Artificial Flavors Free Raspberry Lemon Iced Tea
There is something deeply satisfying about a glass of iced tea that tastes exactly like what it is — real fruit, real citrus, real tea. Store-bought versions are notorious for leaning on synthetic flavors and dyes to mimic the taste of raspberries and lemon, but this recipe skips all of that entirely. Fresh raspberries are simmered down into a gorgeous, deep-red syrup sweetened with maple syrup, and bright lemon juice squeezed straight from the fruit does all the heavy lifting on the citrus side. Steeped black tea forms the backbone, giving the drink that classic iced tea depth without any flavored tea bags or mystery additives. Everything gets combined in a pitcher and chilled until cold, so it's genuinely easy to pull together even on a busy day. Poured over ice with a few lemon slices and a sprig of fresh mint, it looks and tastes like something from a fancy café — except you know exactly what went into every sip.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the tea
- 6 cup water
- 4 black tea bags
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
For the raspberry syrup
- 6 oz fresh raspberries (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup maple syrup
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon 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. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags, then let the tea cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- 2
While the tea steeps, combine the raspberries, 1/2 cup water, and maple syrup in the same saucepan (or a small one) over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing the raspberries gently with the back of a spoon, until the berries have broken down completely and the liquid is deep red, about 5–6 minutes.
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