With this delicious drink on hold in stores, now is the perfect time to learn how to make it at home! And, here is your ultimate guide for this Starbucks Peach Green Tea Lemonade recipe. From ingredients to technique, you can find it all here.
Let's begin!
Contents
Before we move on to the ingredients and method, I want to talk about how this recipe is different from the Starbucks version.
Starbucks uses a peach flavored juice blend in their Starbucks iced peach green tea lemonade. If you check out the ingredients on the website, you will discover that there isn't even a hint of peach in it! What's more, there are various flavorings and colorings added to it.
In this DIY Starbucks recipe, we will be using real peaches. While fresh peaches are best, you can also use the canned version. You should be aware that this can make the drink sweeter, though.
The Starbucks iced peach green tea lemonade also uses a green tea infusion rather than regular green tea. This blend includes spearmint, lemon verbena, and lemongrass as well.
For this recipe, though, I will be using cold brew green tea. This is where the green tea bags or leaves are steeped in cold water for an extended period of time. Cold brew offers a better green tea concentrate for the drink.
If you want to make the iced peach green tea lemonade instantly, though, you can make iced green tea the traditional way - with hot water. Just remember to make a stronger brew.
Add the chopped peaches to a blender. Blend until the peaches are smooth and there aren't any lumps. This will not take very long.
In a small pan, add the pureed peaches, the maple syrup, and the water. Cook the ingredients on low heat, allowing it to simmer. Stir occasionally to combine. Don't let the syrup stick to the pan. Let it cook for 10 minutes and remove from heat.
Stir in the lemon juice.
If you don't like any lumps or puree in your drink, then pour the peach syrup through a sieve. Pour the peach syrup into a container and allow it to cool. Then refrigerate until needed.
Combine all the ingredients together in a glass pitcher. Stir well until the syrup is completely dissolved. Refrigerate the mix for several hours or until cold.
You can use store-bought simple syrup, but you can also make your own. Use equal parts of sugar and water. For the above recipe, you can use 1/4 cup of white sugar and water. Add the ingredients to a pan and place over medium heat.
Stir the ingredients continuously until all the sugar is melted. Take the syrup off the heat and allow it to cool. Pour into an airtight refrigerator and allow to cool.
Add the green tea and water into a glass container or jar - make sure it has an airtight lid. If you are using tea bags, remove the string and paper tag before adding to the jar.
Place the jar in the refrigerator and let it steep for 3 to 6 hours. Discard the bags or strain out the leaves.
The exact steeping time will depend on how strong you want your green tea concentrate to be.
Don't steep the tea overnight and don't let it steep for longer than 6 hours as the brew can turn bitter if left too long.
Recipe makes 2 Drinks
Add about a tablespoon of peach syrup to each glass. Top with ice.
In a glass pitcher, pour in the peach syrup, lemonade, and green tea. Combine until mixed well. You can also use a cocktail shaker to get a better blend.
Divide the drink into each of the glasses. Stir the peach syrup into the drink and enjoy!
You can garnish with peach slices or simply add to the drink for added flavor and texture.
As you are well aware, everyone's tastes differ from one another. Some may prefer a stronger drink, while others prefer weaker flavors. Then there are those who enjoy a greater level of sweetness and others who don't.
Here are some guidelines to adjusting the recipe to better suit you:
How much sugar and maple syrup you use will depend on how sweet you like your drinks. For instance, if you aren't a big fan of sugar, then add just a tablespoon of maple syrup to the Starbucks iced peach green tea lemonade first. Then, run a taste test and hold or add more as you see fit.
Naturally, if you prefer a higher sugar content, then add more maple sugar to the peach green tea lemonade. Be mindful that the lemonade will also contain sugar. This is why it is a good idea to wait until all the ingredients are mixed in that final step. If you find that the drink still lacks sugar, then add more simple syrup.
For the lemonade, add the simple syrup to the drink tablespoon by tablespoon. Stir well after every spoon and test the drink. Then proceed as needed.
Green tea is a bit of an acquired taste and not everyone likes their brew that strong. For a weaker brew, steep the tea as the instructions show. Once you remove the tea bags or leaves, taste the drink. If it is too strong, simply add cold water until it reaches your desired strength.
On the other hand, if you like a stronger brew, simply double up on the number of tea bags or the quantity of tea leaves for the same amount of water. Don't steep the tea leaves for longer than six hours, though. While it may make your brew stronger, it will also make it a lot more bitter.
If you like a stronger lemon taste, then increase the amount of lemon juice for the same quantity of water. Start with three lemons but don't juice more than 4. Remember that you will need to increase the sugar level along with the amount of lemon juice or your peach green tea lemonade will be too sour.
Here are some tricks you can use to get your homemade recipe to taste like the Starbucks iced peach green tea lemonade:
If you enjoy that slightly tangy flavor of Starbucks green tea blend, then you should look for Teavana green tea bags. This is what Starbucks uses and you can capture all of your favorite flavors. These added notes also add some complexity to your peach green tea lemonade.
The Starbucks lemonade can be very hard to copy. To begin with, the store uses a concentrated version. This is something that you can mimic by using less water when making your lemonade.
Another thing that is unique to Starbucks is that they use lemon oil in their recipe. This adds a bit of zing and flavor to the drink.
Now, this is something that you can do as well, but you need to be very careful about how you go about it.
First and foremost look for food-grade lemon oil. Make sure that it is food-grade or it may be toxic to you. Secondly, you should use this ingredient cautiously. At most, add a drop or two for two people. This is an incredibly potent flavoring. Use too much and you will ruin your peach green tea lemonade.
For a well-blended peach green tea lemonade, use a cocktail shaker when mixing all the ingredients together. If you throw in some ice there as well, it is a great way to cool down the drink without diluting it. This step really will make all the difference.
Want your iced peach green tea whipped up in a shorter period of time? If so, here are some shortcuts that you can use. You should be aware that results may vary, though:
Can't be bothered to make the syrup from scratch? Then simply use peach juice instead. Peach flavored juice may work just as well, especially if it boasts a stronger flavor. Now, the peach juice has a thinner consistency, so you should cut down the liquids for the green tea and lemonade to get a good balance.
Look for a peach juice with a strong, concentrated flavor. This will help to make it stand out against the other flavors.
If you don't have the patience for cold brew, then make the green tea the old fashioned way. Heat the water but don't allow it to boil. Add the tea bags or tea leaves to a mug and pour the water. For a greater green tea concentrate, use more green tea.
Allow the tea leaves or bags to steep for between one and three minutes according to your strength preference. Don't steep for any longer than this or your brew will become bitter.
Once it has cooled down, place it in the refrigerator for several hours.
Storebought lemonade can often be just as good as a drink made with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Just make sure to buy a concentrated version for a better tasting peach green tea lemonade. You should also watch the sugar content, avoid anything too sweet as it can disrupt the balance.
If you want to avoid multiple steps, then make your hot brewed tea. Add the lemon juice straight to this and combine well. Let it cool down and then refrigerate.
With this method, you should be aware that your drinks may be smaller as there will be less liquid from the lemonade. Always taste the drink to make sure that the lemon flavor is noticeable enough.
Add simple syrup to the peach green tea lemonade when all the ingredients are combined.
Here are some commonly asked questions:
Starbucks didn't actually get rid of the drink but rather has put it on hold. It may make an appearance again once the seasonal drinks aren't being offered.
As of yet, the drink isn't being discontinued, but the situation may change.
Starbucks doesn't actually use peach juice but uses a white grape juice concentrate with added flavors and colors instead.
This is a special recipe that is used exclusively by Starbucks. The secret ingredient is lemon oil.
This is what you need to know about making this copycat Starbucks iced peach green tea lemonade. Sure, it can take some work, but it will be worth it when you get to taste how amazing it is!
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