Mint Iced Tea Recipe: 2 Ways

There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than a glass of iced tea. This sweet Mint Iced Tea recipe has been in my family for decades! 

This tea. I don’t even know where to begin with this tea. It is wrapped up in decades worth of summer memories. It’s been enjoyed on patios and porches, in my parent’s house, my sibling’s house, and my own home. It’s present at nearly every cookout, family reunion, and summer holiday. It has even appeared at the Thanksgiving table when we’re lucky enough to still have fresh mint in November.

A pitcher of spearmint iced tea feels like home to me. Sweet and refreshing, it’s an invitation to sit back, kick your shoes off, and relax. I feel a bit guilty for taking 5 years to share this recipe. I suppose it was always a given to me, but if you weren’t lucky enough to grow up with this drink, prepare yourselves. You’re about to discover your new favorite beverage.

There are two basic ways to make mint tea, either on the stove top with boiling water or in an iced tea maker. I have very few single-use contraptions in my kitchen, but an iced tea maker is one of them. We make it so often in the summer that it’s worth it to keep around. You can get a pitcher prepped in about 5 minutes and have iced tea in 20 minutes. But if you don’t have an iced tea maker, making the tea on the stove top is almost as easy, and delivers just as good of results.

Stove Top Mint Iced Tea:

I use about a cup of fresh mint leaves placed in coffee filters and secured with a rubber band. Bring a gallon of water to a boil, then add the mint, cover, and steep for at least 15 minutes. I like to squeeze or press the mint leaves in the filter to get them to release the most flavor. You can leave the mint leaves in as long as you like. It’ll continue to get a stronger flavor the longer you go.

Side note: this will make your house smell amazing. Just enjoy the scent of fresh, herby, vaguely sweet spearmint filling your home. It is heavenly.

You’ll want to add your sweetener while the mixture is still hot. I usually stir in around a cup of sugar for every gallon. This will produce a sweet, but not quite southern sweet tea.

You can also use this Vanilla Syrup for a subtle vanilla flavor, or sub honey syrup for the sugar.

The joy of making the tea yourself is, of course, being able to make it as sweet and as strong as you want, so experiment until you find what’s best for you.

Mint Iced Tea in a Tea Maker:

Fill the water chamber to the top and add ice to the ice line on the pitcher. We have found 3/4 cups of sugar is just the right amount for us, so I add that straight to the pitcher over the ice. Then, I place a bunch of mint leaves (you can include the stalks if you want) in the filter, sometimes adding a tea bag, sometimes not. Turn the tea maker on, and you’re good to go. You’ll need to give the tea a good stir when it’s done, but your iced mint tea will be ready to drink in about 20 minutes!

I honestly can’t think of any summer drink that hits the spot quite like the icy cold, refreshing blast of a cup of sweet mint tea. I hope this mint tea recipe will become as much a part of your own family traditions as it is ours.

If you’re looking for more ways to use up fresh garden herbs and vegetables this summer, check out my Homemade Pesto,  Steak Kabobs with Mint Chimichurri, Fresh Tomato Soup with Basil, Cucumber Tomato Salad, and Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.