This cinnamon orange sweet tea goes beyond your typical backyard barbecue iced tea; it’s truly exceptional! I use cinnamon and fresh ginger to highlight the sweetness of the iced tea, which brings to life the citrus undertones. It’s absolutely fantastic!
Cinnamon Orange Sweet Tea
This is one of my favorite summer drinks to make. It’s refreshing, bursting with flavor, and though it demands a bit more effort than regular iced tea, the payoff is immense.
The finished tea is luxurious and fragrant, with delicate notes of mint and ginger. I can’t think of a better suited sweet tea for any occasion.
Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s a fun treat I enjoy sipping on a hot summer day.
- This tea has great aromatics, which is noticeable with every sip.
- It’s great for entertaining, I’ll often make a double or triple batch.
Ingredients
- Cinnamon sticks: I use cinnamon sticks to infuse the boiling water for the tea. The sticks release oils that impart a lingering flavor. Ground cinnamon is not a suitable substitute for this recipe.
- Black tea bags: I don’t use any fancy brand of tea bags for this sweet tea, but I do make sure they’re fresh.
- Granulated sugar: This is what I use to sweeten my sweet tea!
- Orange peel and slices: I peel my oranges just deep enough to not grab too much of the white pith, which would add a bitter element to the tea. I use the orange slices as a garnish for each glass.
- Filtered water: Tap water is fine if it’s void of any off flavors, otherwise use filtered or bottled water.
- Fresh ginger: This is perhaps my favorite ingredient in this sweet tea as it adds a bit of spice. It’s important to note that squeezable ginger paste should not be substituted for fresh ginger in this recipe.
- Fresh mint: I love the aromatics and flavor fresh mint adds to this iced tea.
How To Make Cinnamon Orange Sweet Tea
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Step One: I begin by combining water, orange peel, and cinnamon sticks in a medium-sized saucepan and bringing it to a boil. After reaching a boil, I add the tea bags and turn off the heat. I make sure the tea steeps for only 5 minutes (any longer may result in a bitter taste). Once steeped, I remove the tea bags and chill the tea in the refrigerator, leaving the cinnamon sticks and orange peel in for now.
- Step Two: In a smaller saucepan, I create the simple syrup by combining water, sugar, and fresh ginger coins over low heat. I bring it to a boil without stirring. After it boils, I turn off the heat and tear the mint leaves and stalks into pieces, adding them to the syrup. I let it cool to room temperature before straining the syrup, removing any remnants of ginger and mint.
- Step Three: Once everything is cooled, I strain the tea into a pitcher and stir in the mint and ginger syrup. I serve in a tall glass (extra points if the glass is chilled) over ice and garnish with orange slices, mint and extra cinnamon sticks.
Recipe Tips
- You can reuse your cinnamon sticks for multiple batches of this recipe. After using one, rinse it under hot water and let it dry completely before storing it as usual. Before using it again, run the cinnamon stick over a grater a few times to enhance the flavor release. However, it’s best to only reuse each cinnamon stick about four times before discarding it.
- For a sugar-free version, I suggest using only granulated stevia (such as Truvia). To make the simple syrup, mix 1 cup of water with 1/8 cup of granulated stevia (equivalent to 10-15 packets of Truvia), then add the ginger and mint.
Storage
- I keep this sweet tea in the refrigerator until I’m ready to serve it.
- I store it in a pitcher that has a lid, or I cover the top with saran wrap. I do this because I don’t want the tea to absorb any other flavors from the refrigerator.
MORE FUN DRINKS TO MAKE
- Sparkling Ginger Matcha Lemonade
- Copycat Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato
- Watermelon Agua Fresca
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
- Peach Lemonade
- Candy Cane Frappe
- Harry Potter’s Butterbeer
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
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Cinnamon Orange Sweet Tea
Cinnamon Orange Sweet Tea is not your typical backyard barbecue iced tea, it's so much better! This next level sweet tea uses cinnamon and ginger to highlight the sweetness of the added sugar and bring the citrus undertones to life!
Servings: 8 glasses
Calories: 99kcal
Ingredients
For the tea:
- 8 cups filtered water
- 2 large pieces of orange peel, plus orange slices for garnish
- 1 large or 2 small cinnamon stick(s), plus more for garnish
- 8 black tea bags
For the syrup:
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 quarter-size coins peeled fresh ginger, chopped
- 6 sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
- To make the tea, combine water, orange peel and cinnamon stick(s) in a medium sized saucepan over low heat; bring to a boil. Add the tea bags and turn off the heat. Let the tea steep for only 5 minutes (any longer and it will be bitter). Remove the tea bags and chill the tea (don't remove the cinnamon stick or the orange peel yet). It's also a good idea to pour the tea into a vessel that is not warm.8 cups filtered water, 2 large pieces of orange peel, plus orange slices for garnish, 1 large or 2 small cinnamon stick(s), plus more for garnish, 8 black tea bags
- Make the syrup by combining 1 cup water, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil without stirring. Once boiling, turn off the heat. Tear the mint leaves and stalks into pieces and drop them into the syrup. Let cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup, discarding the ginger and mint.1 cup filtered water, 1 cup granulated sugar, 6 quarter-size coins peeled fresh ginger, chopped, 6 sprigs of fresh mint
- Strain the tea into a pitcher. Add the mint syrup and stir. Serve in a tall glass over ice and garnish with orange slices and cinnamon sticks.
Notes
Sugar-Free: Check the post under recipe tips for how to make a sugar-free simple syrup for this sweet tea.
For optimal outcomes when preparing this cinnamon orange sweet tea, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.
The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Cinnamon Orange Sweet Tea
Amount Per Serving (8 oz.)
Calories 99
% Daily Value*
Sodium 0.6mg0%
Potassium 14.2mg0%
Carbohydrates 25.4g8%
Fiber 0.1g0%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 0.1g0%
Vitamin A 1.4IU0%
Vitamin C 0.5mg1%
Calcium 0.4mg0%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Dayna says
A sugar-free version for us diabetics would be most appreciated. This amount of sugar is quite over the top to adjust for such dietary concerns.
Lisa J says
substitute stevia — about half what the recipe calls for, but taste to be sure. Stevia doesn’t disrupt your blood sugar like Splenda and aspartame do.
Tara says
Are these regular or family size tea bags? Sounds like perfect tea for fall!
Cathy says
Regular.
lazydazy says
wow, that sound yummy, I’m from kuwait and we always enjoy our tea with cardemom and safron and drops of rose water .. it’s amust to try..
love your blog and GOD bless your lovely family ..
pat says
this was really good with bbq. The best sweat tea!
Sarah says
That tea is so refreshing and delicious!
Warner says
@Dayna, Splenda should work
Kitkat says
I would think that is easily figured out yourself. Either use splenda or another fake sweetner, or dont use any sugar at all and it will be a spiced unsweetened ice tea. Kind of obvious no offense.
Kristin says
Oh my gosh is this delicious! Thank you for posting it while I still have mint in my garden.
The Cafe Sucre Farine says
Love all these flavors but had never tried them together. They were wonderful and refreshing! Can’t wait to make this again! Thank, Chris
bakingbarb says
We absolutely love this tea, it has the best flavor and is so refreshing. We love the bit of sweetness and it’s just so good for a summer feast!
Lorna says
This was absolutely amazing! I make it weekly for Sunday dinner.
Tricia says
Wow, this looks divine. Can’t wait to try it this weekend, thanks for sharing!
Treasure says
Splenda is substituted cup for cup with sugar… that is, 1 cup Splenda =1 cup sugar.
I don’t know if Ginger Ale would work, although it probably will, just make sure it too, is sweetened with Splenda.
Mint and/or ginger you can steep in hot water and the sweetener can be added after the mixture has cooled, just add some of the Splenda, taste, and add more if you want it sweeter.
Rossella says
This is my tea recipe now for summer months. It’s so good.
Kulsum at JourneyKitchen says
Wow I live in Kuwait and I soon as I saw the drink I knew I had to make it. it is perfection.
Traci Downing says
I have been making this tea since I came across it on Noble Pig. Wow. It’s a staple in my fridge now. I substitute with Splenda. I also started to cut down on the cinnamon (1/2 stick) because the cinnamon got too over-powering after a few hours in the fridge.
Patent Attorney says
This was amazing, perfect for those summer evenings!
Robert says
Very good sweet tea to carry us through fall with cinnamon and orange.