Flavored iced teas are the quintessential refreshing summer drink. Perfectly sweet, but not too sweet, this delicious homemade blueberry iced tea is made with fresh blueberries and black tea. Easy to prepare in advance, it is ideal for your next picnic or BBQ.
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Summer is all about porch time. Sitting back with a glass of your favorite fruit tea (mine is blueberry tea... obviously) and enjoying the view. I love a flavored non-alcoholic drink for summer!
I tested this recipe by making a blueberry iced tea with crushed blueberries and sugar, but it did not work. It required significantly more refined sugar to get the sweetness, and didn't have much blueberry flavor.
Using my homemade blueberry syrup is the easy way to go. I suggest making a double batch because it only takes 20 minutes and keeps in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Of course, you can use the leftover syrup to make a blueberry version of this delicious fruity lemonade recipe or bask in a homemade soda.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Blueberries- It can be made with fresh or frozen berries. You can substitute blackberry simple syrup for a new variation.
- Black Tea-I like this recipe with black tea. Nothing fancy, just easy and approachable. You can also use green tea.
- Lemon & Mint-While not required, the lemon and mint add a layer of flavor. The mint enhances the refreshing quality of the iced tea. The lemon brightens up the overall flavor.
- Filtered Water- I prefer using filtered water for a cleaner taste.
⏲️Tips for Making Blueberry Iced Tea
- When making a fruit-flavored iced tea, always strain the fruit syrup. You don't want seeds or skins floating in your tea.
- To make sweet tea, increase the sugar in the blueberry syrup up to 2x.
- I recommend using filtered water for tea and coffee drinks.
- Use quality tea, but not fancy expensive blends, that you like as regular brewed tea. Regardless of what you add, flavor or sweetness, the tea will always be the predominant flavor.
- Chill for a minimum of one hour.
- The stronger the brew the dsarker the tea will be.
If you have leftover blueberries, try making tanghulu, it is a fun candied fruit recipe perfect for summer, or some homemade frozen dog treats.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more? Get more flavorful recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Blueberry Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 6 Black tea bags
- 8 cups filtered water divided
- ¾ cup Blueberry syrup
- Lemon slices, mint for garnish
Blueberry Syrup
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla optional
Instructions
- Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep 10 minutes.6 Black tea bags, 8 cups filtered water
- Discard tea bags. Pour the tea into a pitcher. Add the blueberry syrup, stirring until totally incorporated. Add the remaining 3 cups of water.¾ cup Blueberry syrup
- Chill for a minimum of one hour. Serve with lemon slices and mint leaves.Lemon slices, mint
Blueberry Syrup
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, except vanilla extract. Crush blueberries lightly and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Blend and strain the sauce. Stir in vanilla.½ cup fresh blueberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Notes
- The tea will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, be sure to cover the pitcher.
Chris W. says
This sounds very refreshing - when we have holidays, I generally make a flavored water for my large jar with a spigot. Sometimes the problem is that fruit seeds, etc. plug up the spout. With this, it would work perfectly because the syrup is strained. Thank you for such a nice sounding recipe and I will definitely be making this for Thanksgiving this year - most of us don't drink alcohol so this would be perfect.
Cameron says
Needs more blueberry syrup to tea ratio, not sweet enough.
Jen Wooster says
There are instructions on how to make blueberry sweet tea in the post should you desire a sweeter option.
Alison says
Such a refreshing summer drink! I appreciated the subtle natural sweetness.
Angela says
I love lemon and blueberry together. The flavor of this tea is amazing. It might become a staple in my frig.
Elaine says
Sometimes I do need a refreshener like this. Love how easy and quick it is to make it!
Iryna says
What a great idea for summer entertaining! I've never made iced tea before, but this was easy
Tara says
Such a light and refreshing tea! I love that color. Definitely the perfect accompaniment for a summer bbq.