Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 4 cups (960 ml) water, for tea
- 4 black tea bags (about 8 g loose tea)
- 2 ripe but firm pears (Bartlett or Anjou)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water, for syrup
- 2 cinnamon sticks (about 4 inches / 10 cm each)
- 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional, for brightness)
- 4 cups ice cubes (plus more as needed)
Do This
- 1. Boil 4 cups water, remove from heat, add black tea, and steep 4–5 minutes; discard tea bags.
- 2. For syrup, simmer 1 peeled, sliced pear with sugar, 1 cup water, and cinnamon sticks for 5–7 minutes; let steep 10 minutes.
- 3. Strain syrup, pressing on pears, then stir syrup into warm tea with lemon juice if using.
- 4. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 30 minutes.
- 5. Thinly slice the remaining pear; toss slices with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
- 6. Fill glasses with ice and pear slices, pour over chilled pear–cinnamon tea, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Captures cozy autumn flavors—pear and cinnamon—in a drink that is still refreshing and light.
- Uses everyday pantry staples like black tea, sugar, and cinnamon, plus just a couple of fresh pears.
- Make-ahead friendly: brew a batch, chill, and pour whenever you want a mellow, spiced refresher.
- Easily adjustable: sweeter, less sweet, sparkling, or even served warm on chilly evenings.
Grocery List
- Produce: 2 ripe but firm pears, 1 lemon (optional)
- Dairy: None
- Pantry: Black tea (bags or loose), granulated sugar, cinnamon sticks, ice cubes, honey (optional)
Full Ingredients
Pear–Cinnamon Tea Base
- 4 cups (960 ml) water
- 4 black tea bags, such as English Breakfast or Assam (or 8 g loose black tea in an infuser)
Pear–Cinnamon Syrup
- 1 ripe but firm pear, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks (about 4 inches / 10 cm each, or 3 shorter sticks)
To Finish and Serve
- 1 additional pear, unpeeled, cored, and thinly sliced for serving
- 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus extra for tossing pear slices (optional but recommended)
- 4 cups ice cubes, plus more as needed
- Extra honey or sugar, to taste (optional)
- Additional cinnamon sticks, for garnish (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Brew a strong black tea base
Fill a medium saucepan or kettle with 4 cups (960 ml) of water and bring it to a full boil over high heat. Once the water boils, remove it from the heat and immediately add the 4 black tea bags (or loose tea in an infuser). Cover the pot and let the tea steep for 4–5 minutes. This slightly stronger brew ensures the tea flavor stays present even after you add syrup and ice. After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags or infuser to prevent bitterness. Set the hot tea aside while you prepare the pear–cinnamon syrup.
Step 2: Make the pear–cinnamon syrup
While the tea is steeping, peel, core, and thinly slice 1 pear. In a small saucepan, combine the sliced pear, 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, 1 cup (240 ml) water, and 2 cinnamon sticks. Place over medium heat and stir gently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pears are soft and fragrant and the liquid smells warmly of cinnamon. Lightly mash the pear slices against the side of the pan with a spoon to release more flavor, then remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture steep for another 10 minutes to intensify the pear and cinnamon notes.
Step 3: Strain and combine the syrup with the tea
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large heatproof pitcher. Carefully pour the warm pear–cinnamon mixture through the strainer, pressing gently on the pear slices with the back of a spoon to extract as much flavorful syrup as possible. Discard the solids and cinnamon sticks. Now pour the still-warm brewed tea into the same pitcher with the syrup and stir well to combine. Taste and add 1–2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice if you like a brighter, slightly tangy edge to balance the sweetness. At this point, if you prefer a lighter tea, you can stir in up to 1 cup (240 ml) cold water to slightly dilute the concentrate. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes.
Step 4: Chill the tea thoroughly
Once the tea and syrup mixture has cooled to just warm or room temperature, transfer the pitcher to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or until completely cold. Very cold tea is important so the ice does not melt instantly and dilute the flavor. If you plan ahead, you can refrigerate the pitcher for up to 24 hours before serving, which actually allows the flavors to meld even more.
Step 5: Prepare the pear garnish
Just before serving, core and thinly slice the remaining pear. You can leave the peel on for extra color and a rustic look. For best appearance, cut the slices crosswise to show off the pretty pear shape. To prevent browning, toss the slices with a teaspoon or two of lemon juice in a small bowl, coating them lightly. This keeps them looking fresh and bright as they sit in the glasses.
Step 6: Assemble and serve your pear–cinnamon iced tea
Fill 4 tall glasses generously with ice cubes. Tuck a few fresh pear slices along the inside of each glass so they are visible from the outside. Give the chilled pear–cinnamon tea a stir, then pour it over the ice and pear slices, dividing evenly among the glasses. Taste and, if desired, sweeten individual servings with a little extra sugar or honey, stirring until dissolved. For a cozy autumn touch, garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick for stirring. Serve immediately while icy cold, enjoying the mellow black tea, soft pear sweetness, and gentle warmth of cinnamon in each sip.
Pro Tips
- Do not oversteep the tea. Steeping much beyond 5 minutes can make the tea bitter, which will fight with the gentle pear flavor.
- Use ripe but firm pears. Overripe pears can turn mushy in the syrup, while very hard pears will not release as much flavor.
- Chill the tea fully. Cold tea keeps the ice from melting too fast and preserves the full flavor you built into the syrup.
- Adjust sweetness to taste. Start with the base recipe, then add a little extra syrup, sugar, or honey to individual glasses for guests who like a sweeter drink.
- For a party, double the batch. This recipe scales up easily; just use a large pitcher and plenty of ice so everyone gets a well-chilled glass.
Variations
- Sparkling Pear–Cinnamon Tea: Fill glasses halfway with the chilled tea, then top off with cold sparkling water or club soda for a lightly fizzy, refreshing twist.
- Warm Pear–Cinnamon Tea: Skip the ice and serve the tea warm instead. Do not chill; simply pour the hot tea–syrup mixture into mugs and garnish with pear slices and a cinnamon stick on a chilly day.
- Decaf or Herbal Version: Replace black tea with decaf black tea or a mild herbal tea such as rooibos if you want to avoid caffeine while keeping the cozy flavor profile.
Storage & Make-Ahead
The pear–cinnamon tea base (without fresh pear garnish) can be stored in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Stir before serving, as some settling may occur. It is best to add ice and fresh pear slices only when you are ready to serve, since the pear slices will soften and brown over time and the ice will dilute the tea. If you like to prep even further ahead, you can make just the pear–cinnamon syrup up to 5 days in advance and keep it refrigerated in a sealed jar; brew fresh tea on the day you plan to serve and combine the two.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate values per 1 serving (about 12 fl oz / 355 ml), assuming the recipe makes 4 servings and is prepared as written with all the syrup: about 80 calories; 0 g fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 5 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrates; 1 g dietary fiber; 19 g total sugars; 0 g protein. Exact numbers will vary based on the ripeness and size of the pears and how much additional sweetener you add to individual glasses.
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