Watermelon Iced Tea Recipe

Turn this favorite summer fruit into a refreshing drink with an iced watermelon tea! This iced tea is sweet, fruity tastes distinctly of watermelon, and is super simple to make! 

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Watermelon Ice Tea

This fresh tea recipe is made with real fruit and is the perfect summer drink! I’m a huge fan of ice tea and adding a different twist to the recipe by using in-season fruit is honestly so fun. Since it is the summer, I thought it would be nice to make a tea recipe without using the stovetop. Cold brew tea is a heatless way to make tea and is great for summertime. Of course, I include instructions for using hot water to steep if you prefer. This recipe uses fresh watermelon and not watermelon syrup!

Why You Will Love Watermelon Iced Tea

• Made with Real Ingredients.
• Beautiful Bright Color.
• Easy to Customize to your Tastes
• An Easy Make-Ahead Recipe, Perfect for Entertaining. 

Ingredients for Watermelon Sweet Tea

• Fresh Watermelon – Chose a ripe seedless watermelon for this recipe!
• Tea – Lipton is my favorite tea for making iced tea, however, you can use your favorite black tea or even green tea.
• Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is perfect for this recipe. It mixes and dissolves easily with the watermelon. You could also use honey or agave nectar for a refined sugar-free option.
• Water – Good water really makes a difference in the flavor of your tea. I use filtered water when I make my tea.
• Optional Garnishes – add toppings and more flavor with lime, mint, or lemon.

How to Make Watermelon Iced Tea

STEP ONE

Make Tea: Start by making black tea. There are 2 great options for making iced tea – 

Cold Brewing:  Cold brew black tea by adding tea to a refrigerator-safe pitcher with a fitted lid and refrigerating for 12 hours before removing tea bags. See my evening cold brew routine here. 

Hot Brewing: This method only takes a few minutes to make, but does require a bit of time for the tea to completely cool. Bring water to a boil pour water over tea and allow to steep for 5-6 minutes. Remove tea bags being sure to squeeze out all the liquid back into the tea. Set prepared tea aside. (Once the tea is cool enough to handle, transfer it to a refrigerator-safe jar and finish chilling in the refrigerator.)

STEP TWO

Next, cut up fresh ripe watermelon into fairly small cubes.

Add watermelon and sugar to the blender and puree until smooth. You will not need to add any water to help with blending. 

(Optional: you can strain the watermelon to only leave the smooth watery liquid, or leave it as is. I personally do not strain the watermelon.) 

Set aside watermelon puree until the tea has fully chilled.

STEP THREE

Once the tea and watermelon are cool and you are ready to serve, mix together in a large pitcher.

Serve over ice and enjoy!

Watermelon Tea Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Add some zest with lemon or lime slices.
• Garnish and add a bit more flavor with a few springs of herbs for garnish and flavor such as mint, basil, or rosemary.
• Use in-season watermelon for the best sweet flavor.
• If you don’t like any texture in your tea, strain the watermelon puree before mixing it with the tea.

Watermelon Iced Tea Variations

• Use different fruits to flavor your tea such as raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries! 
• Avoiding refined sugar? Try using honey or agave for natural sweetness in your tea. Keep in mind that each of these sweetness may add another flavor profile to your tea.
• If you prefer a spicier kick to your drink try adding a pinch of freshly grated ginger or a sprinkle of cinnamon. 
• Add a little bubble to your tea and top with lemon-lime soda for an extra fizzy finish! 

Caffeine

This iced tea recipe does contain caffeine. Black tea is a true tea that has caffeine. If you would like to make this tea recipe without caffeine consider substituting the black tea with rooibos tea. Rooibos (sometimes called bush tea or red tea) is an herbal tea that is naturally caffeine-free. It tastes surprisingly similar to black tea with a very smooth aftertaste!

Serving

Right before serving, mix together tea and watermelon. Serve over ice and garnish with watermelon, fresh herbs such as rosemary or mint, or slices of fresh lime or lemon.

Storage

Tea should always be properly stored in the refrigerator with an airtight lid. Ice tea is not recommended to be stored long, but this tea should stay fresh for up to two days. Consider storing watermelon puree and tea separately until serving.

FAQs

• What does watermelon tea taste like?

Watermelon is sweet juicy fruit loved by almost everyone. It has a green rind with bright pink fruit inside. 

Ice watermelon tea is a perfectly sweet ice tea recipe with the taste of watermelon. It’s cold, refreshing, and especially perfect for hot summer days

• Does watermelon tea exist?

It sure does! Try this recipe to see if it will become a favorite of yours.

• What is watermelon tea made of?

Watermelon tea is made with watermelon, black tea (or green tea) sugar, and water. Simple fresh ingredients for a tasty drink!

• Is Watermelon Iced Tea Good for You? 

There are healthful ingredients and elements in watermelon iced tea. While this recipe does contain sugar, you can substitute it with a healthier sweetener for a more wholesome drink!

• Can You Make This Recipe Without Sugar?

Of course! Substitute with honey, coconut sugar, or stevia (to name a few options) to make a sugar-free recipe. While the flavor will be altered, you will still end up with a delicious drink.

More Ice Tea Recipes

• Iced Roselle Tea
• Iced Butterfly Tea
• Iced London Fog
• Iced Tea with Loose Leaf
• Iced Strawberry Tea

I hope you enjoyed this iced tea recipe! If you try it, please come back and leave a review!