How to Make Southern Homemade Sweet Tea

There’s nothing quite as refreshing as a huge pitcher of homemade sweet tea! I always find the store bought iced teas, well, too sweet–plus they’re packed full of ingredients that really don’t need to be in it. So instead I’m showing you how to make sweet tea that tastes as good as this classic Southern drink should, but with less than 100 calories per serving. The best part is that this sweetened black tea will be cold and ready to drink in less than 20 minutes!

If, like me, you’re from the Midwest or the South, then you know how integral fresh, homemade sweet tea is to a good meal, potluck, or family gathering. Before this recipe (originally my Mom’s), I always ran into 2 problems: dissolving sugar into iced tea can be tedious, and everyone wanted different levels of sweetness. But making sweet tea with a simple syrup is the perfect solution to both problems! Now everyone can sweeten their tea by the glass, and there’ll be no surprise mounds of sugar granules left at the bottom of the cup.

Ingredients for Sweet Iced Tea

• Sugar: Use granulated cane sugar for the simple syrup. You can also use super-fine sugar, coconut sugar, or brown sugar.
• Water: You’ll need 1 cup of water to make the simple syrup, and another 7-8 cups to make a ½ gallon (2 quarts) of iced tea.
• Tea Bags: I use cold brew tea bags so that I don’t have to chill the tea before serving–it’s ready as soon as the tea is done brewing! Use 2-3 family-sized tea bags for a ½ gallon of sweet tea.

Tips for Success

• Simply double the recipe to make a gallon of iced tea (use 4-5 family-sized tea bags).
• I usually make the simple syrup ahead of time so that it’s ready to use with freshly-brewed tea.
• I let the tea brew between 5-15 minutes, depending on how patient I feel. The longer you let tea brew, the deeper and more flavorful it will become–though past 25 minutes it can start to taste bitter.
• I like to garnish my iced tea with fresh mint and citrus slices, but that’s optional!
• Black tea is the classic option for Southern-style sweet tea, but you can make this recipe with other types as well. I recommend trying it with green tea!

How to Store

Store the simple syrup in a heat-resistant, airtight jar or container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, which means you can make it ahead of time.

Store sweet iced tea in a pitcher (or another container) in the refrigerator. I recommend drinking it within 48 hours of brewing for the best taste–it will start to taste bitter after a couple of days.

A Note on Tea Bag Sizes

A family-size tea bag makes 1 quart of tea, so I use 2-3 in this homemade sweet tea recipe to make 2 quarts (equivalent to a ½ gallon)–that extra bag just makes the tea stronger. 1 family-size bag is equal to 4 regular-sized bags (these are formulated to make one 8 ounce cup each). So if you’re using regular-sized tea bags for this recipe, you’ll need 8 bags to make the 2 quarts of sweet iced tea as directed.

How to Make Sweet Tea Step by Step

Boil Water: In a small saucepan set over medium heat, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

Stir in Sugar: Add 1 cup of sugar to the boiling water, and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. Then remove from the heat and pour the simple syrup into a heat-resistant, airtight jar to cool completely (and store).

Pour Water: In a ½ gallon pitcher, pour 7-8 cups of cold water over 2-3 family-sized cold brew tea bags.

Brew Tea: Allow the tea to brew for at least 5 minutes, or up to 15 minutes. Then discard the tea bags. 

Pour Iced Tea: Add ice, slices of lemon or orange, or fresh mint leaves to glasses–this garnishing can also be done after pouring. Then pour iced tea into glasses.

Sweeten Tea: To sweeten a glass of iced tea, stir in the simple syrup. Add as much or as little as you like to get your desired level of sweetness.

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