I have a quick confession that may ruffle a few feathers: I don’t care for sweet tea.
There. I said it.
I love tea — don’t get me wrong — but I prefer it black and bitter, especially in hot weather. I understand sweet tea has a devoted following and a long tradition in the South that has spread far beyond its origins. I simply don’t have a big sweet tooth. When I thought about why sweet tea doesn’t appeal to me, the answer felt obvious: it tastes like a dessert, and I don’t usually drink dessert unless it’s blended with generous amounts of ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Yes, I analyze my feelings about food. You do too, right?
Then I had a better idea: turn sweet tea into dessert. That made perfect sense. I happened to have root beer syrup on hand so I used that to flavor my simple syrup, but any simple syrup — plain or flavored — will work. I brewed strong iced tea, mixed in the syrup, poured the mixture into ice pop molds, and froze them.
I used decaffeinated tea so I wouldn’t be kept awake at night. If you tolerate caffeine well, use regular black tea for a more robust, caffeinated treat.
Sweet Tea Ice Pops
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For Sweet Tea Ice Pops:
- 4 cups boiling water
- 4 decaffeinated or regular black tea bags (Lipton, Red Rose, Luzianne, etc.)
- simple syrup plain or flavored, to taste
For Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
To Make Simple Syrup:
-
Combine sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves, then remove from heat. Pour into a clean jar, seal, and refrigerate. The syrup will keep for up to a month.
To Make the Sweet Tea Ice Pops:
-
Pour boiling water over the tea bags and steep for 3–5 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea. Keep in mind frozen flavors mellow, so you may want to brew slightly stronger than usual. Remove the tea bags and stir in simple syrup to taste, adjusting sweetness as needed. Allow the tea to cool to lukewarm.
-
Pour the sweetened tea into popsicle molds or small disposable cups, insert sticks, and freeze until solid, about 8 hours depending on mold size.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the specific ingredients you use.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and use #foodiewithfamily so the author can see your creation.