How to Make Popsicles From Teas: A Refreshing, Healthy Way to Stay Cool This Summer

We all love tea, but sometimes, the idea of hot tea during the blazing summer months isn’t super appealing. While iced tea is delicious, learning some new recipes that you can make from your favorite teas is also fun. I also experimented with some fun popsicles mixed with some unique alcohol for a tasty adult treat!

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with making refreshing popsicles with my favorite fruity and summery teas. I’m sharing those recipes with you today and why I love making a healthier alternative to traditional popsicles — after all, none of us want to consume a bunch of artificial dyes, colors, and chemicals just so we can enjoy a cool treat, especially when a homemade popsicle can taste even better and offer so many unique flavor options that you won’t find anywhere else. 

Did You Know You Could Make These From Teas?

You can add tea to so many delicious recipes. Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate tea into new and exciting foods: 

• Cookies (Earl Grey or Chai Tea cookies are especially delicious!) 
• Homemade granola
• Baked goods (cakes, tarts, scones, etc.) 
• Jelly
• Slushies
• Popsicles
• Chocolate (Think Black Currant Tea in Chocolate truffles - yum!) 
• Homemade ice cream or sorbet
• Marinades for your favorite meat, veggies, tofu, etc. 
• Bread

A Great Alternative to Traditional Popsicles

I particularly like making homemade popsicles using tea. Not only does loose-leaf tea make unique popsicles you can’t buy at the store (when was the last time you saw a honey lavender popsicle at your local grocery store?), but it’s also a cleaner alternative to mass-manufactured popsicle sticks. 

Many popsicles at the store have: 

• Titanium dioxide (banned in the European Union)
• Dyes, like Red No. 3 
• Large amounts of added sugars
• Artificial flavors and colorings
• High fructose corn syrup
• Gums and thickeners
• Preservatives
• A lack of real fruit

None of these ingredients are likely to harm a healthy individual who occasionally indulges in them. However, a homemade popsicle is often better-tasting and lacks unpleasant ingredients like gums, thickeners, preservatives, dyes, and titanium dioxide. 

The best part? You can use so many types of teas and combinations, so you’ll never get bored, and popsicles are as easy to make as brewing a cup of tea! All you need is a popsicle mold, water, your favorite tea, and any add-ins like chunks of fresh fruit or a natural sweetener like honey. 

Fun Treats for Adults

Orange Cream & Fruit Tea Popsicles with Grand Marnier Liqueur

This recipe is the perfect return to your childhood up-leveled with a fun adult twist. Our Orange Cream Herb & Fruit Tea is crafted from apple pieces, rosehips, cranberries, spearmint leaves, rose petals, and other delicious creme and orange flavors. 

Recently, I created a delicious orange cream and fruit tea popsicle. Here’s how I did it: 

1. Take four tablespoons of Orange Cream Herb & Fruit Tea and steep it for 15 minutes in two cups of water. We want to make a very strong tea to enhance the flavor. 
2. Strain and allow the mixture to cool off.
3. Add two tablespoons of raw honey or sweetener of choice and stir until dissolved.
4. Add 3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier. Grand Marnier's refined cognac and bitter orange flavors enhance the orange flavor. Of course, you can omit the liquor to make this a kid-friendly option. 
5. Pour into a popsicle mold and freeze. I made six popsicles in total from this mixture.

I seldom drink alcohol, but this created a yummy, refreshing, and fun adult treat for the summertime. 

Fruity Popsicles with an Adult Twist

Craving something refreshing with a twist? Make fruity popsicles perfect for adults. 

The best part? You can swap parts of this recipe out for any type of liquor you prefer and substitute the tea with any rooibos, honeybush or herb & fruit tea.

Try your hand at making delicious fruity popsicles following this recipe: 

1. Steep three tablespoons of Wild Strawberry Herb & Fruit Tea in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. 
2. Strain & cool completely before adding 2-3 tablespoons of rum or tequila (or your preferred liquor). Rum or Tequila’s smooth and fruity flavor perfectly accompanies berry, making this a delicious drink for a hot day. Of course, you can omit the liquor to make this a kid-friendly option. 
3. Add 2 tablespoons of raw honey and stir until fully dissolved. 
4. Optional: add a few slices of strawberries to each popsicle stick, or puree them and add 1/2 tablespoon to each popsicle.
5. Pour into six popsicle molds and allow to harden completely. 

Berry desserts are always a crowd-pleaser, and these twisty popsicles were no exception. I highly recommend this recipe for a cooling and hydrating dessert option! 

Some other variations I tried of this recipe: 

• Purple Seduction with violet liqueur (add 3-6 tablespoons of violet liqueur)   
• Peach Honeybush with peach schnapps (add 3-6 tablespoons of peach schnapps)
• Apricot Honeybush with apricot brandy (add 3-4 tablespoons of apricot brandy)
• Elder Berry Wine Herb & Fruit Tea with red wine (add 2-4 tablespoons of red wine, such as merlot)
• Sour Apple Herb & Fruit Tea with sour apple schnapps (add 3 tablespoons of schnapps)

Caffeinated Popsicles

Need a pick-me-up? Try a caffeinated popsicle made from your favorite black, green or white tea. I recommend black tea for a greater caffeine punch and a more robust flavor. 

You can follow this simple recipe for caffeinated popsicles with any of your favorite teas: 

1. Cold or hot-brew your tea. I used 3 heaping teaspoons of my favorite black tea in two cups of water for exactly 3 minutes.  
2. Strain and cool completely. 
3. Add any sweeteners such as agave nectar or raw honey. Honey is especially delicious. I added 2 tablespoons of raw honey to my popsicles and loved them. 
4. Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or a vegan substitute and mix well.
5. Add 2-4 tablespoons of liquor. Of course, you can omit the liquor to make this a kid-friendly option. 
6. Next, add any desired mix-ins (optional). This is where you can get creative! Fruit, nuts, or tapioca pearls can all elevate your popsicle and give it a unique, custom flavor you can’t find at the store. 
7. Pour into six popsicle molds. 
8. Allow the tea popsicles to freeze completely before enjoying them.  

A couple of my favorite caffeinated teas that make fantastic popsicle flavors include: 

• Is it Coffee? Is it Tea? Black Tea with Kahlua
• Canadian Breakfast, Eh? Black Tea with Irish Cream
• Brazilian Guava Black Tea with rum
• Niagra Peach Sencha Green Tea with peach Schnapps
• Chocolate Orange Black Tea with chocolate liqueur and grand marnier
• Strawberry Luxury Darjeeling Black Tea with strawberry liqueur, rum or tequila
• Blueberry Luxury Darjeeling Black Tea with vodka
• Passion Fruit Black Tea with vodka or sparkling wine
• Honey Lavender Black Tea with mead 

Nuts & Berries Popsicles

For those who love this iconic sweet and nutty drink, these popsicles are for you. 

I used the following ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons Raspberry in Paris Rooibos tea
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 tablespoons Chambord
• 2 tablespoons Frangelico
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Follow the above instructions under “Fruity Popsicles with an Adult Twist" with these ingredients for a sweet, but nutty popsicle that is perfect for adults. Only steep Rooibos teas for 5-7 minutes.

A Delicious DIY Popsicle for the Kids

Unsweetened tea popsicles often have a harder, smoother texture, similar to ice cubes. If you or your kids want a creamier popsicle, I recommend adding pureed fruit to your popsicles. 

Not only does this add some extra health benefits, but the fresh or frozen pureed fruit can give popsicles a lovely sorbet-like texture. Other ideas include adding milk (whether that’s dairy or alternatives like coconut milk), heavy cream (or dairy alternative such as coconut cream), and yogurt. All of these can make a creamier popsicle that is sure to please your kids. 

Follow the above recipe under “Fruity Popsicles with an Adult Twist" to create a kid-friendly popsicle. I recommend using one of the following non-caffeinated teas:

• Raspberry Supreme Herb & Fruit Tea
• Orange Grove Vanilla Herb & Fruit Tea
• Raspberry Strawberry Herb & Fruit Tea
• Strawberry Banana Cream Rooibos Tea
• Lemon Raspberry Honeybush Tea
• Orange Cream Herb & Fruit Tea
• Peach Honeybush Tea

I had so much fun creating these popsicle recipes from delicious tea flavors. Hope you enjoy them too! 

Stay Cool!

Herbalist Natalie 

Natalie Hajdu-Voakes is a consulting Herbalist with over 27 years of hands-on experience and the owner of The Herb Stop.