Iced Guava Black Tea Recipe

Easily make this copycat Starbucks iced guava black tea drink, at home, with only four simple ingredients. 

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I absolutely love iced tea drinks, especially on a hot day or when I don’t want to consume too much caffeine. 

This iced guava black tea is one of my favorites. 

I was disappointed when Starbucks removed this refreshing beverage from their iced tea menu, but we can still make our own version, at home, for a fraction of the cost of the original drink.

For more copycat Starbucks drinks, check out:
- Iced Guava White Tea Lemonade Recipe
- Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade Recipe
- Strawberry Frappuccino Recipe

Simple Ingredients

This easy recipe includes four simple ingredients - black tea bags, hot water, guava nectar, and ice cubes. 

Black Tea

The great thing about making this iced guava black tea Starbucks recipe at home is that you can use your favorite type of tea from your local grocery store. 

It is an iced BLACK tea though (with a tropical guava twist), so one that is a blend of black teas works best. 

I tried this recipe with Ajiri Tea Kenyan Black Tea with Ginger and it was AMAZING. Possibly the best iced tea that I’ve had in a long time. 

If you are sensitive to caffeine or want this drink as a late day treat in hot weather, simply choose a decaffeinated black tea. 

I have also made this recipe with Twining’s English Breakfast - Decaffeinated because it was the only tea I had left in the house. 

You may need to seep decaf tea bags a little bit longer while making the black tea concentrate. This will ensure that the natural flavors of black tea are not overpowered by the tropical fruit taste of fresh guava. 

Hot Water

I recommend using filtered water to seep the tea. 

The base of this guava iced tea recipe is a black tea concentrate. Which is simply made by adding 2 tea bags to ¾ cup hot water (instead of the usual 1:1 ratio). 

It is generally recommended that black tea seeps for 3-5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the tea can become bitter. 

I like to steep my tea bags for at least 5 minutes, especially for fruity tea drinks. Sometimes, I even seep them for longer.

Guava Nectar

Fruity guava is the star of this refreshing black iced tea. 

Starbucks used a guava juice blend in their guava iced teas. 

This homemade version can be made with guava nectar, like Goya Guava Nectar, or a guava juice, like this Ceres 100% All Natural Pure Fruit Juice Blend - Guava.

Guava juice tends to have less sugar than guava nectar, but it’s not as easy to find in some stores. 

Ice Cubes 

I always recommend using ice cubes that were made with filtered water, so any funky tap water doesn’t change the taste of the drink (when the ice starts to melt, of course). 

An important step in this recipe is to allow the black tea concentrate to cool before adding the ice cubes. Otherwise, the ice cubes will just melt and water down the drink. 

Sometimes, I’ll stick hot teas in the fridge or freezer for a bit to cool them down faster before adding the ice and cold juice. 

Can I add sweetener?

If your taste buds prefer sweet drinks, sure. The best part of making these coffee shop drinks at home is how easily we can customize them to our tastes, diets, and lifestyles. 

For best results, taste the iced guava black tea, made as written in the recipe card below, before adding any sweetener. Especially because guava nectar can already be pretty sweet (1 cup has 38 grams of sugar). 

If you taste it and would like to add more sweetener, simple syrup or liquid cane sugar work better in cold drinks than granulated or cane sugar, honey, or maple syrup. 

Black Tea Lemonade Version

If you would like an iced guava black tea lemonade, simply add ½ cup of lemonade - homemade or store-bought. 

Next time I make this iced tea, I want to add just lemon juice from a fresh lemon to it and see how that works. If you try it before me, please let us know how it was in the comments below. 

For an iced white tea guava lemonade, please check out this recipe. It can always be made with a black tea bag instead of a white one. 

BUT, I really like the extra tea bag in a ¼ cup more hot water for this black tea version. 

Would you be interested in an iced matcha lemonade recipe? Or an iced black tea with pineapple juice? Please let me know in the comments below. 

How much caffeine is in this iced guava black tea?

According to the Red Rose blog, a single black tea bag contains about 40-70mg of caffeine, depending on the brand. 

I tried to look up the caffeine in each of the popular brands, but all of the ranges were similar. 

Therefore, this iced tea recipe would have about 80-140mg of caffeine.

It can easily be made with less caffeine by using decaffeinated black tea bags. 

Can I make it ahead of time?

This iced tea with guava is best enjoyed fresh. 

The black tea concentrate can definitely be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. 

This will also allow the hot tea concentrate to cool completely before adding the ice and guava juice (simply add them right before serving).

If you have any leftover guava iced tea, you can also store that in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. BUT, please be aware that the ice cubes will melt and water down the drink. 

Looking for more easy, refreshing drink recipes? Check out:
- How to make a Strawberry Frappuccino
- Iced Green Tea Lemonade Recipe
- Iced Coffee Recipe with Ice Cream