How to Make Iced Green Tea

Co-authored by Katie Hake RDN, LD

Green tea is both healthy and tasty. It is usually enjoyed hot, but it can be just as good if it is served iced. It will also be more refreshing, especially on a hot day. If you aren't fond of plain green tea, you can always add extra goodies, such as honey, lemon juice, or ginger slices. You can even mix it with lemonade for a hot summer treat!

Ingredients

Hot Brew Iced Green Tea^{[1]
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4 cups (950 milliliters) water
4 to 6 green tea bags
Ice
Honey (to taste, optional)

Serves 4

Cold Brew Iced Green Tea^{[2]
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1 green tea bag
1 cup (240 milliliters) water
Ice
Honey (to taste, optional)

Serves 1

Iced Green Tea Lemonade^{[3]
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½ cup (120 milliliters) boiling water
1 green tea bag
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, honey, or sweetener
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup (240 milliliters) cold water
Ice

Serves 1 or 2

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Hot Brew Iced Green Tea

1
Boil 4 cups (950 milliliters) of water in a large pot. If you would like to make a single serving, boil 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water in a kettle instead and pour it into a mug.
2
Take the pot off the stove, and add 4 to 6 tea bags into the water. The more tea bags you use, the stronger your tea will become. If you would like to make a single serving, dip 1 tea bag into your mug.

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3
Let the tea steep for 3 minutes. Avoid steeping it for any longer, or the tea will turn bitter.^{[5]
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Dina Garcia, RD, LDN, CLT. Dietician/Nutritionist.} If you'd like a stronger tea, simply use more tea bags.
4
Take the tea bags out of the water. If you'd like, you can bob them up and down before taking them out to release any extra green tea goodness. Be sure to squeeze out any excess water from the bags before discarding them.
5
Let the tea reach room temperature before you place it into the fridge. It may take up to an hour, depending on how warm or cold it is where you live.^{[5]
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Research source} Don't put hot tea into the fridge; wait until it cools down a little first. If you put hot tea into the fridge, it may cause the surrounding food to go bad.
6
Leave the tea in the fridge until it becomes cold. This will take 1 to 2 hours.^{[6]
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7
Fill 4 tall glasses with ice. How much ice you add is up to you, just make sure that you leave enough room for the tea. If you are making a single serving, fill just one tall glass with ice.
8
Pour the chilled tea into the glasses, and stir in some honey, if desired. If you'd like to save some tea for later, pour it into a large mason jar or a pitcher, and put it into the fridge. The tea will last 3 to 5 days.^{[7]
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- Try adding a sprig of mint to your glass of green tea for a refreshing twist!^{[9]
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  Dina Garcia, RD, LDN, CLT. Dietician/Nutritionist.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Cold Brew Iced Green Tea

1
Fill a tall glass with 1 cup (240 milliliters) of cold or room temperature water. Brewing tea in hot water brings out the bitter flavors of tea. Brewing tea in cold or room temperature water does not do that. Instead, it gives you a smoother taste.^{[9]
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- If you'd more servings, switch to a pitcher and add 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water for serving you want to make.
2
Add 1 green tea bag, or the equivalent of loose-leaf tea. Some people find that snipping the tea bag open and pouring the leaves directly into the cup results in a better flavor.^{[10]
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- If you'd more servings, and add 1 tea bag per serving into the pitcher.
- A tea bag is equal to 1 tablespoon (2 to 3 grams) of loose-leaf tea.
3
Cover the cup or pitcher, and put it into the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours^{[11]
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Research source} This will give the tea enough time to brew and infuse the water with its delicate flavor. If you like a stronger brew, leave it in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours.
4
Fill a tall glass with ice. If you are having more servings, take out more glasses. Plan on having 1 cup (240 milliliters) of iced tea per glass/serving.
5
Take the tea bags out. Give them a squeeze to release any excess liquid. If you used loose-leaf tea, don't worry about it just yet.
6
Pour the chilled tea into the ice-filled glass. If you used loose leaf tea, pour the tea through a strainer. If the tea leaves are finely ground, you may have to line the strainer with a coffee filter first.
7
Sweeten the tea with honey, if desired, and serve. Be sure to stir the honey in well, if you are using it. If you made a lot of tea, store it in the fridge, and drink it within 3 to 5 days.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Iced Green Tea Lemonade

1
Fill a mug with ½ cup (120 milliliters) of boiling water. You will be making a consecrated green tea lemonade first using a small amount of hot water. Don't worry, you will be adding more water to your tea later.
2
Add 1 green tea bag into the water, and 2 tablespoons of sugar, if desired. If you'd like to use another type of sweetener, such as honey, skip the sugar; you will add the honey (or other sweetener) at the end.^{[12]
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3
Let the tea brew for 3 minutes, then take out the tea bag. Give the bag a squeeze to get out any excess liquid.
4
Squeeze the juice out of 2 lemons, and add it to the tea. If you'd like a little more tartness, add some lemon zest as well.
5
Add 1 cup (240 milliliters) of cold water, and stir. This will help dilute the consecrated tea mixture, and make it less tart.
6
Fill 1 to 2 glasses with ice. How much ice you use is up to you, just make sure to leave enough room for the tea. This recipe is enough to make 1 large serving, or 2 smaller servings.
7
Pour the green tea lemonade over the ice. The tea might still be a little warm, so don't worry if the ice melts a little. This is normal.
8
Garnish, if desired, and serve. You can serve your green tea lemonade as it is, or you can give it a pop of color. Popular green tea lemonade garnishes include mint leaves and lemon slices.

Expert Q&A

Question

Is there caffeine in iced green tea?

Katie Hake RDN, LD
Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist
Katie Hake is a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Nutritionist, Fitness Professional and the Owner of Katie Hake Health & Fitness, LLC. She specializes in constructing sustainable life changes in health and fitness. Katie received a dual degree BS in Dietetics and Nutrition & Fitness and Health from Purdue University.

Katie Hake RDN, LD

Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist

Expert Answer

Yes! Although green tea is primarily water based, it does contain a small amount of caffeine. That said, it can still be a great option to stay hydrated.
Question

If I want to use an artificial sweetener (like Splenda), do I add it at the end?

Community Answer

You can add it in at pretty much any time as long as the tea is fairly warm/hot, as it will not dissolve very well otherwise.
Question

Can I let the teabags steep at room temperature for 12 hours instead of letting them steep in the refrigerator?

Community Answer

Yes, but it will not taste the same.