Orange Pomegranate Iced Tea | Homemade Iced Tea Recipe
Homemade Orange Pomegranate Iced Tea + Healthy Iced Tea Popsicles!
Ah, there’s nothing quite like a cool glass of iced tea to chill out on a summer day. This homemade orange pomegranate iced tea is a fun flavor twist, with simple, wholesome ingredients and REAL fruit. And, with the sweetener of your choice, you can enjoy an ultra-refreshing, low sugar sweet tea!
If you’re a fan of sweet teas or flavored iced teas like me, those yummy refreshments often come with a catch: loads of added sugars. Luckily, it’s unbelievably easy to make homemade iced tea, so YOU are in charge of the ingredients!
With homemade iced tea, you don’t have to worry about sneaky added sugars, sugary juice concentrates, artificial flavors, or other food additives. Made with a real orange, orange juice, and pomegranate juice, the fruity flavor in this orange pomegranate iced tea is all-natural.
Plus, I like to steep this homemade iced tea with some whole cloves and a cinnamon stick to add extra freshness and flavor. But, what’s the most refreshing way to enjoy this orange pomegranate iced tea? Frozen into healthy popsicles! A wholesome, low sugar frozen treat that’s perfect for summer.
Sweet, Flavorful Pomegranate Iced Tea—WITHOUT the Sugar Rush
In its pure form, iced tea is actually super healthy, because black tea is naturally calorie free, sugar free, and full of flavor. Plus, it’s chock-full of powerful antioxidants that can boost the immune system, reduce chronic inflammation, and even fight cancer!
But, it’s the sweetened iced teas and flavored, fruity iced teas that we buy at the grocery store or at a restaurant that aren’t such healthy choices. So, by keeping sugar low and using simple ingredients in this orange pomegranate iced tea recipe, we can maximize the health benefits of black tea—without sacrificing flavor!
Citrus fruits are a go-to addition in healthy summer drinks because of their bright, potent flavors, which enhance the other flavors that they’re paired with. But, unlike sour lemons and limes, oranges are full of crave-able sweetness! And, that sweetness helps to balance the tang in this pomegranate iced tea.
Plus, it cuts down on the sugar that we need to add. Of course, you can use natural no calorie sweetener like stevia. But, even if you do choose to use sugar, you only need a few tablespoons in this entire orange pomegranate iced tea recipe!
Delicious AND Nutritious Homemade Iced Tea
The rich vitamin C content in orange juice makes it a great immune-booster. And, vitamin C also acts as a free-radical fighting antioxidant in the body. Plus, orange juice contains many more antioxidants which help to protect our cells, combat chronic inflammation, and reduce our risk of chronic diseases like cancer!
But, there’s a more powerful antioxidant superstar in this orange pomegranate iced tea: POMEGRANATE JUICE. From improving memory and fighting inflammation, to boosting heart health and stopping the spread of cancer, the antioxidants in pomegranate juice are like a natural medicine to fend off chronic disease.
In fact, quality pomegranate juice is a more potent source of antioxidants than even red wine and green tea! But, choose your juices wisely for this orange pomegranate iced tea. Most juices today are sweetened with sugar or made from sugary concentrates. Look for natural, unsweetened, juices made with 100% real fruit!
Sip and Chill
The sweet, tangy, fruity flavors in this orange pomegranate iced tea perfectly complement the earthy taste of black tea. And, after steeping, the cloves and cinnamon stick leave behind an irresistibly comforting, fragrant aroma.
Serve it over ice with an orange wedge, then sip and chill to your heart’s content. Or, chill out to the max with an orange pomegranate iced tea popsicle!
Orange Pomegranate Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 navel orange, sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 black tea bags
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2-3 Tbsp sweetener of choice, to taste
Instructions
To make Orange Pomegranate Iced Tea:
- In a large saucepan, combine water, orange slices, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Bring to a boil, add sweetener, and stir until dissolved.
- Remove from heat, add tea bags, and cover.
- Steep for 5 minutes, then strain mixture.
- Combine tea with orange juice and pomegranate juice.
- Cover and allow to chill (4 hours or overnight).
- Serve with orange and lime wedges over ice and enjoy!
To make Iced Tea Popsicles:
- Pour into popsicle molds and freeze (6-8 hours, or overnight).
- Once frozen, remove desired pops from mold and enjoy! (You may need to allow pops to sit outside of the freezer for a minute or two in order to easily remove from mold.) You can leave pops in molds in freezer for a few days.
- For longer storage, remove from molds and place in individual freezer bags, or in an airtight plastic container with layers of wax paper or plastic wrap in between. Will last 3 to 4 weeks stored this way.
- Yields 6 cups of orange pomegranate iced tea, or ~12 iced tea popsicles.
4 Comments on “Orange Pomegranate Iced Tea | Homemade Iced Tea Recipe”
What type of black tea did you use?
Hi Melissa, we originally made this orange pomegranate iced tea with an orange spiced black tea – but our favorite black tea is Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Sunset black tea with orange & sweet cloves 🙂 We’ll use the Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea next time we make this iced tea recipe!
I don’t usually comment but I gotta say thankyou for this great recipe : D.
So glad that you enjoyed this orange pomegranate iced tea recipe, Bart! Thanks for giving it a try 🙂