Copycat Recipe: Panera's Iced Green Tea
This easy 3-ingredient copycat recipe recreates Panera's famous Passionfruit Papaya Green Tea at home. Ready in 15 minutes, naturally sweetened, and infinitely better than the drive-through.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 45kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 quart tea bag *Passionfruit Papaya Green Tea (or 5-6 single serving tea bags)
- 3 Tbsp white sugar or honey (or monkfruit sweetener, if you prefer sugar-free)
- 6 sprigs fresh mint (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Heat 3 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove it from head just before it begins to boil. For green tea, you want the water around 175 degrees F (not boiling). Boiling water will make the tea bitter so avoid that.
- Pour 2 cups of the hot water into a glass pitcher. Add 1 quart-sized bag of The Republic of Tea Tropical Green Tea (or 5-6 single serving bags).
- Let steep for exactly 3 minutes. Do not over-steep or it will be bitter.
- While the tea steeps, add 3 tablespoons white sugar to the remaining 1 cup of hot water in the saucepan. Stir until fully dissolved to create a simple syrup. For a sugar-free version, skip this step and use monkfruit sweetener to taste after brewing.
- Remove the tea bag(s) after 3 minutes. Do not squeeze the bag-- this releases tannins and makes the tea bitter.
- Stir in all the simple syrup if you want it sweeter. If you want it less sweet, stir in just 2-3 tablespoons. You can adjust to fit your sweetness preference.
- Add 1 cup cold water and 1 cup of ice to the pitcher to bring the tea to room temperature quickly.
- Pour over ice in tall glasses. For extra tropical flavor, add a splash of this Passionfruit Simple Syrup directly into each glass before pouring.
- Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and serve immediately.
Notes
Do not use boiling water or the tea will be bitter.
Don't squeeze the tea bag when removing-- it will release bitter tannins.
For sugar-free version, use monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar or honey.
Double (or triple) the recipe and store in a sealed pitcher in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
NOTE about the color: Panera's version is made from a commercial concentrate, which is why theirs is more of a clear-neon-green color. Your homemade version will be a natural golden-green color. This is normal and means you're using REAL tea leaves, not artificial dye.