Lactose Free Southern Sweet Iced Tea
Sweet, refreshing, and deeply satisfying, this classic Southern iced tea is the kind of drink that makes a hot afternoon feel instantly more manageable. The method is simple but thoughtful — steeping the bags without squeezing them keeps the flavor smooth and mellow rather than bitter, and dissolving the sugar into the hot concentrate means every sip is evenly sweet from top to bottom. Naturally free of any dairy, this is one recipe where there's nothing to swap or substitute — just tea, water, and sugar doing exactly what they're supposed to do. A squeeze of lemon or a sprig of fresh mint over ice takes it from everyday to genuinely special. It's the kind of pitcher drink you'll want to keep in the fridge all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 8 cup water
- 6 black tea bags (family-size or regular)
- 1 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 water to a full boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags without squeezing them — squeezing releases bitter tannins.
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