Sun tea is one of the simplest pleasures of summer.

You fill a large glass jar with water and tea bags, set it in a sunny spot for a few hours, and come back to a pitcher of cool, lightly brewed tea that tastes like the season itself. No stove, no boiling, no waiting for anything to cool down.

The method works because sunlight gently warms the water just enough to draw flavor from the tea leaves without the bitterness that can come from over-steeping in hot water. The result is a smoother, more mellow brew that pairs beautifully with fresh fruit, herbs, citrus, and honey.

Sun tea has been a backyard tradition in the United States for generations, and it remains one of the most searched warm-weather drinks every summer. It is also one of the most flexible. You can make it with black tea, green tea, herbal blends, hibiscus, or a combination of whatever sounds good to you.

These 10 sun tea recipes cover everything from the classic sweet southern style to fruit-forward blends, floral combinations, and caffeine-free options that work for the whole family.

Important food safety note: Sun tea is brewed at a lower temperature than traditionally boiled tea, which means it does not reach temperatures high enough to eliminate all bacteria. The CDC and food-safety authorities recommend being aware of this risk, particularly for pregnant individuals, older adults, young children, and anyone immunocompromised. Signs of bacterial growth include thick, syrupy, or ropy-looking tea. If your sun tea looks or smells off, discard it. Always use a clean jar, refrigerate the finished tea promptly, and consume it within one to two days. (foodsafety.gov)

What You Need to Make Sun Tea

Before starting any of the recipes below, gather a few basic supplies:

• A large glass jar or pitcher with a lid (one gallon is the most common size)
• Filtered or clean tap water at room temperature
• Tea bags, loose leaf tea in a strainer, or fresh herbs
• A clean sunny spot outdoors or a sunny windowsill
• A fine mesh strainer for recipes with loose herbs or fruit
• Refrigerator space for cooling and storing

Helpful supplies: Check glass sun tea jars and pitchers on Amazon

A glass jar is strongly preferred over plastic because glass does not leach chemicals when warmed by sunlight and is easier to fully clean between batches.

How Long Does Sun Tea Take?

Most sun tea is ready in two to four hours of direct sunlight.

The exact time depends on how strong you like the brew, the type of tea you use, the outdoor temperature, and how much direct sun the jar receives. Black tea generally brews faster than herbal or green tea. Checking the tea every hour after the first two hours helps you catch it at the right strength before it goes too long.

Do not leave sun tea sitting outside for more than four hours, and do not leave it overnight. Bring it in, remove the tea bags or strain the herbs, and refrigerate it promptly.

1. Classic Black Sweet Tea

The original and still one of the most popular versions, this is the recipe most people think of when they hear “sun tea.”

Makes: 1 gallon

What you need:

• 1 gallon of filtered water
• 6 to 8 black tea bags (Luzianne, Lipton, or your preferred brand)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar, or more to taste
• Optional: a few fresh mint sprigs

How to make it:

1. Fill a clean one-gallon glass jar with room-temperature filtered water.
2. Add the tea bags, letting the strings hang over the rim if possible, and secure the lid.
3. Place the jar in a sunny spot for two to four hours.
4. Remove the tea bags without squeezing them (squeezing can add bitterness).
5. Stir in the sugar while the tea is still slightly warm so it dissolves easily.
6. Add mint sprigs if using.
7. Refrigerate until cold before serving over ice.

The tea should be a warm amber color. If it looks too pale, return it to the sun for another thirty to sixty minutes. If it tastes bitter, reduce the steeping time or use fewer bags next time.

Serve over ice with a lemon wedge and a fresh mint sprig.

2. Honey Lemon Green Sun Tea

Green tea has a lighter, more delicate flavor than black tea and pairs beautifully with lemon and a spoonful of honey. This version is slightly lower in caffeine and has a clean, refreshing taste.

Makes: ½ gallon

What you need:

• 8 cups filtered water
• 4 green tea bags
• 3 tablespoons honey, or to taste
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• A few fresh mint leaves

How to make it:

1. Fill a clean half-gallon jar with room-temperature water.
2. Add the green tea bags and lemon slices.
3. Place in a sunny spot for one and a half to two and a half hours. Green tea can become bitter if brewed too long, so check it at ninety minutes.
4. Remove the tea bags without squeezing.
5. Stir in honey while the tea is still slightly warm.
6. Remove the lemon slices or leave them in for stronger citrus flavor.
7. Add mint leaves and refrigerate until chilled.

Serve over ice with an extra lemon slice and a drizzle of honey on top.

Green tea brewed in the sun tends to be more forgiving than hot-brewed green tea, but it can still turn slightly bitter if left too long. Start checking it early.

3. Hibiscus Sun Tea

Hibiscus tea brewed in sunlight turns a deep ruby red color that looks stunning in a clear glass pitcher. The flavor is tart and floral, similar to a light cranberry drink, and it is completely caffeine-free.

Makes: 1 gallon

What you need:

• 1 gallon filtered water
• ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers, or 6 to 8 hibiscus tea bags
• ¼ to ½ cup sugar or honey, to taste
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• Optional: a cinnamon stick

How to make it:

1. Fill a clean one-gallon glass jar with filtered water.
2. Add the dried hibiscus flowers using a mesh strainer bag, or add the tea bags directly.
3. Add the orange slices and cinnamon stick if using.
4. Place in direct sun for two to four hours.
5. Strain the hibiscus and remove the orange slices.
6. Stir in sweetener while still slightly warm.
7. Refrigerate until cold.

This tea is naturally tart. Taste it before adding sweetener and adjust from there. It is delicious served over crushed ice with a few pomegranate seeds dropped in.

Hibiscus can stain surfaces and light-colored fabric, so pour and rinse carefully.

For dried hibiscus flowers: Find dried hibiscus on Amazon

4. Peach Ginger Sun Tea

This combination is warm, fruity, and slightly spicy. Peach and ginger balance each other well, and the finished tea tastes complex without requiring much effort.

Makes: ½ gallon

What you need:

• 8 cups filtered water
• 4 black tea bags or 4 peach-flavored tea bags
• 1 medium ripe peach, pitted and sliced
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey or sugar

How to make it:

1. Fill a half-gallon jar with filtered water.
2. Add the tea bags, peach slices, and ginger.
3. Place in direct sun for two to four hours.
4. Remove the tea bags without squeezing.
5. Strain out the peach slices and ginger, or leave the peach slices in for garnish.
6. Stir in the sweetener while still slightly warm.
7. Refrigerate until completely cold.

Serve over ice with a fresh peach slice on the rim of the glass. The ginger gives a gentle warmth in the back of the throat that makes this tea feel especially refreshing after time outdoors.

Use ripe, fragrant peaches for the best flavor. Under-ripe peaches will not release much flavor into the water.

5. Mint and Cucumber Sun Tea

This is a spa-water-style sun tea that feels light, clean, and cooling. It is made with either green tea or a plain white tea base and is lightly sweetened or left unsweetened entirely.

Makes: ½ gallon

What you need:

• 8 cups filtered water
• 3 white tea bags or 3 green tea bags
• ½ English cucumber, thinly sliced
• A generous handful of fresh mint leaves
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey (optional)

How to make it:

1. Add the tea bags, cucumber slices, and mint leaves to a clean jar filled with filtered water.
2. Place in a sunny spot for one and a half to two hours. White and green teas need less time than black tea.
3. Remove the tea bags without squeezing.
4. Strain or leave the cucumber and mint in the jar.
5. Stir in honey if using.
6. Refrigerate until very cold.

This tea is especially good served in tall glasses over plenty of ice with a cucumber ribbon along the inside of the glass. It requires no sweetener if the cucumber and mint are fresh.

6. Lemon Verbena and Chamomile Sun Tea

This is a caffeine-free herbal blend that tastes bright, floral, and lightly lemony. It is gentle enough for children and makes a relaxing evening drink for adults.

Makes: ½ gallon

What you need:

• 8 cups filtered water
• 4 chamomile tea bags, or 4 tablespoons dried chamomile flowers in a strainer
• A small handful of fresh lemon verbena leaves, or 2 lemon verbena tea bags
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
• Lemon slices for serving

How to make it:

1. Add the chamomile and lemon verbena to a clean jar of filtered water.
2. Set in a sunny spot for two to three hours.
3. Strain and remove the herbs and tea bags.
4. Stir in honey if using.
5. Refrigerate until cool, or serve over ice with lemon slices immediately.

This tea has a soft golden color and a calming, herby flavor that is completely different from standard sweet tea. It is also naturally sweet-smelling, which makes it a pleasant drink to serve to guests.

Lemon verbena is available fresh from herb gardens and some farmers markets, or dried from herbal tea suppliers.

7. Raspberry Mint Sun Tea

Fresh or frozen raspberries steeped alongside black tea bags give this sun tea a natural pink color and a fruity depth. A few mint leaves brighten the whole thing.

Makes: 1 gallon

What you need:

• 1 gallon filtered water
• 6 black tea bags
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• A handful of fresh mint leaves
• ¼ to ½ cup sugar or honey, to taste

How to make it:

1. Add the tea bags, raspberries, and mint to a clean one-gallon jar of filtered water.
2. Place in direct sun for two to four hours.
3. Remove the tea bags without squeezing.
4. Strain the raspberries and mint through a fine mesh sieve or leave small pieces in the jar.
5. Stir in the sweetener while the tea is still slightly warm.
6. Refrigerate until fully cold.

The raspberries will fade and soften during steeping but will leave behind a beautiful pinkish-red tint and a bright berry note. Serve over ice and add a few fresh raspberries to each glass.

Frozen raspberries work well here because they are often more flavorful than out-of-season fresh berries.

8. Watermelon Basil Sun Tea

This is one of the most summery combinations possible. Watermelon adds sweetness and a very light melon flavor, while fresh basil gives the tea an unexpected herbal note that makes it feel more sophisticated.

Makes: ½ gallon

What you need:

• 8 cups filtered water
• 3 to 4 black tea bags or white tea bags
• 1½ cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 4 to 5 large fresh basil leaves
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey (optional, since watermelon adds natural sweetness)

How to make it:

1. Add the tea bags, watermelon cubes, and basil to a clean jar of filtered water.
2. Place in direct sunlight for two to three hours.
3. Remove the tea bags.
4. Strain the watermelon and basil, pressing the watermelon gently to release more juice.
5. Taste before adding sweetener. The watermelon usually provides enough.
6. Refrigerate until cold.

Serve in clear glasses over ice with a small triangle of watermelon on the rim. The color will be a soft peachy-pink, and the flavor is light and unexpected in the best way.

Use ripe, sweet watermelon. The more flavorful the fruit, the better the tea.

9. Blueberry Lavender Sun Tea

This is a floral, lightly sweet tea with a gorgeous deep purple-blue color. Lavender can be overpowering if used too heavily, so this recipe keeps it subtle. The blueberries provide natural sweetness and color.

Makes: ½ gallon

What you need:

• 8 cups filtered water
• 3 to 4 white tea bags or green tea bags
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender (not essential-oil grade or potpourri)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey

How to make it:

1. Combine the tea bags, blueberries, and lavender in a clean jar of filtered water.
2. Place in a sunny spot for two to three hours.
3. Remove the tea bags.
4. Strain the blueberries and lavender through a fine mesh sieve.
5. Stir in honey while the tea is still slightly warm.
6. Refrigerate until cold.

The color deepens as the tea chills. Serve over ice with a sprig of fresh lavender if you have it.

Use culinary-grade dried lavender from a trusted spice or herb supplier. Lavender sold as potpourri or for essential oils is not appropriate for food use.

For culinary lavender: Find culinary dried lavender on Amazon

10. Apple Cinnamon Spice Sun Tea

This recipe works well in late summer when the season is beginning to shift and you want something a little warmer in flavor, even if the weather is still hot. It is caffeine-free, family-friendly, and smells wonderful while it brews.

Makes: ½ gallon

What you need:

• 8 cups filtered water
• 4 apple-cinnamon herbal tea bags, or 2 plain herbal tea bags plus 1 cinnamon stick and 1 apple, cored and sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey, to taste
• Optional: a few whole cloves

How to make it:

1. Add the tea bags, cinnamon stick, apple slices if using, and cloves to a clean jar of filtered water.
2. Place in a sunny spot for two to four hours.
3. Remove the tea bags.
4. Strain out the apple slices, cinnamon stick, and cloves.
5. Stir in the brown sugar or honey while the tea is still slightly warm.
6. Refrigerate until cold.

Serve over ice with an apple slice and a small cinnamon stick in the glass. This tea also works well at room temperature on a mild day, and it is one of the most crowd-pleasing options for guests who do not drink caffeine.

The cinnamon will give the tea a faint reddish tint. The warmer and spicier you want it, the longer you can leave the cinnamon stick in after straining.

How to Make Sun Tea Safely

A few practical habits make a meaningful difference in both flavor and safety.

Use a Clean Glass Jar

Wash the jar thoroughly with hot soapy water and rinse it completely before each batch. A jar that smells like old tea or has any residue from a previous batch can affect the flavor and cleanliness of the new brew.

Wide-mouth mason jars and dedicated sun tea jars with spigots both work well. Avoid plastic if possible, as plastic can absorb odors and may release compounds when warmed by the sun.

Use Filtered or Cold Tap Water

The quality of the water directly affects the flavor of the tea. Filtered water produces a cleaner, more neutral base. If your tap water has a strong chlorine taste, filtered water will noticeably improve the result.

Do Not Brew Longer Than Four Hours

Leaving tea bags in sun-warmed water beyond four hours increases the risk of bacterial growth and can also make the tea bitter. Two to four hours is the right window for most teas.

Remove the Tea Bags and Refrigerate Promptly

As soon as the tea reaches the color and strength you want, remove the bags, strain any herbs or fruit, and bring the jar inside to cool. Do not leave it on the counter for hours before refrigerating.

Refrigerate the finished tea immediately and drink it within one to two days.

Watch for Signs of Spoilage

Discard sun tea immediately if it:

• Looks thick, syrupy, or ropy
• Has an off or sour smell
• Looks cloudy in an unusual way (a slight cloudiness from natural tannins is normal)
• Has visible growth or floating particles other than herb or fruit pieces

When in doubt, throw it out. A new batch takes only a few hours to make.

Tips for Better Sun Tea Every Time

Choose Quality Tea Bags

The quality of the tea bags matters. Inexpensive tea bags made from dust and fannings (the very fine particles left after tea leaves are processed) can produce a flat, papery-tasting brew. A mid-range brand of whole-leaf or pyramid bag tea makes a noticeable difference.

Add Fresh Herbs at the Right Time

Delicate herbs like mint, basil, and lemon verbena can become slightly bitter or grassy if they steep too long. For the mildest flavor, add them in the last thirty to sixty minutes of brewing rather than at the start.

Sweeten While Still Warm

Sugar dissolves much more easily in warm liquid than in cold. If you want a sweetened tea, stir the sweetener in right after you bring the jar inside, while it is still slightly sun-warmed. Then refrigerate.

For a simple syrup that dissolves easily in any cold drink, dissolve equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat and store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.

Scale the Recipe Up or Down

All of the recipes above can be adjusted. For a large gathering, make a full gallon and double the number of tea bags and fruit. For a single-person batch, a quart jar with two or three bags works well.

Pair With the Right Glassware

Sun tea looks especially good served in tall clear glasses over plenty of ice. A wide-mouth mason jar turned into a drinking glass with a handle is a classic summer look that many people enjoy for a reason.

For serving: Check mason jar drinking glasses on Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sun tea safe to drink?

Sun tea is safe when made carefully. Use a clean glass jar, fresh water, high-quality tea bags, and refrigerate the finished tea promptly. Consume it within one to two days and discard it if it looks or smells off. People who are pregnant, immunocompromised, or preparing tea for very young children may prefer refrigerator tea instead, which brews cold over eight to twelve hours and carries a lower food-safety risk.

What is the difference between sun tea and cold brew tea?

Sun tea is brewed by placing a jar of water and tea bags in direct sunlight for two to four hours. Cold brew tea is made by placing the jar in the refrigerator and letting the tea steep slowly in cold water for eight to twelve hours. Cold brew produces a very smooth, low-bitterness tea and has a lower risk of bacterial growth, though it takes longer.

Can you make sun tea on a cloudy day?

You can, but it will take longer and may not reach the same warmth as on a sunny day. On a cloudy day, you can also place the jar in a warm window indoors where indirect light can still warm it slowly.

How long does sun tea last in the refrigerator?

Properly made and refrigerated sun tea is best within one to two days. After that, the flavor begins to dull and the risk of bacterial growth increases. Make smaller batches if you find you are not drinking it quickly enough.

Can you use loose leaf tea for sun tea?

Yes. Place the loose leaf tea in a reusable mesh strainer, a tea sock, or a fine mesh tea ball. Use roughly one teaspoon of loose leaf tea per cup of water as a starting point and adjust to your taste.

Why does my sun tea look cloudy?

A slight cloudiness can occur from the natural tannins in black tea, particularly when the tea cools quickly or ice is added. This is usually harmless and called “tea haze.” However, if the tea looks thick, ropy, or unusually murky before ice is added, it should be discarded.

How much tea should I use per gallon?

A general starting point is six to eight regular-size black tea bags per gallon. Herbal, white, and green teas may need slightly more because their flavors are more delicate. Adjust based on how strong you like your tea.

Can children drink sun tea?

Herbal and caffeine-free versions of sun tea are appropriate for most children. Standard black or green tea contains caffeine, which some families prefer to limit in children’s diets. The caffeine-free recipes in this list, including the chamomile, hibiscus, lemon verbena, and apple cinnamon options, are all good choices for children.

Can you use fruit juice instead of water?

You can replace a small portion of the water with juice for additional flavor, but using straight juice as the base is not traditional and changes the character of the tea significantly. A half-cup to one cup of juice added after steeping is usually more effective than brewing the tea in juice.

Final Thoughts

Sun tea is one of the simplest ways to enjoy summer.

A clean jar, good water, a few tea bags, and a sunny spot are all it takes to make something that feels far more special than the effort involved. The recipes above cover a wide range of flavors, from the straightforward classic sweet tea to the more creative blueberry lavender and watermelon basil options, so there is something here no matter what you are in the mood for.

The most important things to remember are to keep the brewing time under four hours, refrigerate the tea promptly, and consume it within a day or two.

Beyond that, sun tea is genuinely forgiving. Try a recipe as written, then adjust the sweetener, the herbs, or the fruit the next time until you land on the version your household reaches for all summer long.