Iced Tea Recipe: Easy and Healthy

Cool of this summer with this quenching, skin nourishing iced tea recipe from @ellefrizzell. We love Elle's use of anti-ageing summer fruits and herbs to make iced tea a delicious summer tea recipe. Whip up a batch and keep in your fridge for up to a week and enjoy the prettiest way to stay chill in the heat. 

Rich in ginger, this delicious ice tea recipe contains over 40 antioxidant properties that prevent free radical damage and protect against aging. It also evens skin tone and improves elasticity.

Raspberries also offer incredible anti-ageing benefits and contain ellagic acid which helps to protect collagen and elastin fibres, keeping skin looking young for longer.

Blueberries are packed with age-defying antioxidants which help keep free radicals at bay and also protect against premature ageing. Eating 1 cup (148 grams) of blueberries per day can help improve your body’s ability to send nutrients and oxygen to your skin and other cells, allowing for quicker and more efficient cell turnover, and ultimately, healthier skin.

Last but not least, a healthy serve of Vegan Collagen provides a combination of plant-based superfoods that help to both build collagen as well as helping to protect and preserve collagen and elastin fibres for firmer, more supple skin. Superfruits, high in polyphenols, also help to smooth fine lines and wrinkles by helping to protect skin cells from free radical damage and photo ageing.

What is Iced Tea?

Ice tea is essentially a cold, flavoured drink usually made from an iced tea mix. But you can also make tea bag iced tea and spruce it up with some frozen fruits to help cool you down while providing a generous helping of antioxidants to protect and nourish your skin. If you want a smoother consistency, you can have blended iced tea’s that you can throw into a reusable container and drink straight through a straw!

Homemade Iced Tea

The great thing about a homemade iced tea recipe is that will usually have much less sugar, sweeteners and additives compared to instant ice tea. There are so many ice tea flavours you can experiment with simply by changing out the iced tea ingredients, making it perfect to suit your day and your needs.

For example, if its too hot to start your day with a traditional hot brewed tea, you can easily swap it with ice tea recipes using black tea bags to make black tea iced, if you wanted caffeine in iced tea. If you wanted a healthier alternative, you could use a green tea bag and have green tea with ice to make a green iced tea. While this may seem like you’re only drinking cold green tea, you can spice it up with a bunch of different herbs and even spices to make your tea recipe perfect for you.  

If you’re not one to need caffeine in the morning, you could start your day with a homemade lemon iced tea instead. You can either freshly squeeze lemon and add in herbs of your choice to make a fresh lemon iced tea. Or, if you’re in a rush in the morning, you can get pre-made lemon tea bags to throw into your cold water with ice and enjoy a homemade lemon iced tea this way.

Is Iced Tea Good for You?

One of the greatest iced tea benefits is how versatile it is, especially if you make ice tea at home.  While cold tea might not be entirely appealing, you can add different fruits, veggies and herbs to make an exotic flavour that you could enjoy as a super healthy mocktail if you throw all the ingredients into a large pitcher and make your own ice tea jug – perfect for a summer garden party. If you’re looking for some delicious, super healthy summer tea idea, check out the super fruity, refreshing and naturally sweet iced tea recipe below. Not only will making iced tea make a perfectly pretty décor piece, it is a quick and easy tea recipe, with skin nourishing tea ingredients to help your skin!

Check out the best recipe for iced tea below.

How to make iced tea

Ingredients

• 3 ginger tea bags| contains over 40 anti-ageing antioxidants
• 1 litre boiled water | essential for cell function
• 1 heaped teaspoon Vegan Collagen | build and protect collagen, anti-ageing antioxidants
• Small handful raspberries (fresh or frozen) + a few extra for serving | protect collagen and elastin from being destroyed
• Small handful blueberries (fresh or frozen) | helps fight premature ageing
• Few sprigs rosemary/mint/basil | anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing
• Herb and berry infused ice cubes + extra ice for crushing
• 1-2 teaspoons of liquid sweetener if desired

Method

1. Make the herb and berry infused ice by placing a raspberry, a couple of blueberries, or a sprig of rosemary / mint / basil into an ice tray. Fill the ice tray with water and freeze for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
2. Add the ginger green teabags to a jug and pour in the boiled water. Brew for 15 minutes.
3. Allow the tea to cool before adding vegan collagen powder, berries and herbs. Add sweetener if desired.
4. Give it a little stir before transferring to the fridge and allowing to infuse for at least an hour.
5. To serve crush a few raspberries in a bowl with the back of fork and add to the bottom of the glasses with some crushed ice.
6. Pour the iced tea into the glasses and add the herb and berry infused iced cubes.
7. Garnish with orange peel or an orange / lemon wedge and enjoy.