How to Make Iced Herbal Tea: 3 Quick and Easy Methods

Last Updated on January 15, 2025 by Helena Akter

Craving a refreshing iced herbal tea but unsure how to get that perfect balance of flavor and chill? Well, it’s pretty simple! In fact, if you already know how to make herbal tea, then you can learn how to make iced herbal tea easily.

To make iced herbal tea, brew dried or fresh herbs, even tea bags. You can brew them in water using sunlight, or simmering water. While the tea is still warm, you can add honey or simple syrup to sweeten it. Then, refrigerate the tea. You can also add lemon slices for flavor.

Here, we’ll walk you through the three simple methods separately so that you can follow them easily. Also, we’ll show you how you can use fresh herbs to make iced herbal tea and some tips for sweetening it.

Key Takeaways

• Iced Herbal Tea Using Sunlight’s Heat: Place dried herbs in a tea infuser, submerge in filtered water, and leave in direct sunlight for 8 to 10 hours. Strain, sweeten with honey if desired, and refrigerate for a refreshing, light tea.
• Iced Herbal Tea Using Boiled Water: Steep dried herbs in near-boiling water for 10 to 20 minutes. Strain, sweeten while warm, and refrigerate for a stronger, faster brew, perfect for colder or cloudy days.
• Iced Herbal Tea Using Tea Bags: Boil water, steep tea bags for 5 to 7 minutes, then pour over ice in a pitcher. Dilute with cold water and refrigerate for a quick, easy brew.
• Sweetening Options: Sweeten with honey, stevia leaves, or simple syrup while the tea is warm for even sweetness. Simple syrup can be added before serving for quick flavor adjustment.

How to Make Iced Herbal Tea Using the Heat from the Sun?

Making iced herbal tea is a fun way to try different flavors and benefit from herbs. Our methods are for people who want to know how to make natural iced tea.

Here’s the first method that involves the sun’s heat to make your tea over a few hours slowly. It gives it a light, fresh taste. 

And it’s perfect for hot summer days when the sun is shining!

What You Need –

• 1/2 gallon of filtered water
• 1/2 ounce of dried herbs (e.g., 1/4 ounce each of mint and yarrow flowers)
• A mason jar or large container with a lid
• A tea infuser or fine mesh bag

Steps –

1. Start by filling a 1/2 gallon mason jar with filtered water.
2. Measure out 1/4 ounce each of your dried herbs (in this case, mint and yarrow). Place them into a fine mesh bag or tea infuser.
3. Now, submerge the bag or infuser in the water and cover the jar.
4. Next, set the jar outside in direct sunlight for 8 to 10 hours. A bright, sunny day will ensure a rich, flavorful brew.
5. After your tea has steeped, bring it inside, strain out the herbs, and sweeten it with honey (around 1/4 cup) if you prefer.
6. Also, you can slice a lemon into 4 to 5 pieces and toss the slices into the jar. Give the tea a good shake, refrigerate, and enjoy!

Remember, you can experiment with different herbs to make chai that suits your taste and what’s good for you.

How to Make Iced Herbal Tea Using Boiled Water?

Another way to make iced tea is to heat your herbs for iced tea on the stove. This makes a stronger tea faster. Plus, it’s good if you want to drink your tea right away or if the weather is bad.

What You Need –

• 1/2 gallon of water
• 1/2 ounce of dried herbs (e.g., raspberry leaf)
• A pot
• Honey or another sweetener (optional)
• Lemon slices

Steps –

1. Pour 1/2 gallon of water into a pot and bring it to just below a boil.
2. Add 1/2 ounce of your dried herbs. You need to turn off the heat and steep the herbs in the hot water for 10 or 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Then, strain the herbs out and pour the tea into a jar or pitcher.
4. Next, sweeten with honey while the tea is still warm (1/4 to 1/3 cup of honey works well, but adjust to taste).
5. Finally, drop in 4 to 5 lemon slices, let the tea cool, and store it in the refrigerator for a refreshing, chilled drink.

How to Make Iced Herbal Tea with Tea Bags?

Iced herbal tea is a simple and refreshing drink that you can make with just a few things. Using tea bags makes it easy to make a cool and tasty drink.

Here’s how to make a pitcher of delicious iced herbal tea.

What You Need –

1. Herbal tea bags
2. Filtered water
3. Ice cubes
4. Pitcher
5. Drinking glass(es)

Steps –

1. Boil a cup of filtered water in a kettle.
2. Next, put one or two herbal tea bags into a liquid measuring cup, mug, or small bowl. You can use one tea bag for a light tea or two for a stronger tea. If you care about the environment, choose tea bags that are unbleached and biodegradable.
3. Pour boiling water over the tea bags and let them sit for 5 to 7 minutes. The longer you let them steep, the stronger the tea will taste.
4. Let the tea steep while you fill your pitcher with ice cubes. You can use any kind of ice, but for a fun look, try ice cubes with edible flowers or blood oranges. It’s make the tea cold and a little bit weaker as the ice melts
5. Let the tea bags sit in the hot water for a few minutes. Then, take them out and pour the tea over the ice in the pitcher. A one-quart pitcher is a good size for this.
6. Then, fill the pitcher with cold, filtered water until it reaches the desired amount.
7. Put the iced herbal tea in your glass. If you want it colder, add more ice.

Storage

If you have leftover tea, put it in the fridge. It’ll stay good for two days. If the ice makes your tea too weak, then brew more tea and add it to make it stronger.

How to Make Iced Herbal Tea Using Fresh Herbs from the Garden?

If you want a fresh, garden-grown taste, this third way of how to make iced tea at home is your way to go. It uses herbs from your garden. 

Besides, it’s a more flexible method, so you can try different amounts and herbs depending on what you have.

What You Need –

• 1 gallon of water
• Fresh herbs (such as lemon balm and African blue basil)
• A large pot
• Honey or another sweetener (optional)

Steps –

1. Bring 1 gallon of water to a near-boil on the stove.
2. Next, add a handful of fresh herbs to the water, including stems and flowers. There’s no strict measurement here—feel free to go with your gut.
3. Now, remove the pot from the heat and let the herbs steep for 10 to 20 minutes. 
4. Then, strain the herbs out using a sieve and transfer the tea to a large jar or pitcher.
5. Add about 1/2 cup of honey (or adjust based on taste), stirring it in while the tea is still warm.
6. Let it cool down and store it in the refrigerator for a beautifully fragrant herbal iced tea.

How To Sweeten Herbal Iced Teas?

Do you like your herbal iced tea a little sweet? There are a few ways to make it that way. Here are three ideas, whether you want to use natural or more traditional sweeteners.

Use Fresh Stevia Leaves

Stevia is a plant that can be used as a sweetener. You can add fresh stevia leaves to your tea to make it taste sweeter. Stevia has a unique flavor, so you should try it before serving it to other people.

Sweeten While the Tea is Hot

After brewing tea, add sweeteners like sugar or honey while the tea is still hot. It’ll help the sweetener dissolve completely and evenly

Add Simple Syrup Just Before Serving

For a quick and easy way to sweeten your iced tea, use a sweetener like simple syrup. Add it just before drinking! That way, the sweetness gets evenly spread throughout the tea without needing to heat it up.

Iced Herbal Tea Health Benefits 

The benefits of herbal tea come from the herbs, not the tea itself. We’ve used lemon balm, raspberry leaf, yarrow flowers, and mint. 

Surprisingly, you can enjoy these benefits even if the tea is cold.

Improve Digestion with Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a plant used to help with stomach problems like bloating and gas. People have also used it for babies who have colic, which is a painful stomach condition that makes them cry.

Speaking of colic, if you’re a mom, you should consider these foods while breastfeeding to avoid colic.

That said, some studies show that lemon balm might help with digestion and colic, but these studies often used a mix of herbs, not just lemon balm. So, it’s hard to know if lemon balm alone is helpful.

One study with mice found that lemon balm helped their stomachs calm down. But we need more studies with people to be sure if it helps with digestion.

Reduce Insomnia with Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a popular herb used in teas and other remedies to help people sleep better and feel more relaxed. Some studies suggest that it might be helpful for falling asleep and improving overall sleep quality.

Plus, one study found that people who had heart surgery slept better when they took lemon balm capsules than when they took a placebo. These results are encouraging! 

However, more research is needed to fully understand how lemon balm affects sleep and whether it can help people with insomnia.

Wound Healing with Yarrow Flower

For centuries, yarrow has been a popular natural remedy for treating wounds. People in ancient Greece used it to heal cuts and scrapes. Traditionally, yarrow was applied to wounds as an ointment or poultice.

Recent studies have shown that yarrow may help wounds heal faster. This is because yarrow contains substances that can reduce inflammation and protect cells from damage. 

One study from 2019 found that yarrow extracts may be helpful for wound healing. Another study from 2017 showed that an ointment made with yarrow and St. John’s wort could help heal wounds after childbirth.

While these results are promising, more research is needed to confirm yarrow’s effectiveness.

Insulin Resistance with Yarrow Flower

Yarrow might help the body use insulin better, especially if you’re overweight or have insulin resistance. A study on mice showed that yarrow extract could improve insulin responses.

But this study was done on mice, not people. We need more research to know if yarrow or yarrow tea can help people with insulin resistance.

Weight Loss with Raspberry Leaf

Raspberry leaf tea might help you lose weight. It could boost your metabolism and burn fat. Some people say it works like ketone supplements.

A healthy weight is important for everyone. It’s especially important for women who want to get pregnant. Plus, a healthy weight is good for both the mom and the baby. It can help with pregnancy and after. 

To improve the effectiveness of raspberry leaf tea in a weight loss plan, drink it before meals. It can help reduce hunger. You can also have it between meals to stay hydrated and support your metabolism.

Final Words

In short, how to make iced herbal tea is easy, refreshing, and full of benefits. Whether you choose the sun, stove, or tea bags, the process is simple. 

We recommend experimenting with different herbs like lemon balm, yarrow, raspberry leaf or any herb to find your favorite flavors. Sweeten with honey or simple syrup while the tea is warm, and store it in the fridge for a cool, healthy drink. 

There are many ways to make iced tea with herbs from your garden or kitchen. You can experiment with different herbs and find your favorite flavor.

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