Citrus Free Chai Spice Iced Tea
Iced tea gets a serious glow-up when you steep it with whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black pepper. The result is a deeply aromatic, warming-yet-refreshing drink that tastes far more complex than anything you'd pull off a store shelf. Many flavored teas and bottled chai drinks sneak in citrus peel or natural citrus flavoring, so brewing your own from scratch is the cleanest way to enjoy this kind of bold, spiced flavor without any unwanted ingredients. Maple syrup brings a gentle, rounded sweetness that ties everything together beautifully. The process is straightforward — simmer the spices, steep the tea, strain, sweeten, and chill — and the payoff is a pitcher of something genuinely special. Poured over a tall glass of ice, it's the kind of drink that makes a regular afternoon feel like a little occasion.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 3 cups water
- 3 black tea bags
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
For serving
- 1 cup ice cubes, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water, cinnamon stick, sliced ginger, crushed cardamom pods, whole cloves, and black peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the liquid is fragrant and lightly amber.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 4 minutes, then remove and discard the tea bags.
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