Summery Watermelon Iced Tea

Finding a refreshing drink that doesn’t require a ton of effort during the hot summer months can feel impossible. Between running errands, keeping everyone hydrated, and trying to avoid yet another expensive coffee shop run, it’s easy to default to plain water or whatever’s already in the fridge.

That’s where this watermelon iced tea comes in handy. It takes just minutes to throw together, uses only four simple ingredients, and tastes way better than anything you’d buy at the store. Plus, it’s naturally sweet without being overly sugary, making it perfect for sipping all afternoon long.

What Kind of Watermelon Should I Use?

Any ripe watermelon will work great for this recipe, whether you go with a classic seedless variety or a traditional seeded one. When picking out your watermelon at the store, look for one that feels heavy for its size and has a creamy yellow spot on the bottom – that’s where it sat on the ground while ripening. You can use either red or yellow watermelon depending on what you can find, though red is more common and will give your iced tea that pretty pink color. If you’re using a seeded watermelon, don’t worry too much about removing every single seed before juicing – you’ll strain the juice anyway and catch any seeds or pulp in the process.

Options for Substitutions

This simple recipe is easy to customize based on what you have available:

• Sweet tea: If you don’t have homemade sweet tea ready, store-bought works perfectly fine. You can also use unsweetened tea and add honey or simple syrup to taste. Green tea or white tea make nice lighter alternatives to black tea.
• Fresh watermelon juice: While fresh watermelon juice tastes best, you can use store-bought watermelon juice if you’re short on time. Just blend fresh watermelon chunks and strain through a fine mesh sieve to get the juice. You’ll need about 3-4 cups of cubed watermelon to yield 2 cups of juice.
• Watermelon: If watermelon isn’t in season, try strawberries, peaches, or cantaloupe instead. Blend them the same way and strain for a smooth juice that pairs well with tea.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Making

The biggest mistake when making watermelon iced tea is not straining the watermelon juice well enough, which leaves pulp floating in your drink and creates an unpleasant texture – use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth and press gently to get clear juice without losing flavor.

Another common error is mixing warm sweet tea with the watermelon juice, as this can make the watermelon taste cooked and dull, so always make sure your tea is completely cooled before combining.

To get the most juice from your watermelon, choose one that feels heavy for its size and has a yellow spot on the bottom, and if your drink tastes too sweet or not sweet enough, remember you can always balance it by adjusting the ratio of tea to watermelon juice rather than adding more sugar.

What to Serve With Watermelon Iced Tea?

This refreshing drink is perfect for hot summer days and pairs beautifully with light, fresh foods that won’t weigh you down. I love serving watermelon iced tea alongside grilled chicken skewers, fish tacos, or a big Greek salad with feta and cucumbers. It also works great at barbecues with burgers, hot dogs, and all the classic picnic sides like potato salad and coleslaw. For a sweet pairing, try it with lemon bars, sugar cookies, or fresh fruit salad – the watermelon flavor complements other fruity desserts really nicely.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Keep your watermelon iced tea in a sealed pitcher or jar in the fridge for up to 2 days. The flavors stay bright and refreshing, though the watermelon juice might settle a bit at the bottom, so just give it a good stir before pouring.

Make Ahead: You can definitely prep the sweet tea and watermelon juice separately a day ahead. Just mix them together right before serving for the best flavor and color. The watermelon juice can start to separate if it sits mixed for too long.

Serve Cold: This drink is best enjoyed ice cold! Pour over a glass full of ice and add a fresh watermelon wedge or mint sprig if you’re feeling fancy. The ice will dilute it slightly as it melts, which actually makes it even more refreshing on a hot day.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 160-220
• Protein: 2-4 g
• Fat: 0-1 g
• Carbohydrates: 40-56 g

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups sweet tea (Milo’s brand recommended)
• 2 1/4 cups fresh watermelon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 4-6 fresh mint leaves

Step 1: Prepare Fresh Watermelon Juice

• Fresh watermelon

Cut the watermelon into cubes and juice or blend them until you have 2 1/4 cups of juice.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove pulp and seeds, pressing gently to extract all the liquid.

Set the strained juice aside to chill while you prepare the remaining components.

Step 2: Combine and Balance Flavors

• 1 3/4 cups sweet tea
• 2 1/4 cups fresh watermelon juice from Step 1
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In a pitcher, combine the cold sweet tea and fresh watermelon juice from Step 1.

Add the fresh lime juice and stir well to blend all components evenly.

Taste the mixture and adjust the flavor balance—add a touch more lime juice if you want extra brightness, or more sweet tea if you prefer it less sweet.

I like to add the lime juice gradually because watermelon’s sweetness can mask its tartness until everything is well combined.

Step 3: Chill and Serve

• Tea mixture from Step 2
• Ice
• 4-6 fresh mint leaves

Fill serving jars with ice and pour the watermelon iced tea mixture from Step 2 over it.

Gently tear 1-2 fresh mint leaves per glass and drop them onto the surface of each drink.

The mint will float on top and release its aroma as you sip, adding a fresh herbal note that complements the watermelon and lime beautifully.

Summery Watermelon Iced Tea

Delicious Summery Watermelon Iced Tea recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 190

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 3/4 cups sweet tea (Milo's brand recommended)
• 2 1/4 cups fresh watermelon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 4-6 fresh mint leaves

Method

 

1. Cut the watermelon into cubes and juice or blend them until you have 2 1/4 cups of juice. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove pulp and seeds, pressing gently to extract all the liquid. Set the strained juice aside to chill while you prepare the remaining components.
2. In a pitcher, combine the cold sweet tea and fresh watermelon juice from Step 1. Add the fresh lime juice and stir well to blend all components evenly. Taste the mixture and adjust the flavor balance—add a touch more lime juice if you want extra brightness, or more sweet tea if you prefer it less sweet. I like to add the lime juice gradually because watermelon's sweetness can mask its tartness until everything is well combined.
3. Fill serving jars with ice and pour the watermelon iced tea mixture from Step 2 over it. Gently tear 1-2 fresh mint leaves per glass and drop them onto the surface of each drink. The mint will float on top and release its aroma as you sip, adding a fresh herbal note that complements the watermelon and lime beautifully.