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    Home » Recipes » Drinks

    Easy Spearmint Iced Tea Recipe

    By Nancy Mock May 25, 2020 Updated October 18, 2023 2 Comments

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    Iced tea in a mason jar with a blue and white straw and mint leaf.
    Glass mason jar with iced tea, ice cubes and a mint leaf.

    Black tea brewed with fresh spearmint is a refreshing variation on everyone's favorite warm weather beverage. Here's an easy Spearmint Iced Tea Recipe.

    Mint leaf garnish on a mason glass jar of iced tea.
    Jump to Recipe

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    There is spearmint everywhere in my garden. And I did know better when I brought those first plants home years ago, divided from a deceptively tidy patch in my mother-in-law's yard. Mint spreads aggressively—seasoned gardeners will warn you of this, and you should plant it in a bucket buried in the ground to keep it contained.

    Yes, yes, I knew that, and yet... I planted my spearmint right in the dirt anyway. Some part of me just wanted to see how rebellious that mint would really be.

    Spearmint plants growing ourtside and viewed from above.

    Well, I know for sure now: spearmint is a wild child and it is everywhere. I kind of love that it's everywhere in the garden, and the wild look it creates.

    At the height of summer when the spearmint towers over other plants, and stubbornly, repeatedly tries to gain a foothold in the lawn, I realize it has gotten a little too wild.

    Spearmint leaves and loose tea scattered over a long wooden cutting board.

    So I do have to rip up stalks from time to time. Those times, when my fists are full of tall, purple flowered stalks and the scent of mint has filled the air around me, those are perfect times to pull out my easy spearmint iced tea recipe.

    Two mason jars of iced tea, one on a wood cutting board with a pitcher of tea behind.

    Why you'll love this recipe

    Iced tea is already such a refreshing, warm weather drink but even more so when boosted by cool, fresh mint. The amount of mint steeped in this tea is just enough to give it a subtle, thirst-quenching flavor. And if you really like mint? Just add in more spearmint leaves!

    Lots of green mint leaves garnishing glass jars of iced tea and a pitcher of iced tea.

    Brewing your own iced tea is always a smart choice: regular black pekoe tea bags are relatively inexpensive. If you prefer the richer flavors of Earl Grey, Irish or herbal teas you can use these instead.

    Brewing your own tea gives you a much more flavorful and true-tasting tea that you can sweeten (or not sweeten) as you desire, with any sweetener you desire.

    Medium sized mason jar holding iced tea and ice cubes with more containers of tea in background.

    🔪 How to make Easy Spearmint Iced Tea

    Step 1: Prepare the ingredients

    Dry tea bags and fresh spearmint leaves in a large Pyrex pitcher next to a cutting board.

    Place tea bags (strings and labels removed) and fresh spearmint leaves in a heat-proof bowl. Bring water to a boil.

    Step 2: Steep the tea

    Several tea bags and mint leaves steeping in a Pyrex bowl of boiling hot water.

    Pour the boiling water over the tea and mint leaves, and give everything a quick stir. Allow the mixture to steep for 10 minutes.

    Step 3: Chill the tea

    SLotted spoon holding limp tea bags and mint leaves above a pitcher of tea.

    After 10 minutes remove the tea bags and leaves - you can discard these now. (Compost them if you can!) Allow the tea to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it for several hours or overnight until it's really, really cold.

    Step 4: Have some tea!

    Sprigs of spearmint leaves next to a mason jar of iced tea with a straw,

    Place ice cubes in a tall glass. Pour the cold tea over and add sweetener if you desire. Garnish the tea with a few fresh spearmint leaves, and sip away!

    Notes:

    • The amount of fresh spearmint leaves used in this recipe gives a subtle mint flavor to the iced tea - it is not overwhelmingly mint at all. If you prefer a stronger mint flavor, just add in extra spearmint leaves when steeping the tea.
    • You can experiment with your favorite kind of tea, whether other black tea varieties, green, or herbal teas.
    Pitcher and mason jars of dark iced tea with ice cubes and mint leaves.

    The recipe for Easy Spearmint Iced Tea is below, and if you're looking for more summery drinks you should give these a look-see!

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    💬 Have you brewed a batch of this tea? Scroll down to leave a comment and a star rating on this recipe!

    📖 Recipe

    Glass jar with dark iced tea, ice cubes and fresh bright green mint leaves.

    Easy Spearmint Iced Tea Recipe

    Nancy Mock
    Black tea brewed with fresh spearmint is a refreshing variation on everyone's favorite warm weather beverage.
    5 from 5 votes. Tap stars to vote
    Print it! Pin This Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Chilling Time 8 hours hrs
    Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course Drinks
    Servings 6 servings

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 8 tea bags, black tea
    • 10 fresh spearmint leaves, washed (plus extra for garnish)

    Instructions
     

    Prepare the ingredients:

    • Remove the paper labels and strings from the tea bags. Place the tea bags in a large heatproof bowl or Pyrex pitcher, along with the 10 washed spearmint leaves.
    • Heat 8 cups of fresh, cold water to boiling.

    Steep the tea and chill it:

    • Pour the boiling water into the bowl over the tea and spearmint. Gently stir everything around with a spoon.
    • Steep the tea and mint leaves for 10 minutes. (You can go longer if you like your tea to be really strong.)
    • Then remove and discard the tea bags and leaves. (Compost them if you can!) Cool the tea to room temperature, and then stick it in the fridge to chill for several hours or overnight until it's really, really cold.

    Serve the tea:

    • Drop ice cubes into tall glasses and then pour in the tea. Stir in sweetener if you desire. Garnish the glasses with fresh spearmint leaves and serve them up!

    Option if fresh spearmint leaves aren't available:

    • Instead of fresh spearmint, you can substitiute 1-2 spearmint herbal tea bags. Add them to the black tea bags and steep them as directed above.
    • Depending on the brand, the spearmint tea may have other herbs or flavorings in the blend, and you can decide if these will work for you in your iced tea. Avoid caffeinated mint teas, since there will be plenty of caffeine from the black tea in this recipe.

    Notes

    • The amount of fresh spearmint leaves used in this recipe gives a subtle mint flavor to the iced tea - it is not overwhelmingly mint at all. If you prefer a stronger mint flavor, just add in extra spearmint leaves when steeping the tea.
    • You can experiment with your favorite kind of tea, whether other black tea varieties, green, or herbal teas.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1drinkCalories: 1kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 71IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment, tell me what you think!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. armchairsquid

      July 20, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      I love mint tea. This sounds lovely.

      Reply
      • Nancy Mock

        July 22, 2015 at 7:52 am

        It's a summery one, and oh so refreshing!

        Reply

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