What would the scorching summer heat be without freshly brewed iced tea? I always begin my summers missing my daily hot tea … until I brew my first batch of iced tea and I fall in love with it all over again. There are so many different things you can add to iced tea to give it a whole new flavor. For example, imagine the possibilities of mint leaves, basil, fruits, and spices in your iced tea.

Creative Ideas to Sweeten your Iced Tea Recipes

I’ve been playing around in my kitchen and I have discovered many unique ingredients to add to my iced tea to enhance its flavor. I usually use green tea as my base because I love the flavor and the health benefits. Stevia is a great way to sweeten your tea without adding the calories that sugar brings.

When I think of summer, I think of both peaches and iced tea. Where I live in Oklahoma, there is a town called Porter that is known for its peaches – Porter peaches! I got inspired to try them in my tea as a sweetener. I squeezed some fresh peach juice into my iced green tea and added a few basil leaves. It was absolutely delicious – so fresh that it truly tasted like a sweet summer in Oklahoma.

Another type of iced tea that I’ve been making is vanilla stevia iced green tea. It is so simple, refreshing, and delicious. The slight vanilla flavor really adds to the iced tea experience. I have also tried a few variations to adding mint to my green tea. At first, I tried just mint leaves with my green tea, sweetened with stevia. It was good, but then I added a few strawberries. That took it up a notch – so refreshing!

I challenge you all to embrace the summer heat and get creative with your iced tea! Make a simple change and add a flavored stevia. There are tons of different flavors of liquid stevia that you can find at Whole Foods or other health food markets.

Happy sipping!