This Orange Cinnamon Tea is fruity and refreshing with a gentle cinnamon aroma. It is a fantastic thirst-quenching summer iced tea that takes little effort to make.
Living in a place that is hot all year round like Saigon gives us opportunities to sample many creative iced tea drinks. This orange cinnamon tea is among our latest favorites. We call it “trà cam quế” in Vietnamese. What I like the most about it is the pleasant feeling of having the cinnamon fragrance spread in the mouth when drinking it.
Ingredients
This cinnamon iced tea requires very simple ingredients:
- orange juice: I recommend using fresh navel orange juice
- cinnamon sticks: you can buy them at any grocery stores or order from Amazon
- black tea: I recommend using loose leaf tea for the best taste and avoid the ones with very strong aromas. I usually use Twinings Lady Grey or Earl Grey for this recipe
- honey: you can also use simple syrup instead
- plenty of ice
As I mentioned in my Ginger Orange Tea recipe, I think the bold and rich flavor of black tea goes well with the fruitiness and sweetness of oranges. I don’t think the grassy taste of green tea can pair well with oranges. Besides, black tea flavor also goes great with cinnamon aroma.
How to Make Orange Cinnamon Tea
You will find all detailed measurements and instructions in the recipe card at the end. Here is the summary of the main steps to make this orange iced tea:
- simmer the cinnamon sticks very gently to extract their aromas
- steep the black tea
- mix the brewed tea with honey and orange juice
- pour into serving glasses with plenty of ice
This is totally optional, but we love to use a cocktail shaker to mix iced tea. The cocktail shaker helps to cool the drink rapidly before serving. You can read about reasons to use a shaker to mix drinks here.
Otherwise, make sure you give the brewed tea some time to chill in the refrigerator. If the tea isn’t cooled down enough, it will melt the ice very quickly, resulting in a weak and watery drink.
Other Iced Tea Recipes
I’d love to hear what you think about the drink, so please feel free to leave a comment and a rating if you have tried it. New recipes are added every week so let’s connect on Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates. You can find my collection of Vietnamese recipes here.
Orange Cinnamon Tea
Ingredients
- 1 cup water (240ml)
- 2 cinnamon sticks, rinsed (about 0.4 oz or 10-12g)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons black tea
- juice from 2 navel oranges (just under 1 cup/220-240ml)
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- plenty of ice
Instructions
- Add water and cinnamon sticks to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and once the water is about to bubble rapidly, lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer with the lid slightly askew for 4-5 minutes.
- After 4-5 minutes, turn off the heat and add black tea to the saucepan. Cover with the lid slightly askew and steep for 4-5 minutes.
- Strain the tea and stir in the honey. Let it cool down slightly.
- If you have a cocktail shaker, add half of the brewed tea, half of the orange juice and plenty of ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Add some ice to a serving glass and immediately pour the iced tea into the glass.
- If you don't have a cocktail shaker, chill the brewed black tea in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. After that, stir the tea with the orange juice. Pour into serving glasses with plenty of ice.
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