Quick Answer
Yes, you can absolutely put syrup in tea. Adding a syrup like simple syrup, honey, agave, or maple syrup can sweeten and flavor tea in delicious ways. The most common types of tea to add syrup to are iced tea, milk tea, chai tea, and bubble tea, but you can experiment with adding syrup to any variety of hot or iced tea. When adding syrup to hot tea, stir it in after brewing when the tea has cooled slightly so the syrup doesn’t lose its consistency or flavor. For iced tea, mix in the syrup while the tea is still hot so it dissolves, then cool the tea and enjoy!
What types of syrup can you add to tea?
There are many delicious syrup options to mix into tea:
- Simple syrup – An easy homemade mixture of equal parts sugar and water boiled together until the sugar dissolves. Add flavors like vanilla, almond, or lavender by steeping in the hot syrup.
- Honey – A natural sweetener that mixes well into both hot and iced teas. Opt for raw honey for the boldest flavor.
- Maple syrup – The rich flavor of maple makes a nice complement in fall tea blends.
- Agave nectar – This liquid sweetener has a neutral flavor that sweetens without overpowering other ingredients.
- Grenadine – For a fun pop of color and flavor, add this pomegranate syrup to iced tea.
- Fruit syrups – Syrups made from berries, peach, mango, passionfruit, etc infuse bright fruit flavors.
- Chocolate syrup – For a mocha-inspired tea, mix in some chocolate syrup.
- Caramel syrup – Brewed black tea takes on a sweet, creamy taste with caramel swirled in.
- Coffee syrups – Hazelnut, vanilla, caramel coffee syrups can lend their flavors to tea as well.
- Spiced syrups – Cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin pie syrups complement chai tea.
The options are endless! Let your tastes guide you to discover amazing tea and syrup pairings.
How much syrup should you add to tea?
The exact amount of syrup to add to tea depends on a few factors:
- Type of syrup – Thinner syrups like simple syrup incorporate more easily than thick ones like honey.
- Sweetness desired – Add more syrup for an ultra-sweet tea or use less for a subtle sweetness.
- Size of beverage – Accommodate for the total volume of tea you’re making.
- Other ingredients – Account for additional sweeteners like sugar or sweet milk.
For an average 8-12 oz serving of iced tea, a good starting point is:
- 1-2 teaspoons of thin syrup like simple syrup, agave, or grenadine
- 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of thicker syrup like honey, maple, or chocolate syrup
For hot tea, use less since the sweetness will be more concentrated. Taste test your tea after adding syrup and continue adding to suit your preferences.
What are the best ways to add syrup to tea?
Proper technique when adding syrup to tea results in the best flavor:
Iced tea
For iced tea, first brew your tea as normal, then stir in syrup while the tea is still hot. This allows the syrup to fully incorporate and dissolve into the tea. Next, cool the tea down with ice or refrigerate until chilled before serving over ice.
Hot tea
When making hot tea, avoid adding syrup while tea is brewing since high heat can cook off subtle flavors in syrups. Wait until tea has been brewed and cooled slightly before stirring in syrup to taste.
Milk tea
For milk tea like chai or Thai tea, syrup can be added to the tea first while hot to dissolve. Then add cold milk after cooling to prevent the milk from curdling from high heat.
Bubble tea
For a bubble tea, brew black or green tea as the base. While still hot, dissolve in syrup like simple syrup, honey, or fruit syrup. Let cool completely before adding ice, milk, and tapioca pearls.
What are the most popular types of tea to add syrup to?
While you can get creative with any tea variety, these styles especially complement added syrup:
Iced tea
Sweet syrup is a perfect match for cold brewed iced tea. It enhances the refreshing quality without watering down the tea like added sugar can.
Milk tea
Syrup’s flavors pair deliciously with creamy milk teas like masala chai, Thai tea, and London fog. Honey in chamomile tea with milk is a comforting favorite.
Bubble tea
Also called boba tea, the chewy tapioca pearls in these iced drinks pair wonderfully with syrup accents like honey, brown sugar, or fruit syrup.
Chai tea
Spiced chai concentrate can be doctored up with syrups like vanilla, almond, pumpkin pie, or coffee variations.
Fruit tea
For a fruit-on-fruit flavor explosion, mix fruit syrups into complementary fruit teas, like peach syrup in peach tea.
Are there any tea and syrup combinations to avoid?
Most syrup flavors complement tea nicely, but here are a couple mix-ins to possibly avoid:
- Butterscotch or very thick sugary syrups can make tea overly thick or grainy.
- Strongly flavored syrups like orange or peppermint may clash with delicate white, green or oolong teas.
- Coffee syrup could overwhelm some black tea flavors.
Part of the fun is experimenting, so don’t be afraid to try unorthodox combinations! Taste as you go and adjust to your liking.
Examples of tasty tea and syrup pairings
To spark ideas for your own syrupy tea creations, here are some delightful combinations to try:
Iced Peach Black Tea with Peach Syrup
Masala Chai with Vanilla Syrup
Earl Grey Milk Tea with Honey
Thai Iced Tea with Condensed Milk
Passionfruit Green Tea Lemonade with Passionfruit Syrup
Pumpkin Spice Chai with Pumpkin Pie Syrup
Hibiscus Iced Tea with Grenadine
Hazelnut Black Tea with Coffee Syrup
Berry Hibiscus Refresher with Raspberry Syrup
Brown Sugar Bubble Tea with Brown Sugar Syrup
Can you use syrup instead of sugar in tea?
Yes, syrup can absolutely replace plain sugar as the sweetener in tea. Many syrups are made primarily from sugar dissolved in water anyway.
Compared to plain sugar, syrups have a couple advantages:
- Syrups incorporate into cold and hot tea more evenly for consistent sweetness in each sip.
- The liquid form prevents diluted tea like you can get when stirring in granulated sugar.
- Syrups infuse extra flavors like vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, etc to liven up plain tea.
Maple syrup, honey, agave and simple syrup all have varying sweetness levels to suit your taste preferences as a sugar substitute. Be sure to account for their extra sweet kick when swapping for sugar.
Will syrup make tea spoil faster?
Adding syrup to tea generally will not make it spoil faster. Properly stored, both sweetened and unsweetened tea can last 5-7 days refrigerated.
To maximize freshness:
- Brew tea and mix in syrup when hot to dissolve fully, then cool tea quickly.
- Refrigerate pre-sweetened tea in a sealed container after cooling.
- Avoid introducing bacteria from utensils reaching into tea to add syrup after brewing.
- Use clean utensils each time when taking tea from the container.
The exception is dairy-based syrups like flavored coffee creamers, which can shorten shelf life due to the dairy content.
Conclusion
Enhancing tea with flavorful syrup is an easy way to take a basic cup of tea up a notch. From floral honey to fruity grenadine, options for mix-ins are endless. While syrups shine in chilled and creamy tea styles, they can liven up any hot or iced variety. Keep these tips in mind: dissolve syrup in hot tea off heat, taste test as you go, and store syrupy tea properly. Drizzle, swirl, and stir away – your next incredible tea sensation awaits!