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! 

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Cinnamon Orange Sweet Tea

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

chilling 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 glasses

Calories 99kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Sieve
• iced tea pitcher
• tall glasses

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

Serving: 8oz. | Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.4g | Protein: 0.1g | Sodium: 0.6mg | Potassium: 14.2mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1.4IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 0.4mg | Iron: 1.1mg

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