Honey Free Classic Sweet Iced Tea
Sweet, refreshing, and made entirely with pantry staples, this classic Southern-style iced tea is the kind of drink that disappears fast on a warm afternoon. Granulated sugar does all the sweetening here, dissolving effortlessly into the hot concentrate so every sip is perfectly balanced — no alternative sweeteners needed. For anyone avoiding honey, this is a genuinely clean recipe with zero ambiguity about what's in the glass. The method is simple: steep, sweeten, dilute, and chill. Squeezing the tea bags is skipped on purpose, keeping the flavor smooth and free of any bitter edge. A few lemon slices or fresh mint sprigs at serving time take it from everyday to something that feels a little special. Make a big pitcher and keep it cold — it won't last long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 8 cups water, divided
- 6 black tea bags (such as lipton or luzianne)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags without squeezing them.
- 2
While the tea is still hot, add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved, about 1 minute.
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