Fresh Peach Iced Tea

There is a very specific kind of summer afternoon that calls for a big glass of fresh peach iced tea. You know the one. It is warm, you are outside, and you want something cold and fruity and just sweet enough without being over the top. This is that drink. I make a big pitcher of it basically every week from June through August.

The thing that makes this taste so different from the stuff you buy at the store is the homemade peach simple syrup. You just simmer fresh peaches with sugar and water for a few minutes, strain it, and you have this gorgeous golden peach syrup that goes into the tea. It takes maybe 10 extra minutes and it is completely worth it every single time.

Tips for the Best Fresh Peach Iced Tea

Use ripe, fragrant peaches. If your peaches do not smell like anything when you hold them up to your nose, the syrup will be bland. The peach flavor in this recipe comes entirely from the fruit itself, so quality really does matter here.

Do not over-steep the tea. Five minutes is plenty for black tea. Longer and it gets bitter and tannic, which will fight with the sweet peach flavor instead of complementing it. Pull those bags right at 5 minutes.

Let the tea cool completely before adding the syrup. Adding syrup to hot tea makes it murky and slightly weird tasting. Patience here pays off.

Start with less syrup and taste as you go. I like mine moderately sweet so I usually add about two thirds of the syrup. You might want more or less depending on your taste.

Make It a Bigger Batch

This recipe doubles and triples beautifully for parties. Make the syrup ahead of time and store it in the fridge up to a week. Brew a big batch of tea the night before. Combine right before serving and garnish the pitcher with peach slices and a few sprigs of mint. It looks so beautiful and everyone always asks what it is.

Fresh Peach Iced Tea

Sweet, fruity, and endlessly refreshing. This fresh peach iced tea is brewed with real tea, sweetened with a homemade peach simple syrup, and served over ice with fresh peach slices.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 glasses

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 6 black tea bags regular or decaf
• 6 cups boiling water for brewing tea
• 3 fresh ripe peaches 2 for syrup, 1 for garnish
• 0.75 cup granulated sugar for peach simple syrup
• 0.75 cup water for peach simple syrup
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice brightens the flavor
• 4 cups ice cubes for serving

Method

 

1. Steep tea bags in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove bags and let tea cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.
2. Dice 2 peaches and combine with sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook 5 more minutes until peaches are very soft. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.
3. Strain the peach syrup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard solids. Stir in lemon juice.
4. Combine cold brewed tea with peach syrup to taste. Start with half the syrup and adjust sweetness. Slice the remaining peach for garnish. Serve over ice with peach slices.

Notes

Make the peach syrup up to a week ahead and store in the fridge. Use ripe, fragrant peaches for the best flavor. White peaches work beautifully here too.

Let me know in the comments if you tried this! Peach season is so short and we have to make the most of every single peach while we can.

So glad you are here. Pam