Homemade Strawberry Tea
Stay cool during the summer with refreshing Strawberry Tea! Singing of strawberries and summertime, this fruit tea is perfect to sip on a warm day. Learn how to make this sweet tea made with four simple ingredients. Makes 6-8 servings.
Love a refreshing drink? You’ve got to try Arnold Palmer Iced Tea Lemonade Mocktail and Ginger Lemon Blackberry Tea.
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2021 Update: This Strawberry Sweet Tea recipe was originally shared at My Cooking Spot, where I was a contributor. The post was published July 24, 2015. The post, recipe and images were updated and republished in May 2021.
You know those hot summer days where you just want something thirst-quenching and refreshing?
This recipe was developed during one of those heatwaves. Consequently, we arrived back home to a dying air conditioner after a trip to visit my family in Memphis.
Our home was too warm to do any baking or cooking, so I started thinking of foods and drinks that were cool and delicious… and realized that iced tea is a pretty fabulous summer drink.
What makes tea better? If it’s nice and sweetened… and if you add strawberries, too. Duh.
Why I love this homemade sweet tea with strawberries:
Homemade fruit tea requires just four ingredients and is incredibly simple to make.
Not only is it simple, but it’s got a TON of strawberry flavor.
You can also customize this to your tastebuds.
Being a native Southerner, I’ve drank some sweet tea that makes my teeth tingle, and it’s not my favorite. So I’ve lightly sweetened this strawberry tea to my tastebuds.
And if you like yours a little sweeter? Brew the tea as instructed here, then add a splash or two of simple syrup (or strawberry syrup if you’re feeling decadent) to add some extra sweetness.
Other strawberry drinks we know and love: Strawberry Lemonade | Strawberry Champagne Cocktail | Frozen Strawberry Margarita | Strawberry French Monaco Drink | Strawberry Moscow Mule
Looking for mocktail inspiration? Head on over to my Mocktail Recipe Index for more ideas.
What you need to make Strawberry Tea
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Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need to make this fruit tea recipe, too:
- Cold water — I always just get mine from tap in my kitchen sink.
- Strawberries — I tend to use frozen strawberries because they’re always nice and sweet and ripe, but if it’s strawberry season, chop up some ripe strawberries and use them!
- Tea bags — my original recipe calls for raspberry leaf tea bags, but you can also use black tea bags or an herbal tea that plays nicely with berries. I recommend these over loose leaf tea, which you’d then need to strain.
- Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this adds a touch of sweetness to the already sweet strawberries. You could swap this with honey or pure maple syrup, if you prefer, though it will add a subtle change to the taste.
How to make Sweet Tea with Strawberries
Bring the water and strawberries to a boil. Do this on the stovetop in a saucepan over high heat. When the water is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat.
Add the sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Place the tea bags in the water/strawberry mixture, too.
Steep the tea for 30 minutes.
Discard the tea bags, and transfer the fruit tea into a pitcher. Chill!
Garnish with fresh fruit and fresh mint leaves, if desired, and enjoy over ice cubes.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Homemade sweet tea is something perfect for a hot summer’s day, and most Southerners keep this stuff in their fridge at all times, whether they’re hosting a small playgroup with friends or a Backyard Barbecue.
The beauty in this recipe is that it’s easy to scale, and it’s perfect for summertime entertaining.
Here are some things you can do to have this sweet tea for entertaining:
- Double or triple the recipe. We’re a thirsty bunch, especially when we’re spending time outside, and my kids and I adore this tea. Make a few batches of it, and keep it chilled so you’ve got extra for guests.
- Experiment with other fruits. If you’re not a strawberry fan, substitute blackberries, raspberries or blueberries to make different flavors of fruit tea.
- Customize the sweetness. I feel like this tea is the perfect amount of sweetness, but if you like yours sweeter, add a little homemade simple syrup.
- Spike it! If your crowd would like their strawberry tea spiked, add a shot of vodka or rum to this deliciousness.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make strawberry tea from scratch, simply boil water with strawberries (fresh or frozen.) When boiling, remove from the heat, and steep with tea bags for 30 minutes. Remove the tea bags and chill.
It depends if you use caffeinated tea bags in this tea.
You can use either! I personally lean toward frozen strawberries because they’re nice and sweet year round, while fresh strawberries can be spotty sometimes. If it’s strawberry season, please use fresh strawberries. If it’s not, feel free to use the frozen variety.
Quick tips and tricks for homemade fruit tea with strawberries
- Use your favorite tea bags. I have a ton of black tea bags, so that’s what I used here, but I’ve also made this with raspberry leaf tea, which gives it a pretty pink color.
- What’s in season? If it’s strawberry season, use fresh strawberries. If it’s not, use frozen strawberries. This way, you’ll be using the sweetest strawberries for your sweet tea.
- Store the tea in a pitcher in the fridge. If you like hot tea, you can pour it into a mug and heat it up. If you’re a fan of strawberry iced tea, you can simply pour it into a glass over ice and enjoy chilled.
Love tea-based drinks? Try Rose Milk Tea, a fun boba tea! This Raspberry Iced Tea would be wonderfully refreshing, too.
Want to make this Strawberry Sweet Tea? Scroll on down to the recipe card…
Strawberry Sweet Tea
EQUIPMENT
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Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 ½ cups strawberries frozen or fresh
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 bags black tea
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Instructions
- Pour the 6 cups water and 1 ½ cups strawberries into a large saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- When boiling, turn off the heat under the water/strawberry mixture.
- Add the ½ cup granulated sugar, stirring until it has completely dissolved in the hot water.
- Add the 3 bags black tea, and steep for 30 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags and the strawberries from the tea, and transfer to a pitcher.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes, then enjoy over ice.
Notes
Quick tips and tricks for homemade fruit tea with strawberries
- Use your favorite tea bags. I have a ton of black tea bags, so that’s what I used here, but I’ve also made this tea with raspberry leaf tea, which gives it a pretty pink color.
- What’s in season? If it’s strawberry season, use fresh strawberries. If it’s not, use frozen strawberries. This way, you’ll be using the sweetest strawberries for your sweet tea.
- Store the tea in a pitcher in the fridge. If you like hot tea, you can pour it into a mug and heat it up. If you’re a fan of strawberry iced tea, you can simply pour it into a glass over ice and enjoy chilled.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Oh nooo!!! July is not the time you want your AC to die! Your strawberry tea looks delish though, I’m heading over to check out the recipe!
So the batteries died in our thermostat the other day, and the house instantly went to, like, 80 degrees without the thermostat to tell the A/C to stay on. Before we figured out it was just the panel, though, you should have SEEN the look on Charlie’s face as he contemplated the thought of having to replace our air conditioning unit. The sheer panic was palpable.
Also, this tea looks delicious.
This tea is so good! The perfect amount of sweetness and strawberry flavor. I used plain old generic store-brand black tea and frozen strawberries. It’s quick and easy and tastes good hot or cold. It has a pretty color as well! I could see myself sipping this poolside in the summer with lots of ice and heated up in the winter when I’m thinking of summer days. I think a little sprig of mint would be perfect in it, and I think it would be good mixed into a cocktail or some sparkling water 🙂