Iced tea is one of the most popular drinks when it comes to summer refreshments. Absolutely nothing compares to that first sip of a frosty, delightful cup on a hot day! It can quench your thirst in seconds, and comes with a host of health benefits. What makes iced tea even better is how easy it is to prepare.
Follow our recipe below to make your own refreshing cup in minutes!
A Spiced Twist!
While you can use any type of tea – including floral, herbal, green, or black – to make iced tea, we’ll be focusing on making a spiced-iced tea, or an Iced Masala Chai. Masala Chai refers to a traditional Indian black-tea based drink, which is prepared with spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, white pepper, and ginger. Chai is packed with flavor, making it a perfect base for a diluted and more water-based drink like iced tea. It also contains the anti-inflammatory and immunity-boosting benefits of many spices, on top of the anti-oxidative benefits of black tea itself!
Iced vs. Cold Brew Tea
Before we get into the Iced Tea recipe, it’s important to know that Iced tea isn’t the same as Cold Brew tea. A cold brew, as the name implies, doesn’t involve any of the usual boiling of tea or chai. It involves brewing and infusing the tea in room temperature or cold water, which usually results in a milder taste. This is because the boiling of tea leads to the release of tannins, which adda a light bitterness to the tea. In spiced tea's case, boiling water also helps infuse the spices better than in cold water. So let's read on how to make spiced iced tea!
Spiced Iced Tea Recipe
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp loose leaf chai blend leaves or 2-3 ChaiBag teabags
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices
- Sugar or Honey (to taste) – Recommended: 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1-2 Mint leaves (optional)
- For loose leaf blend: Begin by heating water to boil in a pan. Once boiling, add the loose leaf chai blend. Simmer the stove for 3-4 minutes. Once the chai is sufficiently dark, take the pan off the heat. Let the chai cool for a few minutes, until it is at room temperature.
- For tea bags, steep them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Thereafter, gently squeeze the bag 2-3 times using a squeezer is ideal to get the most out of your bag.
- Fill a glass with 5-6 ice cubes (or more, depending on how cold you want it!), and pour the cooled tea over the ice. Let the ice cool the tea for 5-6 minutes.
- Top it with lemon slices ,the cinnamon stick, and mint leaves. Enjoy!