BHA & BHT Free Cranberry Orange Iced Tea
Tart cranberry, bright citrus, and bold black tea come together in a refreshingly homemade iced drink that feels far more special than anything you'd grab off a store shelf. That's actually the point — bottled teas and juice blends are notorious for sneaking in synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, so making your own is the smartest move. Here, the sweetness comes entirely from maple syrup, and the cranberry flavor is delivered by 100% pure unsweetened cranberry juice with no fillers or additives hiding in the mix. Steeping the tea with fresh orange zest strips rather than artificial flavoring gives the whole pitcher a clean, aromatic depth that's genuinely hard to beat. After a couple of hours in the fridge, it chills into something deeply satisfying — ruby-red, lightly sweet, and tangy in all the right ways. Serve it over ice with an orange slice and a sprig of mint for a drink that looks as good as it tastes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the tea
- 6 cup water
- 4 black tea bags
- 3 strips orange zest (each about 3 inches long), peeled with a vegetable peeler
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup pure unsweetened cranberry juice (100% cranberry, no added sweeteners or apple juice)
For serving
- ice cubes, for serving
- orange slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the tea bags and orange zest strips, and steep for 5 minutes, until the tea is deep amber and fragrant.
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