Simple Sugar-Free Keto Sweet Tea Recipe
March 26, 2019
Introduction
When following a keto diet, it may feel like there’s an endless list of things you need to avoid, especially when it comes to drinks loaded with added sugar and high fructose corn syrup. As a result, many on a keto or low-carb diet find themselves sticking to water for most of their meals.
While water remains the healthiest choice, the craving for something different can strike at anytime. And when it does why not consider trying a delightful alternative: Keto sweet tea?
Tea is a fantastic option for a keto diet, providing an energy boost and supporting metabolism. However, not everyone enjoys the taste of plain tea, and using sugar to sweeten it is not an option on keto. But guess what? We can absolutely enjoy sweetened tea on a keto diet, and this keto sweet tea recipe is living proof of that! This is simple so let get into it.
Reviews
Drinks
Ingredients
| 2-3 tea bags | |
| 1/2 cup Lakanto Monkfruit, or choice of sweetener | |
| 8 cups of water |
Directions
Start by bringing 8 cups of water to a boil.
Steep Your Tea.
Add Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener and stir until fully dissolved.
Notes
Tools
- A pitcher: if you're using no-boil tea bags, this is where you'll be making your keto sweet tea.
- Saucepan, pot, or, kettle: you'll be needing this to boil water if you're making tea traditionally.
- Stirrer or long spoon: you'll be using this to stir and dissolve your keto-friendly sweetener into the tea.
- Serving glass: this is where you'll be serving your homemade sweet tea. Use a tall glass or mason jar if you want to get fancy.
Preparation
- Make sure to use good quality water as it can significantly affect the taste of your keto sweet tea. If possible, use filtered or bottled water to ensure a clean and fresh flavor.
- You can also try cold-brewing your tea. Add the tea bags to a pitcher with water and let them steep in the fridge for about 6-8 hours or overnight. Then remove the tea bags and sweeten your tea with your keto-friendly sweetener. Cold brewing makes your tea sweeter and smoother-tasting. This is because tannins, which make the tea bitter, aren't stepped out of the tea in cold water, unlike when steeping a tea bag in hot water.
- Once done steeping your tea bags, be careful not to squeeze them as doing so will make the tea bitter. If your tea still bitter and you want to salvage it, Add a pinch of baking soda when you are steeping your tea bags. The baking soda neutralizes the natural bitterness of tea, which is why some tea recipes recommend adding it.
Storage
- Store any leftover keto iced tea in the fridge in a covered container. It should stay good for a few days, but it's best to consume it within 2-3 days as the taste might start to degrade after that. Make sure to give it a stir before serving again to redistribute the sweetener, which may have already settled at the bottom.
- Try to place your tea away from strong smelling items. This is because tea can absorb odors easily, which can affect its taste of your sweet tea.
Serving Suggestions
- Chill your serving glasses in the fridge before using them to serve your keto sweet tea. Doing this will help keep your tea cold for longer. It also prevents it from quickly melting the ice when poured over.
- Enhance the presentation of your keto sweet tea by garnishing it with a lemon slice or wedge, lime wedge, or fresh mint leaves. It will give your tea a pop of color and a refreshing aroma.
- If you're having keto iced tea, consider using large ice cubes instead of small ones as they melt more slowly.
- Pair you keto sweet tea with keto-friendly snacks such as nuts, low-carb cookies, or cheese platters.
- Consider using additional flavorings such as fresh fruit slice (lemon, lime, berries), lemon juice, a dash of cinnamon, or a splash of vanilla extract.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not quite. Pure loose leaf tea is 100% keto-friendly, but it is best to avoid the store bought drinks from store or pre made teas from the restaurant.
Ready-to-drink teas are sweetened with sugar or fruit juice no matter now “natural” it claims to be on the packaging. Bubble tea even at 0% sugar has a lot of sugar. This is because the syrup to make those fruity blended option contains sugar as a default. Also the boba is mostly carb and sweetened with sugar (typically brown sugar). Teas with a lots of milk- the carbs and natural sugars in milk can add up. This is especially the case as you down many cups. That said, if you still want to fit a milky tea into your keto diet, opt for a keto-friendly milk such as unsweetened almond or coconut milk or better yet heavy cream.
While you technically can add ice directly to your keto sweet tea while it’s still hot, it’s not recommended to do so. The ice will quickly melt, diluting the taste of your tea. You should let your keto sweet tea cool to room temperature first before adding ice to it. You can also chill your keto sweet tea in the fridge before serving it, and only add the ice to the glasses before serving.
Yes, you can. But not regular milk or cream which are typically too high-carb for a keto diet. Instead, use keto-friendly milk such as unsweetened almond or coconut milk, or keto-friendly cream such as heavy cream.
The strength of the tea flavor depends on how long your let the tea steep in the water and also the quality of tea you used in the first place. If you want your sweet tea to be stronger in flavor, you can steep the tea bag for a longer time (or use high quality loose leaf tea). If you want a milder taste, you can reduce the steeping time (or use fewer tea bags).
This keto sweet tea recipe is very low in carbs and doesn’t use any sugar, making it sugar-free. As such, it’s a great option for those following a low-carb or keto lifestyle. However, those with specific dietary needs, including diabetics, should consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating any new recipe into their diet, even if that recipe is sugar-free.
Wrap-Up
With this keto sweet tea recipe, you always have an option other than water to accompany your meals. And it’s not like you’re having it just for the added flavor. Tea has tons of healthy benefits that can help you in reaching your diet goals. It boosts your energy levels and improves your metabolism.
The keto-friendly sweetener, which is Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener in this recipe, is what really allows us to enjoy delicious, sweet tea without ruining our keto diet.
Have you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog? Please rate it below and let us know what you think in the comments! We love hearing from you!
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