Last Updated on August 15, 2022 by Karen
Combine fresh juicy peaches, tea, and a secret ingredient for the ultimate classic Southern drink. Southern Peach Sweet Tea is a delicious, refreshing drink, perfect for barbecues and hot summer days!
I look forward to getting pounds after pounds of fresh Palisades peaches every summer, and I’ve been coming up with different ways to use the fresh juicy peaches, such as Peach BBQ Sauce, Roasted Peaches with Bourbon Brown Butter Sauce, and Frozen Peach Bellinis.
This version of southern sweet tea is super simple easy to make and a great way to use up all those ripe peaches before they go bad. It is super refreshing, has so much peach flavors, and can be sweetened to your liking. I love that this recipe has no artificial colors or flavors added, just simple wholesome ingredients.
Sweet tea is one of my favorite summer drinks, and this peach flavored sweet tea is the perfect addition to your summer beverage list, especially for barbecues, picnics, and potlucks on warm summer days. Make several batches of the fresh peach flavored simple syrup and store it in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator or freezer, so you can enjoy fresh peach iced tea all summer long.
If you love Olive Garden’s bellini peach iced tea, you’ll love this drink!
What is Sweet Tea?
Sweet tea is a popular style of tea commonly served ice cold as a regional staple in the Southern United States. Dolly Parton called it the “house wine of the South” in the movie Steel Magnolias. The famous Southern Cooking cookbook published a sweet tea recipe in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until the 1990s when it became popularized as a true Southern staple.
How is Sweet Tea made?
Southern Sweet Tea is usually made in big batches by brewing black tea in hot water, adding sugar or simple syrup to sweeten it, then chilling it in the fridge. In the South, sweet tea is often served pretty sweet, but you can certainly add less sugar to suit your own taste.
What is the special ingredient in Southern Sweet Tea?
Adding a pinch of baking soda to the tea takes the bitterness out of the tea, giving it a smoother taste. Many Southern sweet tea drinkers swear by this trick.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this Southern Peach Sweet Tea
Peaches: Fresh peaches work best in this drink recipe. I like to use ones that are very ripe, as they are more juicy and taste sweeter. You do not need to peel the skin, since everything gets strained at the end. In fact, I prefer to leave the skin on so that the syrup gets a beautiful pink color.
Tea: You can use your favorite black tea, either tea bags or loose tea leaves. I like to use Lipton or Luzianne tea bags. No matter what tea you use, be sure to brew it at the proper temperature. Black tea is best brewed with 200F water and steeped for 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is used for this recipe. You can certainly cut down on the sugar if you find it too sweet.
Lemon: Fresh lemons work best in this drink recipe, but you can also use bottled lemon juice.
Baking soda
How to Make Southern Peach Sweet Tea from scratch:
1. Brew and chill some tea until very cold.
2. Make a peach flavored simple syrup. After simmering fresh peaches, sugar, and water for 10 minutes, the peaches will become soft and jammy.
3. Mix them together in a pitcher or individual glasses. Garnish with a few peach slices, if you’d like.
Can you use tea bags to make this Southern Peach Sweet Tea?
Yes! In fact, black tea bags are what I prefer for ease and convenience. You can also use loose tea leaves. Once the tea has steeped, simply strain it through a fine sieve to remove the tea leaves.
Can you make a decaf Southern Peach Sweet Tea?
If you want to make this decaf, you can follow the recipe as is and just substitute with decaffeinated black tea bags. Rooibos tea, an herbal tea, is also good for a low bitterness and caffeine-free option.
Can you make this with green tea?
Yes, you can substitute the black tea with green tea for a lighter flavored iced tea.
Can I make this Southern Peach Sweet Tea ahead of time?
Yes. Make a large pitcher of this iced tea and keep it chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also make the peach syrup ahead of time, and mix it with the chilled tea and lemon juice right before serving. When you’re ready to serve, fill a tall glass with ice, then add enough iced tea to fill it most of the way. Then add a few tablespoons of the peach simple syrup, or enough to suit your taste.
How long does the peach simple syrup last?
You can store the peach simple syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What do you do with the leftover peaches from the peach simple syrup?
I like to save the leftover strained peaches for other uses! It’s so delicious stirred into some oatmeal or Greek yogurt. Sometimes I’ll even use the peaches in my fruit smoothie.
Can you use a natural sweetener instead of refined sugar?
Yes, if you’re watching your calories or carb, instead of using granulated sugar, you can make an unsweetened peach syrup by simply simmering it in water (do not add the sugar). Let it cool and add maple syrup, honey, or even zero calorie sweetener like monkfruit or Swerve to taste.
What are some variations to this Southern Peach Sweet Tea?
– Use other stone fruit such as nectarines, plums, or pluot instead of peaches.
– Use raspberries, strawberries, mango, or your favorite fruit to make different flavored simple syrups.
– Use flavored herbal teas such as peppermint, orange cinnamon spice, or lemon ginger for a tasty twist.
– Add a splash of peach schnapps (a peach-flavored liqueur) or a shot of bourbon to turn it into an alcoholic sweet tea.
For more refreshing drinks, check out these recipes:
Watermelon Coconut Agua Fresca
Southern Peach Sweet Tea
Ingredients
For the tea:
- - 4 black tea teabags
- - Pinch of baking soda
- - 6 cups boiling water
For the peach simple syrup:
- - 1 cup sugar
- - 1 cup water
- - 2 medium ripe peaches pitted and diced
For serving:
- - 1/4 cup lemon juice
- - Ice
- - Peach slices and fresh mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
To make the tea:
- Add tea bags and a pinch of baking soda to a glass pitcher with boiling water and let them steep for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
To make the peach simple syrup:
- Combine sugar, water, and peaches in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then strain out the peaches in a fine mesh sieve.
To serve:
- In a pitcher, cmbine chilled tea, lemon juice, and peach syrup to taste. Fill a tall glass with ice, then top with sweet tea. Garnish with peach slices and mint leaves if desired.
