Healthy Sweet Tea Recipe {Honey Iced Tea}

This delicious Healthy Sweet Tea Recipe uses honey instead of buckets of sugar. Learn how simple it is to make sweet tea without refined sugar. This healthy iced tea recipe will be your new favorite sip!

The wait is over – a Healthy Sweet Tea recipe is here my friends! Sweet tea is a staple for many families, but it is packed with refined sugar. A friend told me her granny used to say “add sugar until your lips stick to your teeth”. I think we can do better than that!

Need a faster way to make a bunch of tea? Check out this post on Easy Instant Pot Iced Tea.

How Can I Sweeten Tea Without Sugar?

Traditional sweet tea recipes call for sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. Instead, we prefer to use delicious raw honey.

The key is to add it while the water is warm enough to allow the honey to incorporate but not so hot that it kills the awesome beneficial properties.

If you prefer to allow others to sweeten their portions to taste, you can also keep a bottle of homemade Honey Simple Syrup in the fridge.

And if you love healthy and refreshing drinks, check out this Cucumber and Mint Water Recipe. Cucumber infused water is so good keeps for a few days in the fridge!

Why Do You Add Baking Soda to Iced Tea?

If you let the tea steep for a long time because you prefer a strong flavor it can cause the tea to become bitter. The baking soda neutralizes that and just gives you the perfect tea flavor without a funky aftertaste.

Baking soda is my secret ingredient for cutting the acidity or bitterness out of lots of foods and drinks. Many people add sugar to balance out bitterness, but baking soda gets the job done like a baller (shot caller).

Don’t believe me? See it in action in Whole30 Tomato Soup, Homemade Sugar-Free Pizza Sauce, and Instant Pot Orange Chicken.

How Long Will Sweet Tea With Honey Last in the Fridge?

This honey-sweetened tea is best consumed within 7-10 days if stored in the fridge.

Here’s How to Make It

I’ll walk you through it here with photos, but you’ll also find a printable and detailed recipe card at the bottom of the post.

You’ll want to start by bringing 4 cups of water to a near boil. Pop the pan off the heat, add the tea bags and baking soda. Cover the pan and let it steep for a solid 15 minutes.

When the time is up, remove the tea bags, pour everything into a pitcher, add the honey and stir to dissolve.

Add 4 cups of cold water and place the pitcher in the fridge. Pro tip: if you would like to serve immediately, add 2 cups of cold water and 2 cups of ice.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes:

• Need to make more or less of the recipe? Click and slide the “servings” number on the recipe card and the ingredients will adjust as needed. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
• Don’t have family-style bags? You can use 7 normal tea bags instead.
• Adding honey to cold iced tea just does not work. Make sure you add it after the 15-minute steeping process before it goes into the fridge.

  

Variations on this Healthy Sweet Tea Recipe:

• Our preferred way of enjoying this healthy sweet tea is 3/4 tea, and 1/4 lemonade – ‘Palmer style!
  • Pro tip: use lemon-flavored sparkling water to make it a sparkling Arnold Palmer with less sugar.
• Try experimenting with flavored teas like fruity or tropical teas.
• Add lemon or lime wedges or add fresh fruit.

Do you love healthier drinks that taste amazing? Check out my Mojito Mocktail and Mocktails For Kids and Grown-Ups!

I won’t even compare this Healthy Sweet Tea Recipe to “real” sweet tea in terms of sugar consumption. But, let’s just say this version won’t give you the crazy energy rush that would allow you to tie a rope around your waist and tow your car home.

More Healthy Drink Recipes Like This

• Peach Moscow Mule {Moscow Mule Mocktail}
• London Fog Latte
• Homemade Sugar-Free Coffee Creamer
• Blended Iced Coffee
• Creamy Berry Party Drinks
• Chocolate Coconut Coffee Creamer

Healthy Sweet Tea WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS

One serving of Healthy Sweet Tea has 2 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.

Print Recipe

4.78 from 9 votes

Healthy Sweet Tea Recipe {Honey Iced Tea}

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

This delicious Healthy Sweet Tea Recipe uses honey instead of buckets of sugar.

Servings: 8

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy sun tea, healthy sweet tea, sweet tea with honey

Calories: 34kcal

Author: Sarah Cook - Sustainable Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 family style black or green tea bag
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 4 cups water {boiling}
• 4 cups water {cold}
• 1/8 tsp baking soda {optional}

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions

• Bring 4 cups of water to a near boil.
• Add tea bag(s) and baking soda, and cover the pan. Remove from heat, and let steep for 15 minutes.
• Remove tea bags, pour into a pitcher, add the honey and stir.
• Add 4 cups of cold water and place in the fridge.

Sun Tea Instructions

• Place tea, honey, 8 cups of room temperature water, and baking soda in a sun tea jar. Place in a sunny place.
• Stir occasionally if possible to distribute the honey. The length of time to steep will depend on how hot it is outside.
• Serve over ice if you’d like to serve immediately. Transfer to the refrigerator and cool.

Notes

Don’t have family-style bags? Use 7 small tea bags instead.

 

Makes 1/2 gallon or 2 quarts.

 

if you would like to serve immediately, add 2 cups of cold water and 2 cups of ice.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Sweet Tea Recipe {Honey Iced Tea}

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 34

% Daily Value*

Fat 0g0%

Saturated Fat 0g0%

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 16mg1%

Potassium 5mg0%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 0g0%

Iron 0.1mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.