Orange, green tea, lemon and lime… what do you get if you combine these? A delicious, refreshing homemade iced tea.
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Refreshing Orange Iced Tea Recipe
When the weather warms up, this is the drink in our house. I make a big jar, add plenty of fruit, drop in nice big ice cubes, and everyone just keeps refilling their glass. What I love most: it feels a bit "special" even though it's easy. The citrus makes it bright, the green tea keeps it light, and the sparkling water gives it that crisp finish that screams summer. It's the kind of drink that instantly makes a random Tuesday feel like a mini patio moment.
And if I'm serving it at a party, I pour it into a drink dispenser with a tap. That means less stirring, less "helpful" hands poking around in the jar… and fewer unwanted flying guests. Because nobody wants a wasp doing laps in their glass.
What You'll Need
Exact amounts are in the recipe card.
- Sugar: Sweetens and balances the citrus. Prefer no refined sugar? See tips (there's a honey option).
- Fresh orange juice: Freshly squeezed tastes best (about 3 oranges).
- Water: Dissolves the sugar and steeps the tea.
- Green tea bags: Keeps the base fresh and light.
- Sparkling water: Adds that crisp, fizzy finish-keep it cold for best sparkle.
- Orange, lemon, lime: Wedges make it taste fresh and look pretty in the jar.
- Mint: Adds that "so refreshing" aroma right away.
- Ice cubes: Big cubes melt slower, so the flavor stays strong.
How to Make It
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe card below.
- Step 1: Put the water in a pan and add the sugar. Bring it to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and put the tea bags in the water.
- Step 2: Let it stand for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and cool to room temperature. Add the orange juice.
- Step 3: Add sparkling water to the orange juice-tea. Mix well and pour into a jar.
- Step 4: Slice the orange, lemon and lime into wedges and add them to the iced tea. Add the sprigs of mint and lots of ice cubes, then serve.
Top Tips
- Honey option: Replace the sugar with 6 tablespoons of honey.
- Wash your citrus well: The wedges go in with the peel, so scrub the skin (organic is a good choice).
- Cool the tea first: Let the tea cool before adding orange juice for the freshest flavor.
- Keep it fizzy: Use cold sparkling water and add ice right before serving.
- Party-proof serving: A dispenser with a tap keeps things tidy and hands-off (and helps avoid extra "flying guests").
Serving suggestions
Serve it in tall glasses packed with ice, extra citrus wedges, and a sprig of mint. It's great for BBQs, picnics, and kids's birthday parties (it looks festive without being complicated).
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
- And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups water
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 bags green tea
- 1 cup orange juice , freshly squeezed, about 3 oranges
- 4½ cups sparkling water , cold
- 1 orange
- 1 lemon
- 1 limes
- 3 sprigs mint
- ice cubes
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Put the water in the pan and add the sugar.⅔ cup sugar, 2¼ cups water
- Bring the water to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and put the tea bags in the water.2 bags green tea
- Let it stand for 15 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags and cool to room temperature.
- Put the tea, sparkling water and orange juice in a big bowl.1 cup orange juice, 4½ cups sparkling water
- Mix well and pour in the jar.
- Slice the orange, lemon and lime into wedges and put them with the iced tea.1 orange, 1 lemon, 1 limes
- Add the sprigs of mint and ice cubes and serve.3 sprigs mint, ice cubes
Notes
- You can make the tea base ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. For the best taste and sparkle, add the sparkling water, fruit, mint and ice close to serving time.
- Fridge: Store covered/airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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