This super refreshing Peach Sweet Tea is the perfect beverage to have on deck. Southern sweet tea meets fresh peach flavor with the help of homemade peach syrup. The quintessential iced sweet tea moment with a peachy keen twist!

iced peach sweet tea in glass with mint leaves and straw

Oooeee, what’s greater than a pitcher of iced sweet tea in the depths of these heat waves we have going on? Not a single thing! My goodness, the Florida temps are slowly going to take me out, y’all. I’m trying my best to stay hydrated every day, pray for me in these streets lol. Summer also calls for us to have some sweet tea on deck, yessir, and it’s this peach sweet tea to be extra precise!

Refreshing Southern Peach Sweet Tea 🍑

On top of being a sweet tea lover, give me all the peach-flavored tings, too! Don’t get me wrong, classic sweet tea always hits the soul just right. However, add some peach essence to the mix and now we’re taking it up several tasty notches. This peach sweet tea is super invigorating and filled to the brim with fresh peach flavor from homemade peach syrup! Obsessed just ain’t the word.

⇢ More BBR faves: peach cobbler cinnamon rolls, my skillet peach cobbler, cool down with a frozen mango margarita, cutie peach hand pies, and summer stunners like baked beans, my potato salad, and these bacon burgers– yum!

three glasses of iced peach sweet tea on gold charger with fresh peaches around them

Ingredients For This Peach Sweet Tea

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • Filtered water: For the best sweet tea, I recommend using filtered water. This is water that has the best taste as it has been passed through a filtration system that removes any impurities, leaving a pure, clean taste.
  • Black tea bags: Any Southerner will tell you that it’s Lipton or Luzianne black tea bags or bust! Ha. These are my top two choices for making sweet tea.
  • Lemon juice: A lil’ acidity to balance the flavors, fresh is best!
  • Fresh peaches: Ahhh the star of the show, fresh peaches for making the homemade peach syrup. Two large peaches are enough to provide plenty peach essence here. Frozen peaches are not recommended for this recipe.
  • Sugar: I use organic cane sugar for my peach sweet tea. This is an unrefined (less processed) sugar that has the full-bodied taste of sugarcane.
  • Garnishes: fresh peach slices, lemon slices, and fresh mint leaves– optional.

⇢ There’s iced tea and then there is sweet tea. The one way to distinguish the two is…sugar! We’ll dive a bit deeper on the history further below ♡

black tea steeping in large glass pyrex bowl

How To Make Iced Peach Sweet Tea

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

  1. Steep the tea. First, steep the black tea bags in boiling hot water.
  2. Make the peach syrup. Meanwhile, let’s prepare the homemade peach syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the sliced peaches, water, and sugar. Stir to combine and let cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Then mash the peaches and strain the mixture, extracting the peach juice.
  3. Assemble the peach sweet tea. Remove the tea bags from the tea (don’t squeeze/press the bags!) and pour the tea into a large pitcher. Then pour in the lemon juice and peach syrup. Stir everything together to fully combine.
  4. Serve. Pour the peach sweet tea over glasses full of ice, garnish, and enjoy!

Don’t Squeeze/Press Tea Bags

I know, it’s so tempting to wanna press those tea bags. Listen, I don’t know why we feel like we’ve gotta get every single last drop out that bihhh 😂.

⇢ Here’s the thing: when we press/squeeze tea bags after steeping, we’re inadvertently releasing the bitter/sour components (tannins) in the tea. Furthermore, when you do this, you also run the risk of the tea bag splitting open and letting the loose leaves fall in. Oof, you don’t want this.

I’ve written this recipe to include 20 minutes of steeping time. That’s plenty time for the black tea to work its magic and release all that tea goodness.

peach syrup in white saucepan
peach pulp being strained over white saucepan

Homemade Fresh Peach Syrup, Yum!

This fresh peach syrup is so dreamy, friends! Tons of peachy flavor is released and makes this peach sweet tea sing like a gospel choir 🙌🏾.

It’s so easy to make (just 3-ingredients!), insanely good, and yields the most gorgeous color. There’s plenty sweetness from the sugar to the natural peach sweetness without giving off any cloyingly sweet vibes.

Repurpose & Reuse Fresh Peach Pulp

Don’t toss out the fresh peach pulp, here are some ways you can use it up:

  • toss in smoothies, cocktails/mocktails, and other drinks.
  • make peach/fruit ice cubes.
  • use for homemade peach jam/jelly.
  • make peach-flavored syrup, fruit leather, or spread on toast!
glass bottle of homemade peach syrup sitting on gold charger

History Of Southern Sweet Tea

Sweet tea is a well-known favorite around the world, yes. However, in the South, iced sweet tea is not just a beverage to drink in the summertime and that’s it. Also known as “the house wine of the South“, this drink is a beloved staple enjoyed year-round. Around the 18th century, South Carolina was the first place in the United States to have produced tea commercially.

Once refrigeration and ice boxes came about in the 19th century, the practice of serving sweet tea over ice developed. Southern states are notorious for having some blazing, sweltering temperatures, too. It’s noted that at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, overheated attendees requested ice be added to their hot tea. By the 1900s, the popularity of iced tea spread across the states.

Since then, the preparation of making iced tea has been refined: types of tea, the desired strength of tea, amount of sugar, and the presence of lemon. Southern cookbook authors published their versions of iced tea as well.

Today, iced tea is widely served almost everywhere. However, outside of Southern states, iced tea is often served unsweetened or just “black.” The Southern distinction (or stamp) is hands down, serving it up sweetened. To order tea in the South is synonymous with saying you want sweetened iced tea (as opposed to hot tea) unless you clearly advise otherwise. And yes indeed, us Southerners like that suga suga, baby! No other way will do 😆

black hand pouring peach sweet tea into glass

Alternate (Boozy) Peach Sweet Tea

If you’re a fan of alcohol in your sweet tea, this recipe pairs well with being spiked! I recommend bourbon, whiskey, rum, and vodka. You can add whatever your preferred strength of alcohol is to the finished pitcher or simply spike each individual glass. I love making spiked sweet tea for gatherings/parties!

Picking Peaches: I Got My Peaches Out In…

Gahhh, peach season and peaches in general, whew! Each area differs on their peach season; Florida’s is different from Georgia’s and California’s and so on, so forth. However, a general marker is about mid-May to mid-September. Around this time, you’ll find peaches in abundance! Aside from citrus season, stone fruit season is #bae for me, ha. Ugh, biting into one of them juicy thangs 👅!

For this peach sweet tea, you want the best peaches for the peach syrup. Look for peaches that are ripe: not too firm, when pressed, they’ll have a slight indentation. Great peaches should have good color (a bright red-ish/deep orange hue, no brownness). And lastly, their smell…as soon as you sniff it, it’s almost as if you already know. Again, ripeness, good color, and their scent!

Equipment For Making Sweet Tea

  • Glass measuring cup: This is the one used in the image above for steeping.
  • Large pitcher: A good ole, classic pitcher to hold your sweet tea.
  • Sphere ice: Any ice will do, but these cute lil’ sphere’s of ice are so fun!
iced peach sweet teas in glasses on gold charger with fresh peaches on the side

There are no words for how much I love this Peach Sweet Tea, y’all. It’s such a refreshing staple to keep in the fridge and have on hand for these summer days (and really, any other season). Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Print
clockclock iconcutlerycutlery iconflagflag iconfolderfolder iconinstagraminstagram iconpinterestpinterest iconfacebookfacebook iconprintprint iconsquaressquares iconheartheart iconheart solidheart solid icon
iced peach sweet teas in glasses on gold charger with fresh peaches on the side

Refreshing Southern Peach Sweet Tea

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Beverages, Drinks
  • Cuisine: Southern
Print Recipe

Description

This super refreshing Peach Sweet Tea is the perfect beverage to have on deck. Southern sweet tea meets fresh peach flavor with the help of homemade peach syrup. The quintessential iced sweet tea moment with a peachy keen twist!

Ingredients

Scale

For the tea:

  • 6 cups filtered water
  • 6 black tea bags (Lipton or Luzianne preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • fresh mint leaves & peach/lemon slices, for garnish- optional

For the peach syrup:

  • 2 large ripe peaches- rinsed, pitted, & cut into slices (no need to peel)
  • 2 cups filtered water
  • 1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)

Instructions

For the tea:

  1. In a large saucepan, pot, or kettle, bring the water to a rolling boil. Once boiled, remove from heat. Drape the black tea bags over the side- if you used a kettle, pour the water into a large vessel (glass bowl, or other heat-safe vessel). Let the tea steep for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the peach syrup.

For the peach syrup:

  1. Place the sliced peaches, water, and sugar into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the mixture, stirring every so often, for 15 minutes. Use a potato masher to further break down the peaches and then remove the pan from heat.
  2. Carefully strain the mixture over a fine mesh sieve. Use a rubber utensil or the back of a spoon to firmly press the peach pulp to extract as much peach juice from it as you can. Then discard the peach pulp or save for later use (check blog post for ways to use!).

Peach sweet tea assembly:

  1. Remove the black tea bags from the tea (resist the temptation to squeeze the tea bags, don’t you do it!) and discard.
  2. In a large pitcher, pour in the black tea, lemon juice, and peach syrup. Stir everything together to fully combine. To serve: pour the peach sweet tea over individual glasses full of ice. Garnish with fresh mint and peach/lemon slices, if desired. Sip, sip…hooray. Enjoy!
  3. Keep the peach sweet tea pitcher stored in the refrigerator. As separation is natural after sitting for some time, be sure to give the peach sweet tea a good stir before pouring a glass.

Notes

  1. Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

Keywords: peach sweet tea, peach tea, sweet tea, southern tea, iced tea, peach iced tea, iced sweet tea, southern sweet tea, homemade sweet tea, homemade iced tea