People like the pleasant pleasure of drinking sweet tea, but many do not want the added sugar in their diets. They don’t want to give up their beloved drink, but the sugar must go for a variety of reasons.
This is due to a variety of factors, including a change in lifestyle, a sugar-free diet, and health concerns.
If you like sweet tea but need to cut down on sugar, you’ll be relieved to hear that there are a variety of healthy options that will give your tea the sweetness it requires without the sugar.
These all-natural sweeteners will enhance the flavor of your sweet tea while also providing additional health benefits. The good news is that you can still drink sweet tea without adding sugar.
Contents
- 1 – You Can Add Honey
- 2 – Maple Syrup with Sweet Tea
- 3 – Try Coconut Sugar with Your Sweet Tea
- 4 – Substitute with Rock Sugar
- 5 – Choose Stevia to Replace Sugar
- 6 – Try Molasses
- 7 – Use Fruits as Sweeteners
- 8 – Try Agave Nectar
- Final Thoughts
- FAQs
- How can I sweeten my tea without sugar?
- What is the healthiest way to sweeten tea?
- What can I use to naturally sweeten tea?
- Is honey healthier than sugar?
- What is a good substitute for honey in tea?
- What does Starbucks use to sweeten tea?
- What can you put in tea to make it taste better?
- Is it better to put honey or sugar in tea?
- What sweetener tastes most like sugar in tea?
- Is there a tea that is naturally sweet?
1 – You Can Add Honey
Sweet tea is a popular summer beverage that combines great with BBQ, cooking out, and all of your summer activities. Replace the sugar with honey for a healthy yet still tasty dessert.
To sweeten your tea, add fresh local honey after it has boiled. You may add around three-quarters of a cup of honey. Then put it in the fridge to cool.
Honey is more healthier than sugar and has additional health advantages. It may provide vitamins, relieve a sore throat, and battle allergies.
This honey is available from local beekeepers, and you will find it to be tasty and much healthier than sugar-sweetened tea.
Directions:
- Boil a half-gallon of water
- Remove from the heat
- Steep the tea for five minutes
- Add 3/4 cup of raw local honey
- Stir and add a half-gallon of cold water
- Pour into a pitcher and chill in refrigerator
It’s simple to create, and the honey tastes exactly as good as you think. It will be much healthier than sugary sweet tea.
2 – Maple Syrup with Sweet Tea
Another current trend is to sweeten your tea with pure maple syrup. This spike in popularity may be attributed to a variety of factors.
First, since pure maple syrup dissolves rapidly in liquids, it will blend in nicely. The second reason is that pure maple syrup is more than just a sugar substitute. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Tea pairs well with the taste of pure maple syrup. The syrup is thick and silky, and it gives tea a unique taste.
The sap of maple trees is used to make maple syrup. It is a clear, nutrient-rich liquid that runs from maple trees in the early spring. It is primarily water, but it also contains sucrose, minerals, oligosaccharides, amino acids, organic acids, and phenolic compounds.
Potassium, zinc, calcium, and manganese are among these minerals. It aids digestion, regulates blood sugar, prevents inflammation, and is low in sugar and calories. It tastes fantastic and may be used in lieu of sugar in sweet tea.
Directions:
- Boil a half-gallon of water
- Remove from the heat
- Steep the tea for five minutes
- Add 3/4 cup of pure maple syrup
- Stir and add a half-gallon of cold water
- Pour into a pitcher and chill in refrigerator
3 – Try Coconut Sugar with Your Sweet Tea
Coconut sugar is another sugar replacement that people experiment with. It is sweet in the same manner as sugar is, but it has the texture of brown sugar.
It contains a variety of minerals and vitamins, including iron and numerous B vitamins. Always attempt to get organic coconut sugar to ensure that it has not been subjected to pesticides.
It is quite simple to add coconut sugar to your tea to make it sweeter. Coconut sugar substitutes white sugar in a 1:1 ratio, making it simple to use this healthy alternative in your sweet tea.
Coconut sugar has a glycemic index that is almost half of that of white sugar. It also includes potassium, magnesium, and salt, which all assist to balance your body’s water level.
Because of its high nitrogen content, coconut sugar benefits your cardiovascular system. It contains vitamin C as well as antioxidants.
Because coconut sugar is technically dried coconut sap, it is a raw food that keeps all of its antioxidants in their natural state. There are several advantages of adding coconut sugar to your sweet tea.
Directions:
- Boil a half-gallon of water
- Remove from the heat
- Steep the tea for five minutes
- Add 3/4 cup of coconut sugar
- Stir and add a half-gallon of cold water
- Pour into a pitcher and chill in refrigerator
4 – Substitute with Rock Sugar
If you like the taste of tea and want to sweeten it without affecting the flavor, rock sugar is an excellent choice. Rock sugar is raw sugar that has crystallized into various sizes.
Because it isn’t as sweet as white sugar, it won’t overshadow the flavor of your tea. It has a subtle flavor that delicately sweetens your tea without overpowering it.
Rock sugar production began in China during the Tang Dynasty and continues to this day. It is a popular sweetener because, in addition to being a mild sweetener, it provides health advantages.
It may assist with sore throats and coughs. It might provide you with additional energy and aid with digestion. It may last a long time if kept in a sealed container and away from moisture and light.
Directions:
- Boil a half-gallon of water
- Remove from the heat
- Steep the tea for five minutes
- Add 3/4 cup of crystallized rock sugar
- Stir and add a half-gallon of cold water
- Pour into a pitcher and chill in refrigerator
5 – Choose Stevia to Replace Sugar
Stevia is a popular plant-based sweetener that is often used as a sugar alternative. It is around 200 times sweeter than sugar, so you will not need nearly as much.
You don’t need to purchase stevia packets since you can grow it in your garden and utilize the leaves. It is much more than a sugar substitute; it offers health advantages and tastes delicious.
Stevia comes in a package and looks as a white powder. To manufacture the sugar replacement, the sweetness of the stevia is extracted and mixed with a white powder.
When you utilize stevia leaves, they grow in your garden like a herb. It is native to South America and is simple to cultivate. All you need is loose, loamy soil, and pinching it back will make it grow fuller.
Take the leaves and arrange them in a cool, dark location to dry. Harvesting the leaves in the morning will provide the most sweetness content, and you can then stack them to dry.
You may hang them upside down and then crush them into a powder and keep them in a container after they are dry. They’ll go well with your sweet tea.
Directions:
- Boil a half-gallon of water
- Remove from the heat
- Steep the tea for five minutes
- Add 1 teaspoon of crushed stevia leaves
- Stir and add a half-gallon of cold water
- Pour into a pitcher and chill in refrigerator
6 – Try Molasses
Molasses is a viscous, thick sweetener. It is a byproduct of the processing of sugar cane and sugar beets.
It has been manufactured in the West Indies since 1582 by the Portuguese, who utilized it to create rum. It has long been used as a substitute for white sugar and is a healthier alternative.
Molasses comes in three varieties. Dark molasses is used in barbecue sauces and gingerbread, whereas light molasses is used in baking.
Blackstrap molasses is the third kind. It is produced as a byproduct of sugar cane’s third boiling. It is quite thick and rich in vitamins and minerals like as iron, calcium, magnesium, and others.
Molasses was formerly used to treat a variety of diseases. It was used to treat iron deficiency, and it may help ease PMS and ADHD symptoms. It also benefits your skin’s health.
It’s a little bitter on its own, but it tastes great in tea and adds just the proper amount of sweetness. It also contains antioxidants, which help protect your cells and body against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
Directions:
- Boil a half-gallon of water
- Remove from the heat
- Steep the tea for five minutes
- Add 4 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses
- Stir and add a half-gallon of cold water
- Pour into a pitcher and chill in refrigerator
7 – Use Fruits as Sweeteners
Fruit may be added to tea to sweeten it and produce a pleasant taste. You have several options, and you may add fruit as a juice, nectar, or puree. You may use your favorite fruit to flavor your tea. In lieu of sugar, it will offer the appropriate taste and sweetness.
Strawberries are a popular fruit to use in tea. It’s delicious and refreshing. Slice the strawberries and place them in the pitcher.
It’s tasty and refreshing, and it’s the ideal summer drink. You may also select from raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and a variety of other berries. You may also mix many fruits.
In addition to chopping your fruit and putting it to the tea, you may add some pureed fruit to sweeten it up. You may also squeeze the juice from the fruit and utilize it.
To balance the taste, many people add a slice of lemon or lime to their tea.
- Boil a half-gallon of water
- Remove from the heat
- Steep the tea for five minutes
- 2 cups strawberries (or other fruit) cutAdd 2-1
- Stir and add a half-gallon of cold water
- Pour into a pitcher and chill in refrigerator
- Optional: add one lemon
8 – Try Agave Nectar
Agave nectar tastes like a cross between honey and molasses. It goes nicely with cold tea beverages. Agave nectar is a syrup made from the fluid found in blue agave plants.
This plant is also utilized in the production of tequila. They remove the plant’s fluid and then filter the juice. The juice is then boiled to break down its components into fructose. The syrup is the residual concentration.
Agave nectar is somewhat sweeter than white sugar and has an extremely low glycemic index of 19, compared to white sugar’s glycemic index of 60.
As a consequence, it does not spike blood sugar levels nearly as much as white sugar. Because of its high fructose level, it does not provide as many health advantages as the other foods on this list.
- Boil a half-gallon of water
- Remove from the heat
- Steep the tea for five minutes
- Add 3/4 cup of agave nectar
- Stir and add a half-gallon of cold water
- Pour into a pitcher and chill in refrigerator
Final Thoughts
People are looking for sugar replacements as they become more aware of the detrimental effects of sugar. Sweet tea must be sweet, but it does not have to be sugar-sweetened.
There are several foods that may be used in lieu of sugar that taste delicious and have health advantages.
You have the option of making the tea sweeter or adding another flavor. Honey, molasses, syrup, or cut fruit may all be used.
You won’t miss the sugar after trying a couple of these alternatives. Sweet tea may be enjoyed in a variety of ways.
FAQs
How can I sweeten my tea without sugar?
What may be used to sweeten tea instead of sugar?
Honey is used to sweeten tea. Let’s begin with honey.
This is maple syrup. Another popular natural sweetener is maple syrup called Canada’s liquid gold.
Stevia.
Licorice.
Molasses.
Syrup made from dates.
Xylitol is a kind of birch sugar.
Erythritol.
What is the healthiest way to sweeten tea?
Fruit liquids, chopped frozen fruit, and purees are all excellent natural sweeteners. White grape and pomegranate juices go well with both black and green tea and form a delightful iced tea. If you’re using purees or chopped fruit, filter the tea before serving to get rid of the solids.
What can I use to naturally sweeten tea?
However, if you need some more sweetness, add a teaspoon of one of these.
Sugar. Refined sugar is a healthy method to sweeten your tea.
Sugar made from coconuts. Coconut sugar is a sugar substitute that may also be used to sweeten tea.
Honey.
Syrup made from maple trees.
Syrup in its purest form.
Stevia.
Vanilla.
Fruit that is in season.
Is honey healthier than sugar?
“Honey’s advantages over sugar include a slightly lower glycemic index (i.e. it doesn’t affect your blood-sugar levels as much),” Dr. Dixon explains. “It also contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin C, zinc, phenolic acids, and flavonoids.”
What is a good substitute for honey in tea?
If you want to replace the honey drizzle in your tea or coffee, agave nectar is an excellent substitute. It has a moderate taste, so it won’t overpower your dishes or beverages like other honey substitutes may. In terms of macronutrients, agave is nutritionally equivalent to honey.
What does Starbucks use to sweeten tea?
Starbucks’ iced tea beverages are all sweetened with liquid cane sugar syrup.
What can you put in tea to make it taste better?
Citrus is one of the top ten tea flavoring additives. Berries. PIN IT. PIN IT.
Cinnamon. Cinnamon in your tea will provide a spice to the drink on crisp autumn afternoons or snowy winter evenings.
Honey or honeysuckle (if desired, with lemon) PIN IT.
Lemon Verbena, Lemon Basil, or Lemon Thyme are all options.
Peppermint or mint.
Ginger.
Syrup made from maple trees.
Is it better to put honey or sugar in tea?
Using honey instead of sugar in tea is a far healthier option. You may be asking why, given that honey has the same amount of sugar as sugar that you would put in your tea. Honey and sugar have somewhat different chemical compositions. They both include fructose and glucose.
What sweetener tastes most like sugar in tea?
Most individuals compare erythritol to sugar and believe the two are identical. It even caramelizes in the same way that sugar does.
Is there a tea that is naturally sweet?
Most naturally sweet teas are herbal, while there are a few black teas that are somewhat sweet. Chamomile, rooibos, and apple teas are among our favorite naturally sweet teas. If you’re usually on the run, carry some naturally sweet tea with you.