Blackberry Iced Tea

A recipe for blackberry iced tea with just the right amount of sweetness and fresh fruit flavor. A blackberry syrup made from scratch ensures a smooth and delicious drink.

close up view of glass of blackberry sweet tea

Southern Blackberry Sweet Tea

A blackberry simple syrup blended with iced tea makes the perfect summertime drink. This recipe makes a pitcher for sharing with friends.
Prep Time 30 minutes
cooling time 4 hours
Serving Size 8 glasses

Ingredients 

For The Blackberry Syrup

  • 3 cups blackberries frozen is fine
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water

For The Iced Tea

  • 3 family sized tea bags Luzianne brand recommended
  • 6 cups hot water
  • 6 cups cold water

Optional Garnish

  • lemon wedges
  • fresh mint
  • additional blackberries

Instructions 

Make The Syrup

  • Combine the syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the blackberries become softened and bright purple, about 15 minutes.
    a saucepan on a stove with whole blackberries submerged in a clear liquid, The blackberries are shown before and after cooking.
  • Strain the syrup into a medium bowl. Set aside to cool while you make the tea.
    the straining process of the blackberry syrup, where the cooked blackberries and syrup are being poured through a sieve over a bowl, separating the seeds and pulp from the liquid, which is a deep purple-red color.

Make The Tea

  • Place the tea bags in a heat-proof pitcher. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Pour over the tea bags and allow to steep 3 minutes, then remove and discard.
    pitcher filled with tea bags and hot water.
  • Pour 6 cups of cold water into the pitcher of tea. Add the blackberry syrup and mix thoroughly.
    This image shows the process of steeping tea, with a metal spoon resting on top of a glass pitcher which appears to contain a dark liquid, indicative of tea that is steeping or has been steeped.
  • Place the pitcher in the fridge to chill 4 hours, or until very cold. Serve over ice with fresh lemon slices, whole blackberries, and mint leaves.
    Here we see two glasses filled with iced tea, garnished with lemon wedges, fresh mint leaves, and whole blackberries, suggesting the final presentation of the Southern Blackberry Sweet Tea recipe.

Notes

This is delicious mixed with lemonade for serving, like a blackberry Arnold Palmer!
If you can’t find family sized tea bags, use 9 regular tea bags.
We like Luzianne teea, but Lipton will work just fine!
Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 116IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
2 mason jars filled with blackberry sweet tea on ice

Table of contents

Why you’ll love this recipe

Everyone loves a nice pitcher of sweet tea for sharing on the porch in the summer. And when blackberries are in season they’re the perfect way to flavor a simple tea. (You’ll love blackberry lemonade too if it’s berry season!)

It might seem tedious to make the blackberry syrup but it just takes a few minutes.

You can mix this up in the morning while it’s still cool outside and have it chilled and ready that afternoon.

tea bags, sugar, fresh lemon, fresh mint, and fresh blackberries on marble surface

For The Blackberry Syrup

  • 3 cups blackberries frozen is fine
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water

For The Iced Tea

Optional Garnish

  • lemon wedges
  • fresh mint
  • additional blackberries
  • Heat-proof pitcher (meaning it won’t crack if you pour in boiling water
  • Strainer
  • Medium saucepan
  • Glasses for serving. (Wide mouth pint jars wok great!)

Step one: make the blackberry syrup

process shots of making blackberry simple syrup: blackberries cooking down and being strained

Okay, my friends. This won’t take long, and there aren’t many ingredients. It’s easy!

Start by placing the blackberries, sugar, and water for the syrup in a medium saucepan. Let it come to a simmer over medium heat until the berries start to break down. They will change color to a deep reddish purple and be easy to smash. This will take about 10-15 minutes.

Strain the syrup to remove all the seeds and pulp from the berries. (There won’t be much flavor left in the berry flesh, so don’t feel about disposing of it!)

Let it cool while you make the sweet tea.

Step two: Brew the Iced Tea

tea bags in pitcher of hot water and cold water being poured in

Place the tea bags in your pitcher and start boiling 6 cups of water. Pour the boiling water on top of the tea bags and give them a stir.

Let them steep for 3 minutes and then remove them. Pour the cold water in, and the blackberry syrup. Mix everything well and pop it in the fridge to cool.

Serve over ice, garnishing with fresh lemon, more berries, and mint, if you’d like.

  • Be sure to grab family-sized tea bags. You don’t need to fiddle with individual bags for iced tea
  • You’ll need plenty of time for the tea to cool, so feel free to start this the night before.
red and white gingham napkin with 2 mason jars filled with blackberry tea
picture of smiling female

By Katie Shaw

Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.

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3 Comments

  1. Hey I can’t wait to try this! My favorite brand of tea is Leaf Logic Wellness Tea, and she has a lovely Hibiscus Twist blend. She (the owner of the company) would mix that tea with a blackberry syrup, and it was divine! I am just wondering, If I have to brew the tea, then add the blackberry syrup when it is already cool, would that work just as well? I was thinking of trying this today, but I don’t have time to make the syrup just yet. I may wait until tomorrow, but figured I would ask! Can’t wait to try it.

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