Iced tea with green tea: recipes, cold brew and variations without sugar

Homemade iced tea with green tea is a summer classic: no sugar, with a fresh, slightly grassy taste. Green tea contains natural caffeine – according to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), around 30 mg per 200 ml cup (approximate value). Here you will find a basic recipe, three variations, cold brew and tips for buying tea.

Why make iced tea with green tea yourself?

Depending on the product, sweetened ready-to-drink iced tea contains up to around 8–9 g of sugar per 100 ml (sources: Health Promotion Switzerland, Verbraucherzentrale NRW consumer advice centre; as of 1 October 2026). Homemade iced tea without sugar made from green tea without a tea bag (that is, loose leaves) gives you complete freedom:

• Taste: fresh and slightly grassy, mild to robust depending on the variety and steeping time
• Ingredients: you decide what goes into the glass – tea, water, ice, fruit or herbs
• No added sugar: the iced tea stays unsweetened if you do not want to sweeten it
• Caffeine: for comparison, according to the BfR (approximate values, per 200 ml): green tea around 30 mg, black tea around 45 mg, filter coffee around 90 mg

The basic recipe: iced tea without sugar in 3 steps

You do not need any fancy equipment. A tea bottle with a strainer is perfectly sufficient – it is handy on the go and easy to clean.

• Step 1 – Pour: 1 tsp loose green tea per 250 ml of water cooled to 70–80 °C (no boiling water – it makes green tea bitter).
• Step 2 – Steep: steep for 2–3 minutes, then remove the leaves.
• Step 3 – Chill: pour the tea over ice cubes or let it cool overnight in the fridge. Done.

3 variations for more variety

Once you have mastered the basic recipe, you can vary it as you like – with no added sugar:

• Mint & lime: fresh mint leaves and lime slices straight into the bottle – classic and refreshing.
• Ginger & lemon: a few slices of fresh ginger steep along with the tea – this gives a spicy, sharp note that goes well with lemon.
• Cold brew green tea: put 1 tsp of tea into 500 ml of cold water and leave it to steep in the fridge for 4–12 hours, depending on the variety. This usually gives a mild taste with little bitterness.

Quality makes the difference

Not every green tea is equally suited to iced tea. Many tea bags contain finely cut tea (so-called fannings); there are also bags with whole leaves, however. Loose tea without a bag, on the other hand, can be chosen by variety, origin and leaf size. Japanese varieties such as sencha or gyokuro are well suited to cold brew.

When you buy tea, it is best to look at the origin, harvest date and processing.

The quick version: TEABALLS Green tea

When you are in a hurry: TEABALLS Green tea is made from green tea extract and acidity regulators, with no added sugar and no sweetener. Put 3 to 5 pressed pieces into 3 dl of cold or hot water and stir – no tea leaves, no strainer and no steeping time. The TEABALLS Organic Jasmine Green Tea, on the other hand, is only for drinking hot (60–80 °C) and is not suitable for iced tea or cold brew.

Iced tea as a gift idea

A tea gift set that you put together yourself, with different green tea varieties and a high-quality bottle, makes an original tea gift – ideal for anyone who enjoys drinking tea.

At TEABALLS Switzerland you will find green tea as pressed pieces (including TEABALLS Organic Jasmine Green Tea), practical tea bottles and ready-made gift sets – all with delivery in Switzerland. Discover now and find your favourite tea →