A cool drink to warm the soul.
Happy happy Friday, all! I am POOPED from training and work and life and craving a glass of this lovely, cozy iced tea to celebrate National Sweet Tea Day.
This Iced Apple Cinnamon Sweet Tea lingers on the lips of summer while dancing on the tongue of autumn. Spiced apple syrup mixed with black tea, served chilled with lots of apple slices and a playful little cinnystick. Appropriate as our days see copious heat advisories, but our hearts crave pumpkins and falling leaves. Not that the latter occurs in Florida.
I’ve loved carrying a jar of this tea to work for my lunch breaks or to sip for a light afternoon boost. Like many, I succumb to the 2-3pm crash, somewhat due to weakening meds and otherwise because of my natural circadian rhythm.
I tell you what, a taste of sweet maple and apple also does wonders for my mood, too. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, sans breaking into a hot sweat in our 95 degree afternoons.
No Sin in a Cinnystick
This maple-apple syrup might become my new mixer fixation, kinda like my chai syrup was last year. It is SO delightful and versatile.
To make, combine maple syrup with an equal amount of water, a chopped honeycrisp apple, a cinnamon stick, and some ground allspice and ginger in a small saucepan. Simmer gently, stirring and mushing the apples occasionally, for 12-15 minutes. Ones the apples are very soft and the house fragrant with spice, strain the syrup through a sieve and into a jar or bottle and discard the solids.
Tip: Smoosh the apples as you strain them to get as much of that luscious liquid elixir out as possible! Waste not, want not.
Tip #2: If honeycrisp apples are too expensive or hard to find, gala or fuji are my next favorites!
While you let the syrup hiss away on the stove, prep the tea. Don’t spill it. All of my iced tea recipes contain a strong-brewed batch of tea: I use 4 bags and a relatively small amount of water to concentrate the liquid with the tea flavor.
Boil 2 cups of water and drop in your bags; let them sit for 5 minutes, then discard the bags.
Now, grab your pitcher and toss in all that syrup and the tea, along with 6 or so cups of cold, filtered water. If serving the tea the same day, drop in a sliced apple or two and a couple cinnamon sticks for a pretty garnish.
You can serve the tea right away, over lots of ice, if you’re pressed for time or impatient. But trust me, chilling the tea for 2 hours or so allows the flavors to cohabitate and deepen. The wait is worth your while.
Tip: If prepping a few days ahead (I recommend no more than 3 days), leave out the sliced apples and cinnamon stick so the former don’t brown and the latter doesn’t release too much of its spice and disrupt the profile of the drink. Same goes if you’re storing leftovers: remove any remaining slices and cinnies before covering and popping in the fridge.
Pour your tea into pretty highball or pint glasses, and be sure to add some extra apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and maybe an anise pod or two for a little glimmer!
Pairing suggestions: Prep a batch of my Whipped Goat Cheese with Herb Marinated Olives and lay out a plate of Chai Latte Oatmeal Cookies for dessert!
Enjoy, and happy weekend, folks!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Tea time!:
Pineapple Mango Iced Green Tea
Fresh Strawberry Green Tea Lemonade
iced apple cinnamon sweet tea
Ingredients
- 4 bags black tea
- 8-10 cups water, divided
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 2-3 honeycrisp apples, divided
- 3-4 cinnamon sticks, divided
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of the water on the stovetop or in a kettle. Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Discard the bags and let the tea cool.
- Deseed and chop one of the honeycrisp apples. In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, 3/4 cup of water, the chopped apple, 1 cinnamon stick, the allspice, and the ginger. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring and mashing the apple as it softens. Strain the solids through a fine mesh sieve, squeezing the liquid from the apples as best you can. Discard the solids
- Add the brewed tea and the apple syrup to a large pitcher along with an additional 6-8 cups of cold, filtered water. Toss in 1-2 more sliced apples and 1-2 more cinnamon sticks. Cover and chill at least 2 hours (highly recommended) or serve immediately over lots of ice.
