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Looking for the perfect summer drink? This homemade Southern peach sweet tea is sweet, refreshing, and bursting with juicy peach flavor. Serve it at summer holidays, family picnics, BBQs, cookouts, and backyard gatherings for an easy crowd favorite that fits beautifully with simple homemade living and from scratch living.

Southern Peach Sweet Tea Recipe Card

Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword barbecue, brunch, iced tea, peach, picnic
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Sweet Tea

  • 6 cups water divided
  • 4 –6 black tea bags
  • ¾ to 1 cup sugar adjust to taste

For the Peach Syrup

  • 3 ripe peaches sliced (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup sugar

Optional for Serving

  • Peach slices
  • Lemon slices
  • Fresh mint
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, combine sliced peaches, 1 cup water, and ½ cup sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, lightly mashing the peaches as they soften. Strain and let cool.
  2. Bring 5 cups water to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep for 5–7 minutes, depending on desired strength. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar while warm until dissolved.
  3. Pour tea into a large pitcher and stir in the peach syrup and remaining 1 cup cold water. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
  4. Refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice and garnish with peach slices, lemon slices, or fresh mint if desired.

Recipe Notes

Use ripe peaches for the sweetest flavor.
Frozen peaches work well when fresh peaches are out of season.
Add sparkling water before serving for a fizzy twist.
Store refrigerated for up to 3 days.