blueberry iced tea ft. an old fashioned girl

Hey, friends!

A couple of weeks ago, Belle from An Old Fashioned Girl reached out and asked if I’d up to do a blog collab. I immediately said yes and we decided it’d be a fun idea to share our favorite tea recipes. You can go read my chai latte recipe on her blog right here, and Bella shared her favorite blueberry iced tea on my blog.

Summer is rapidly approaching, the sun is out longer and flowers are finally in bloom. For many, summer means the end of school and fun vacations. For me, it means finding ways to have my non-negotiable tea cold.  I love tea and drink it every day, this recipe is a fun variation on your typical iced tea. It’s a blueberry iced tea, made with English Breakfast tea, it’s super easy to make and so delicious (I can’t wait to make it when blueberries are in season.)

what you’ll need

English Breakfast Tea – English Breakfast is a simple black tea blend made with different varieties of black tea. It tends to have a smooth and round flavor that is really comforting. It’s totally okay to use a very cheap version for this drink since we’re adding lots of sweetness. Black teas do have quite a bit of caffeine in them, so keep that in mind if you’re sensitive (this recipe would easily work with decaf tea though!)

If you don’t have English Breakfast, you can substitute any other black tea (or even a green tea!) earl grey would work nicely here, as would your most generic black tea.

Blueberry Simple Syrup – simple syrup is super easy to make! This recipe makes enough for two cups of tea. Simple syrup is made with equal parts water and sugar. To make this blueberry flavored, I add in an equal part of blueberries. You could use a different kind of berry if you like that better. Not a fan of tea? You can add this syrup to anything from coffee, to pancakes.

Lemon – This is optional, but I love how lemon adds a bit of brightness to the drink.

An aesthetic cup – this is totally optional, but I always love putting my homemade drinks in cute glasses or mugs.

A Summery Book – sorry but if you’re going to drink this on a warm summer afternoon, a book is not optional.

Alrighty, time to get into the recipe! The recipe makes one serving, but there is enough simple syrup for two drinks.

ingredients

• 1 English Breakfast Tea Bag
• 1 and ½ cups boiling water
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• ¼ of a lemon (or just to taste)
• Ice 
• Blueberries for garnish (optional)

how to make

• Step 1: Start by adding the tea bag to a cup of hot water. Let steep for 5-7 minutes. Remove tea bag and let the tea chill.
• Step 2: In a microwave safe bowl, mix together sugar and water. Then microwave for 30 second intervals until the sugar is dissolved.
• Step 3: Mash the blueberries with a fork until quite mushy, add them to the simple syrup and mix well. Microwave again for 30 seconds to one minute. The syrup should be very dark purple in color. Let cool.
• Step 4: Once the tea and simple syrup has cooled it’s time to assemble the drink. Pour half of the simple syrup into the cup, add in additional whole blueberries if desired, and squeeze in lemon. Add ice to the cup, then poor the cooled tea over. Mix, and serve.

now, it’s your turn!

Comment below if you’ve tried blueberry tea before, or tell me what your favorite kind of tea is! And don’t forget to go read my chai latte recipe on Belle’s blog.