I know. This is barely a recipe.
But it’s literally all I’ve been drinking for the past month, and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!!
Apple. Cider. Tea. It’s exactly what you think it is.
Apple cider + tea. That’s it. Nothing crazy, nothing fancy (with the exception of an occasional apple slice, cinnamon stick, and / or cinnamon-sugar rim for garnish, if you wish). Just pure fall goodness.
I’m a huge tea drinker. Iced and hot. But let me alienate like…half of you: I hate sweet tea.
Like, loathe.
Unsweetened iced tea is always where it’s at (both my parents and Mark’s parents are aware of my deep love of unsweet tea and keep it stocked in their fridges for when we visit).
But when that delicious bitter, refreshing tea flavor is elevated with the flavors and spices of fall?
It’s heaven. I’m in love, and you can enjoy it hot or cold!
It’s ridiculous that two ingredients can create such a fantastic drink experience. But it’s true.
You take some tea, add some apple cider, and boom, you’re done. I suggest using a black tea (either hot or cold), but you could also try a rooibos tea if you’re feelin’ fancy.
It reminds me of the apple tea I had in Turkey a few years ago. <– that’s probably one of the coolest sentences I’ve ever said.
But it’s true! Just the right amount of spice, refreshingness, and coziness.
The tea calms down some of that OMGSOSWEET-ness of the apple cider, and the apple cider livens up the tea a bit. It’s a match made in fall heaven. ❤️
I can’t believe I’m actually publishing this as a recipe, but it really is deserving of a page all on its own here.
Try it. You’ll think so too.
PrintApple Cider Tea (2 Ways!)
A refreshing fall drink that only requires two ingredients! Naturally vegan and gluten free.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink, easily multiplied
- Category: Drink
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened black tea (iced or hot)
1/2 cup apple cider
Garnishes: apple slices, cinnamon sticks, cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- HOT: Brew your tea and heat up your apple cider in the microwave or on the stove in a small pot. Mix the two and stir. Garnish as desired and enjoy!
- COLD: Start with store-bought iced tea or brew your own and chill it for a few hours in the fridge. Then, add ice to a glass, add chilled tea and apple cider. Garnish as desired and enjoy!
Notes
I think a nice splash of bourbon would be delightful in this. Just sayin.
Love apple cider!
Just tried this. Both warm and cold.
Definitely going with the hot version! And the bourbon isn’t even optional, it has to be in there! ;)
Thanks for the recipe :)
You spoke to my heart… I don’t drink sweet tea either, but I love tea! I got away from sugar in my drinks years ago. I bought some apple cider today and went looking for confirmation that I can mix it with tea. I can’t wait to try this!!! Thanks for posting it!
SO yummy! Hope you loved it!
A cup of apple cider for 2x? I tried to make this but it was impossible to drink.. too acidic even when adding double water. Such a waste of tea and apples :(
Hmm…did you use apple cider or apple cider vinegar? Apple cider (what the recipe calls for) shouldn’t be acidic! It’s nice and sweet and appley. :)
Hi, Alexa
It is highly probable that K’s comment about acidity is the result of a misunderstanding involving vinegar. But it “may” not involve cider vinegar at all, depending upon where K lives. In the US, “apple cider” usually refers to apple juice – unfermented and the fermented kind is called “hard cider”. Just about anywhere else in the world, the unfermented kind is just apple juice and “cider” refers only to the fermented, alcoholic beverage – that’s certainly true in the UK and most of the English-speaking world and also applies to the Spanish and French equivalents. [In any case, “Cider” originates from a Hebrew word for strong drink/drunkenness! See wikipedia.]
Again, outside the USA, it is accepted that Cider is made primarily with apples, so there is no need to refer to “apple” cider – it is just “cider”. A similar drink made with Pears is called Perry, although some do refer to “pear” cider.
Some varieties of [hard] Cider are a) very strong and b) not at all sweet, in addition, c) some clear varieties of traditional West Country [West of England, that is] Scrumpy don’t have much colour and don’t even taste that much of apples – or at least, more like sour apples. Oh, yes, and d) can be absolutely lethal despite a relatively low % of alcohol. Outside of the North American context, apple cider ain’t necessarily “nice and sweet and appley.” I will admit, though, that I would not describe any cider as acidic, so this is purely hypothetical.
By the way, I intend no disrespect in these comments. I am simply pointing out different linguistic usage, in this case the US is the exception. By the way, am trying the recipe as I write.