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By Alyssa Rivers
on Jun 10, 2025
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If you love iced tea, you’re going to be obsessed with this Arnold Palmer. The combo of crisp black tea and tangy lemonade is pure summer magic. It’s simple, refreshing, and always just what you need.
Why You’ll Be Sipping This All Summer
- Fresh Lemons = Big Flavor: I use fresh-squeezed lemons instead of store-bought lemonade, which gives a brighter, fresher flavor and tang!
- So Simple: Just 3 basic ingredients (iced tea, sugar, and lemons) and no fancy equipment. It’s easy enough to make anytime, anywhere.
- Refreshing: It’s light, snappy, and the kind of drink you’ll want to keep in the fridge all summer long.
Arnold Palmer Ingredients
- Sweeteners: You can use honey, agave, simple syrup, or monk fruit sweetener as a replacement for the sugar if you prefer. If you are using Splenda, use 3/4 cup to replace the 1 1⁄2 cups of sugar.
- Use Fresh Lemon Juice: Don’t use bottled lemon juice for this Arnold Palmer Drink! It tastes much better with freshly squeezed lemons.
- Pre-Made Lemonade: You can use store-bought or homemade lemonade. If you do, just mix the tea and lemonade in a 1:1 ratio since premade lemonade has sugar in it already.
- Tea: I like Pure Leaf unsweetened black tea, but you can cold brew your own by steeping 2–3 tea bags in 3 cups of water overnight. Use more for stronger tea. Caffeinated or decaf both work, and unsweetened lets you control the sweetness.
How to Make an Arnold Palmer
Named after golfer Arnold Palmer, this drink got its name because he ordered the iced tea and lemonade combo so often that fans started asking for “an Arnold Palmer” too. It’s easy to make and only requires 3 ingredients!
- Combine: Mix thelemon juiceand sugarin a large pitcher, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Enjoy: Pour the unsweetened iced teainto the pitcher, stir well, then pour into a tall glass overicecubes and serve. Optional garnish with fresh mint leaves and a lemon slice on the rim!
How to Make a Spiked Arnold Palmer
Add 1.5 oz of vodka, bourbon, or sweet tea vodka to your glass before pouring in the tea and lemonade. For a lighter twist, try swapping the black tea with hard iced tea or the lemonade with hard lemonade instead of adding liquor.
How to Store Leftovers
Store the classic Arnold Palmer drink in a pitcher in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Homemade Arnold Palmer
By: Alyssa Rivers
Cool, crisp, and perfectly balanced, this Arnold Palmer is made with just two ingredients—lemonade and black tea. It’s the ultimate summer sip!
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh lemon juice, about 10 lemons
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups unsweetened brewed black iced tea
- ice
Instructions
Mix the 2 cups fresh lemon juice, and 1 ½ cups granulated sugar in a large pitcher and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the 4 cups unsweetened brewed black iced tea into the pitcher and stir well. Pour over ice and serve.
Notes
Storage Instructions: Store in a covered pitcher in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 52gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Beverage, Drinks
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
More Summer Sippers Favorites
You’ll catch me making simple mixed drinks all summer. I’m obsessed with Brazillion lemonade and homemade peach lemonade! Those are on repeat at my house. Here are more fun drink recipes for you to try!
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About Alyssa Rivers
Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.
Read More About Me
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