Sesame Free Raspberry Lemon Iced Tea
Tart, fruity, and beautifully pink, this homemade iced tea is the kind of drink that makes any afternoon feel like a special occasion. Fresh raspberries are simmered down with maple syrup into a jewel-toned syrup that gets strained smooth before meeting a pitcher of steeped black tea and bright lemon juice — no artificial flavors, no mystery additives. For anyone navigating sesame-free living, store-bought flavored teas and syrups can be surprisingly tricky, with shared production lines and ingredient lists that require a magnifying glass. Every component here is straightforward and easy to verify, so you can pour with total confidence. The lemon juice adds a zippy backbone that keeps the sweetness balanced, and the optional mint and lemon slices make it look like something you'd pay too much for at a café. Make a big pitcher ahead of time and let it chill — it only gets better as the flavors meld together.
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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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