Iced Passion Tea Lemonade – A Starbucks copycat recipe that you can SIMPLY and CHEAPLY make at home! No more $4 iced teas!
A few weeks ago, I talked about my breakfast vice and I how I remedy it. Today, I’m revealing to you that, like so many other Americans, I have a Starbucks addiction.
And – lucky for me? – in the past month this addiction has been compounded by the fact that until last night, we still didn’t have cable or internet (actually, still no internet until Friday) at the new house. This of course, wasn’t due to lack of trying, but because the frickin’ cable company can’t get their act together and get us hooked up to the cable on the street.
It seems that two and a half months of my pleading with them isn’t enough to get them to do their job.
But I disgress. My point is, I’ve been spending an ungodly amount of time in my local Starbucks and Panera in order to get connected so that I can pay bills, look for a new job, shop online, hit up Pinterest, and blog. You know, the important things.
And I’m not really complaining about not having TV for a month (we’ve had an awesomely quiet house as a result) but in all this time spent at Starbucks, I’ve really taken to the iced passion tea lemonade they offer, a drink I discovered last summer. Can you even believe I wavered away from my iced vanilla lattes??
It also turns out that it has been such completely appropriate drink during the recent 70 degree weather we’ve had here in March. MARCH!
But as you’re all well aware, Starbucks isn’t cheap so I decided to make this favorite of mine at home, both to save money and to reduce the amount of time I spend sitting at those tiny wooden tables on too-hard chairs wasting time I could be spending at the gym.
And when I tell you how easy it is to make this iced passion tea lemonade home, I’m not even kidding!
Brewed Tazo passion tea (as recommended by “my” barista), lemonade, and homemade vanilla syrup are all you need – SO simple!
After the tea and syrup are chilled, you’ll shake everything together with some ice and be able to sit back and enjoy an exact copy of this awesome summery drink.
It’s a little tangy and a little sweet, and TOTALLY refreshing!
I like mine lightly sweetened with a little extra lemonade (for your reference, when I order a grande at Starbucks, I ask for just two pumps of syrup) but really, make it completely your own. Add more or less syrup or lemonade or leave the lemonade out all together if you just want the sweetened tea. It’s up to you!
I made a big batch of tea (see recipe below) so that I’ve got it in the fridge at the ready for when a craving for this tea hits.
And by the end of the week, we’re scheduled to be reconnected to the rest of the world so at the very least, I’ll be able to sit on porch in the mornings with a big glass of this iced passion tea lemonade and connect with all of you!
Iced Passion Tea Lemonade
Iced passion tea lemonade is a light and refreshing tea drink that is an exact copycat of what you will find at Starbucks. However, you won't be paying $4+ for THIS drink when you make it at home!
Ingredients
For the vanilla simple syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the passion tea lemonade:
- 8 oz brewed Tazo (or other brand) passion tea, chilled
- 2 oz lemonade (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 ½ tbsp vanilla simple syrup
Instructions
- vf To make the vanilla simple syrup: In a small saucepan, bring the water and the sugar to a low boil over medium-high, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let the simple syrup cool. Transfer to a mason jar or other airtight container and store in the refrigerator. (See note below.)
- To make the passion tea lemonade: Combine tea, lemonade, and 1 ½ tablespoons simple syrup in a mason jar with a lid or another sealable container.
- Shake the mixture to combine (or stir vigorously in a glass) and pour over ice. Serve cold.
Notes
The vanilla simple syrup recipe below makes considerably more syrup than you’ll need for one glass of this tea lemonade but it keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks. Make the whole (or half) amount and keep it for more tea lemonade or to add to coffee. And since you'll have more than enough simple syrup for just 1 serving of this iced passion tea lemonade, you may as well make a big batch of ice tea also. I steep 7 tea bags in 2 quarts of boiled water for about 10 minutes and then chill the tea in a pitcher so it's ready to mix with the vanilla syrup and lemonade. SO EASY!
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This is so full of goodness!! Yum!
mmm, iced passion tea is one of my favorite starbucks treats too!
That sounds so good! And Tazo’s Passion happens to be one of the only teas that I like 🙂 I’m going to have to go get some lemonade and make some. I’ve never had the Starbucks version.
Love this stuff, can’t wait to try it at home. I loved flavored iced teas, can’t believe I haven’t tried Passion fruit yet. Thanks for posting this one, Tara!
This is one of my favorite things at Starbucks! You have no idea how excited I am that you made this! I seriously cannot wait to try it on my own, thanks for sharing!
Walmart has bigger tea bags of the Tazo passion tea now. It’s made for iced tea and you only need to brew one tea bag for 2 quarts of tea. I’m thinking I might have to try that!
Sam: I’ve heard that it comes in larger bags for iced tea – I’ll have to look around!
yumm can’t wait to try this! My hubby is from Bermuda but he lovvess drinking from those mason jars! He has officially been southernized 🙂
My brother & I were trying to replicate this yesterday! I’m excited to try yours =)
I made it (& blogged it) & am drinking some now – thanks for sharing!!
Ohhhhh…this is one of my favourite drinks at Starbucks! Thanks for sharing your recipe, I’ll definitely be making this one for sure!
You can actually leave out the syrup and it will taste just the same 🙂
I am a former barista at starbucks and this recipe is right on the money I would like to let you know they now sell the big passion tea bags so you can make alot of tea at one time instead of lots of little bags (the big ones are the same as what we used at work just in nicer packaging
I get the passion iced tea for the house then brew some up and add some crystal light lemonade flavored packets and sweet n’ low. Taste just like Starbucks version
My simple syrup turned to rock….help
You probably boiled it too hard. It just needs to be at a low simmer for the time instructed (10-15 minutes).
Just tried making a splenda version of this and it turned out quite well! I used just about a cup of splenda, a cup of water, and just under a teaspoon of vanilla… shook it up in a jar and I keep it in the fridge. I cold brew my tea by throwing a couple of teabags and some filtered cold or room temperature water in a jar and letting it sit in the fridge overnight. Then, when I’m ready to have a glass I put a couple of teaspoons of the splenda-syrup in a glass, pour the tea over and stir. Delicious!
Well, based on the ratios in the posted recipe, it’s easier to give you amounts that would yield a little more than a gallon – hope that’s ok!
Steep 14 tea bags in 4 quarts of boiling water then chill the tea until cold. Mix the cold tea with 1 quart of lemonade.
You should have plenty of vanilla simple syrup for this much tea with the recipe posted above but I’ve been making it this summer without the syrup and I don’t miss the syrup at all. Hope it turns out well for you!!
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