I used to work at Starbucks, and I was a sucker for their Iced Passion Tea Lemonade, which inspired this copycat Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade recipe. It was so refreshing on a hot summer day! I can’t tell you how many times I walked out of that store smelling like coffee and covered in milk froth but was happy as a lark because I had a free drink in my hand!
When I moved on from the company, I lost my free drinks and 30% discount. 🙁 I would still love to have a passion tea lemonade every day, but there is no way I can dish out $4, no matter how pretty it is! So I learned how to make my own copycat version at home… and I even added frozen blackberries to make it taste like one of those Hibiscus Refreshers. Let me show you how to make it and save a bunch of cash!
How to Make Copycat Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade at Home
This recipe for copycat Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade is simple, refreshing, and budget-friendly. With just a few ingredients, you can recreate this delicious drink in your own kitchen and enjoy it anytime!
Step 1: Start With the Tea
Start with your tea kettle, 4 cups of water, and 4 packets of Tazo Passion Tea bags. You can use another type of passion tea, but Starbucks uses the Tazo brand.
Set the 4 cups of water to boil on your stove. Once the teapot whistles, drop in the tea bags and let them steep for 5-10 minutes.
Do yourself a favor and drape the tea bags out of the top so that you don’t have to fish around for them in boiling red water, lol! 🙂
Step 2: Prep the Lemonade
While the tea is steeping, take a can of frozen lemonade concentrate and put it in a pitcher. Add 3 cups of cold water to the lemonade and mix it all around until the concentrate dissolves. Then add 1/4 cup of simple syrup to the lemonade.
If you don’t like your copycat Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade sweetened, just leave this part out. It tastes great with just the tea and lemonade, too!
Step 3: Combine and Mix
Now pour the steeped passion tea into the lemonade mixture and stir gently but thoroughly to combine. This step is what brings the flavors together to create that iconic copycat Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade taste you love. Make sure everything is evenly mixed for the perfect balance of tart and sweet!
Serve and Enjoy!
If you are going to serve the copycat Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade right away, fill the rest of the pitcher with ice cubes. I also like to throw in 4 ounces of frozen blackberries to not only cool it down but also to make it taste like one of Starbucks’ Hibiscus Refreshers. It’s so much cheaper than buying the drink at the store or even buying the refresher packets at the market!
If you aren’t going to serve it right away, keep it chilled in the fridge and add the ice and blackberries when you’re ready.
And right now, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Hey, I bet I can do this with any kind of tea!” Yes! You’re right! I make Copycat Starbucks Black Tea Lemonade regularly and also try it with orange and peach.
Step 4: Customize Your Drink
I mean, seriously, don’t you want to slurp this copycat Starbucks Iced Passion Tea Lemonade up right now?! It is absolutely delicious, refreshing, and not overly sweet. It’s a great beverage to serve at a bridal or baby shower, a brunch, or an evening BBQ on the porch. And if you served them with my Nana Hancock’s lemon bars, you would be the talk of the town!
This recipe makes about 6 glasses and costs about $8 (that includes the blackberries and simple syrup). That is $1.30 a glass! Way cheaper than the $4 Starbucks gets!
My kids especially love this drink! Since passion tea is naturally decaffeinated, I don’t feel bad about letting them have a glass. But if you’re like me and HAVE to have caffeine to function properly, you may like to try Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Iced Coffee. It’s another great cash-saving summer beverage that will keep both you and your bank account smiling!
If you like Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade or Starbucks Vanilla Iced Coffee, I can show you how to make these copycat recipes at home too! What is your favorite Starbucks drink? Have you learned to make it at home yet? Drop me a line, visit me on Facebook, or check out my Pinterest and let me know. Happy Cooking, y’all!
