This copycat Tim Hortons Steeped Tea is creamy, smooth, and easy to make at home. It only requires three ingredients and is ready in 5 minutes.
Can't get enough of Tim Horton's? Try my Homemade Timbits next!
โ About This Recipe
The steeped tea at Tim Hortons has to be one of my favorite drinks. Itโs very fragrant but much less strong than other teas, and it has a slightly floral finish.
I've tried a bunch of different teas, but Ceylon tea and Orange Pekoe (both black teas) are my favorites. The taste isnโt exactly the same, but it satisfies my craving enough that I don't have to buy it anymore.
According to former employees on Reddit, the steeped tea is made in a similar way as drip coffee, which is why it has a more delicate taste. I don't have a drip machine, so I just steeped the tea at a lower temperature (around 180โ for 3 minutes). It turned out pretty good and wasn't bitter at all. I used an instant-read thermometer to monitor the temperature.
๐ง Ingredients
- Tea: I'm using Red Rose Orange Pekoe tea today. It's less bitter than other teas. You can use either tea bags or leaves for this recipe.
- Cream: When you ask for cream, I'm pretty sure Tim Horton's uses heavy cream (whipping cream). Some people might want to use milk or half and half, but I don't think it tastes as good. Heavy cream is much better for hiding the bitterness.
- Sugar: Just add this based on your preference.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: Combine tea bags and water in a small saucepan. Bring the water to a gentle simmer (around 180ยฐF). The water should be gently steaming with bubbles floating to the surface.
STEP 2: I recommend steeping the tea for only 3 minutes to reduce the bitterness. Remove the tea bags and make sure not to squeeze them as that will make the tea bitter as well.
STEP 3: Pour the tea into serving cups and add heavy cream and sugar to taste. For a standard-sized medium, I'd say "one cream" is two tablespoons of heavy cream, and "one sugar" is one teaspoon of sugar. It might seem like a lot of amount of cream, but their steeped tea is quite creamy. Enjoy!
๐ญ Cold brewing
Another method you can try is cold brewing the tea. This will make the tea much less bitter. Heat releases tannins in the tea, but by doing a cold brew, you end up with a much smoother finish.
To cold brew, just soak one tea bag per 2 cups of water in the refrigerator for about 8-12 hours. You can test the tea at 8 hours and see if it needs longer.
๐ Recipe
Tim Hortons Steeped Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 2 bags Orange Pekoe or Ceylon Tea (or 2 teaspoons of leaves)
- heavy cream (to taste)
- sugar (to taste)
Instructions
- Combine tea bags and water in a small saucepan. Bring the water to a gentle simmer (about 180ยฐF). The water should be gently steaming with bubbles floating to the surface.
- Steep the tea for 3 minutes, and then remove the tea bags (do not squeeze them).
- Pour the tea into serving cups and add heavy cream and sugar to taste. For a standard-sized medium, I'd say "one cream" is two tablespoons of cream, and "one sugar" is one teaspoon of sugar.
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