quick and easy it is to make and how refreshing it is on a long, hot summer day.
With nothing more than water, black tea, sugar, baking soda, and lemons, and lemon juice, you can have a pitcher ready to go in 10 minutes.
It’s best to let it chill for an hour, but you can always put it on ice if you don’t want to wait.
2. Iced Green Tea with Mint and Honey
This 12-minute, 6-ingredient tea is another refreshing option for the warmer days of the year.
Green tea is always a fresh, light drink, but it becomes pretty unbeatable when you add honey, mint, and lemon slices.
3. Raspberry Lemon Iced Tea
Of all the fruit-infused teas, raspberry lemon is probably my favorite.
The raspberry simple syrup is easy to make. All you’ll need is raspberries, sugar, and water.
The tea is even simpler – just tea bags, water, and lemons.
However, once you combine the syrup with the tea, those two innocuous ingredients create an almost perfectly sweet, fruity flavor that everyone will love.
4. Ginger Cardamom Chai
If spicy, herby tea is more your style, you’ll love ginger cardamom chai.
You’ll infuse the base of loose black tea with grated ginger, sugar, and cardamom to get that excellent chai taste.
Then, you’ll add in the milk to make it thicker and creamier. Trust me, Starbucks has nothing on this homemade version of chai tea.
5. Sweet Peach Iced Tea
If Georgia’s on your mind, this sweet peach tea will help transport you there in only the 10 minutes it takes to make it.
It starts just like southern-style sweet tea, with black tea, water, sugar, and baking soda.
However, once you add the peach nectar and fresh peach slices, it’s a totally different drink.
It combines two of most people’s summertime favorites.
It’s super sweet, but you’ll love every sip.
6. Starbucks Pink Drink
Plenty of people love Starbucks Pink Drink, but not everyone realizes that there’s a light, refreshing base of green tea underneath all the pink.
Adding coconut milk makes it thick and creamy, and the fresh and frozen strawberries give it a lovely pink color.
If Strawberry Shortcake drank tea with her friends, this would be the tea she used.
7. English Breakfast Tea
It’s hard to bead good, old-fashioned English breakfast tea, particularly if you’re not a coffee-in-the-morning kind of person.
All you’ll really need to make this warm, caffeine-packed tea is water and tea (preferably English breakfast tea, of course).
If you want to sweeten it up a bit, you can add milk and sugar, as well.
8. Strawberry Basil Iced Tea
The amber-gold color of this drink will put you more in mind of apple juice than tea, but tea – specifically green tea – is precisely what it is.
The sugar makes it sweeter; the basil gives it a fresh, herb-flavored taste, and the strawberries add a nice dash of fruity fun.
9. Spiced Apricot Tea
Spiced apricot tea is the ideal drink for those cold mornings when you wake up with a frog in your throat.
Not only is it delicious, but it’s also really good for you.
It’s packed with all kinds of things that can help ease a sore throat – cloves, lemon juice, cinnamon, and apricot nectar – and it’s just sweet enough to be enjoyable.
10. Vietnamese Lime Iced Tea
When people think of tea drinkers, they think of the British and of Americans who live in the deep south.
But tea is pretty much a universal drink, and it’s especially popular in Asia.
This Vietnamese lime iced tea combines green tea, water, honey, lime juice, and ice. It has a unique flavor that’s earthy and tart.
There’s even a slight bitterness to it, but it isn’t the bad kind of bitter.
All in all, this is an excellent option if you’re looking for a mid-day pick-me-up.
11. Vanilla Chai Tea Latte
This vanilla chai tea latte is every Starbucks lover’s dream.
Rich and creamy and full of delicious spices and flavors like nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut sugar, this chai tea and almond milk concoction is a fast favorite among many.
12. Pineapple Iced Tea
This invigorating drink walks the line between tropical fruitiness and the mild, fresh flavor of green tea.
It only takes 10 minutes to prepare and another 10 to brew.
However, you’ll want to let it chill for a while before serving it so that all the flavors settle and infuse with one another.
13. Jasmine Tea
Although jasmine tea isn’t as popular in the U.S. as black tea or green tea, it’s hugely popular throughout the world, particularly in Asia.
If more people tried it, though, I think it would become just as well-known throughout the U.S. and not just because it only takes 5 minutes to make!
It has a delightful floral aroma that’s just as enjoyable to smell as the tea is to drink, and it tastes good either hot or cold.
Additionally, the taste is slightly flower-like, meaning the tea is sweet enough for those who enjoy sweet tea but not so sweet that people who prefer unsweetened tea wouldn’t like it.
14. Thai Iced Tea
All you’ll need to make this sweet, creamy, and slightly spiced Thai tea is Thai tea mix, water, sugar, half and half, and ice.
It’s thick, rich, and surprisingly filling for a drink. Plus, it’ll give you a slight caffeine boost, as well.
If you prefer your drinks to look nice, you’ll also appreciate its lovely burned orange color.
15. Apple Iced Tea
Of all the fruity teas, apple tea isn’t one you see all that often, but it’s quite tasty. You’ll start with a simple black tea base.
Then you’ll add 100% pure apple juice – and yes, you need 100%, no apple juice blends – slices of fresh apples, and ice.
Top it off with lemon slices and mint sprigs for garnishes, and you’ll have a delectable drink that everyone from the kids to the great aunties will enjoy.
16. Mint Tea
Mint tea isn’t tea in the traditional sense of the word; put simply, there’s no actual tea in it.
However, you will steep the mint leaves just like you would tea, infusing minty freshness into every sip.
Then you’ll add honey (or sugar, but I prefer honey) and lemon.
You can ice it if you like, but I love drinking mint tea on the coldest winter days, particularly if I’m not feeling well.
There’s just something about it that perks me right up.
17. London Fog (Earl Grey) Tea Latte
London fog is Earl Grey tea like you’ve never had it before.
Thanks to the milk, it’s rich and creamy, and it has a delightful sweetness from the honey and vanilla sugar.
It, too, tastes like something you’d pay way too much for at Starbucks, but you can make it right in the comfort of your kitchen in only 15 minutes and save yourself some money.
18. Arnold Palmer
Funny story: Until my first cousin was … let’s just say much too old (late-20’s-ish), she thought Arnold Palmers were cocktails. To be fair, I can understand the mistake.
It has a cocktail-like name, a gorgeous, golden-orange cocktail-like appearance, and thanks to all the diverse ingredients – lemonade, tea, honey, mint, etc. – a cocktail-like taste.
Still, we probably should’ve told her sooner, but it was way too much fun watching her “get tipsy” off a couple of Arnold Palmers at family gatherings (and even a bar or two).
(Yes, she was furious at us and very embarrassed when she found out the truth.)
19. Lemon Tea
It doesn’t get much more straightforward than lemon tea. Simply add lemon juice and honey to black tea.
Not only does it taste great, but it’s also good for congestion and can help you lose weight.
Since there’s no sugar, it’s only lightly sweet (thanks to the honey) and has a little bite from the lemon. Truthfully, it’s pretty delicious to be so healthy.
20. Rooibos Latte
Rooibos tea has been gaining popularity for the last few years, but many people still aren’t familiar with it.
If you fall into that boat, rooibos tea is a truly tasty herbal tea without caffeine.
To make a rooibos latte, you’ll need tea bags, water, milk (or soy milk), honey, vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon for the top.
I sometimes add whipped cream, as well.
It has a slightly sweet, herb flavor that’s different from a chai latte but equally tasty.