This homemade green tea lemonade recipe is light, tangy, and super refreshing. It's the ultimate drink to cool off on a hot summer day. If you love the Starbucks version, this iced green tea lemonade is easy to make with green tea, fresh lemon juice, and just enough sweetness.
Next, try my hibiscus lemonade, iced pineapple tea, or this homemade blueberry lemonade.
A Quick Look: Homemade Green Tea Lemonade Recipe
- 📝 Recipe Name: Homemade Green Tea Lemonade Recipe
- 🕒 Total Time: 10 minutes, plus chilling time
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Green tea, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, cold water
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, naturally sweetened
- ✨ Best For: Summer drinks, afternoon energy, BBQs, picnics, and make-ahead drinks
- 💕 Why You'll Love It: This homemade green tea lemonade is light, tangy, refreshing, and gives you a gentle caffeine boost without being overly sweet.
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This green tea lemonade is a simple summer drink I love keeping in the fridge, much like aguas frescas, elderberry hibiscus tea, and pineapple hibiscus tea. It’s bright, refreshing, lightly energizing, and made with brewed green tea and fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
I like that it feels like a treat but still fits into the everyday. A little caffeine boost from the green tea, tart brightness from the lemonade, and just enough sweetness without it being too much.
What kind of green tea should I use?
You can use just about any brewed green tea you prefer. For the cleanest flavor, go with regular green tea without added flavors. You can use green tea blends like Tazo Zen Green Tea, Yogi Green Tea, and The Republic of Tea Ginger Peach Green Tea.
Why This Recipe Works
- Green tea concentrate: Brewing the green tea a little stronger helps the flavor hold up once it’s mixed with lemon juice, cold water, and ice.
- Fresh lemon juice: Fresh lemons give this lemonade a bright, clean tartness that bottled lemon juice can’t match.
- Natural sweetener: Maple syrup, agave, or honey (if not vegan) balances the lemon without making the drink overly sweet.
- Easy to customize: Add fresh mint, raspberries, peach slices, strawberries, or sparkling water to make it your own.
This green tea lemonade is a refreshing make-ahead drink for summer gatherings. Add it to your Memorial Day recipes, 4th of July recipes, or Labor Day recipes when you want something light, easy, and a little more than plain lemonade.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy green tea lemonade recipe:
- Green tea: Use green tea bags or loose-leaf green tea. You can also use peach green tea or tropical green tea.
- Fresh lemon juice: You’ll need about 4–6 lemons, depending on size and juiciness.
- Maple syrup: You can also use agave, simple syrup, or honey if you’re not vegan.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Looking for creamy delicious drinks? Try this green matcha latte , iced horchata, this banana milk recipe, and Korean strawberry milk.
How to Make Iced Green Tea Lemonade
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Brew green tea by steeping green tea bags (or loose-leaf) in hot water for a few minutes. In a large pitcher, combine tea, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cold water.
- Step 2: Taste and adjust with more sweetener or lemon juice, depending on how tart or sweet you like it.
Tested Tips
- Steeping green tea for too long or in boiling water can make it bitter. Pull it off the heat just before boiling and steep it only 2–4 minutes to keep it light, smooth, and slightly sweet.
- If you prefer a stronger tea flavor, use 3 green tea bags instead of 2.
- Use room-temperature lemons: Lemons usually give more juice when they’re at room temperature. Roll them on the counter before cutting to help release more juice.
- Serve over fresh ice: Add ice to individual glasses instead of the pitcher so the lemonade doesn’t get watered down.
Variations & Add-Ins
- Frozen berries: Add frozen raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries instead of ice cubes to chill the lemonade without watering it down.
- Fruit variations: Add sliced strawberries, peaches, mango, or lemon rounds for a fruity green tea lemonade.
- Make it sparkling: Replace part of the cold water with plain sparkling water right before serving.
Next, try this naturally sweet watermelon juice recipe. For more ideas, check out these easy drink recipes.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store green tea lemonade in a sealed pitcher or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving, as the ingredients may settle.
- Don't store with ice: Add ice to glasses right before serving so the lemonade doesn’t get watered down.
Serving ideas
- Serve green tea lemonade as a naturally energizing afternoon drink.
- Pair with picnic foods like garlic lovers pasta salad, cowboy caviar salad, or a smashed chickpea sandwich.
- Serve at BBQs with sides like grilled potatoes in foil, southwest pasta salad, or mango avocado dip.
Iced Green Tea Lemonade FAQs
Use hot water, not boiling water, and don’t steep the green tea too long. Green tea can turn bitter if the water is too hot or the tea bags sit for too many minutes. Steep for 2–4 minutes, then remove the tea bags and let the tea cool.
Fresh lemon juice tastes best because it’s brighter and cleaner. Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, but the flavor will be more muted and less fresh.
Yes, green tea lemonade has caffeine because it’s made with brewed green tea. The exact amount depends on the tea brand and how strong you brew it, but green tea usually has less caffeine than coffee.
This homemade green tea lemonade is inspired by the Starbucks version, but it’s made at home with brewed green tea, fresh lemon juice, cold water, and just enough sweetener. You can adjust the tea strength, tartness, and sweetness to your taste.
More Refreshing Drinks
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Iced Green Tea Lemonade Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 green tea bags, or 2 teaspoons loose-leaf green tea
- 2 ¼ cups hot water
- ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice, adjust to your preference
- ½ cup maple syrup, OR agave/honey (if not vegan), adjust to your preference
- 3 cups cold filtered water
Instructions
- Bring 2 ¼ cups of water just to a boil, then remove from heat and let it sit for about 1 minute. Add the green tea bags and steep for 2–4 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool slightly.
- Stir the brewed green tea, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cold water together in a pitcher.
- Taste and adjust with more lemon juice or sweetener if needed.
- Chill until cold or serve right away over plenty of ice.
Video
Notes
- Add a tablespoon or two more of lemon juice for a bit more tartness.
- If you prefer a stronger tea flavor, use 3 green tea bags instead of 2.
- Steeping green tea too long or in boiling water can make it bitter. Use hot water, not boiling water, and steep for 2–4 minutes.
- Optional add-ins: fresh mint, raspberries, strawberries, peach slices, lemon rounds, or sparkling water.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
Iced green tea lemonade is one of those drinks I keep coming back to. Light, tangy, and chilled—so good on a hot day. Such an easy pick-me-up!