How to Make Bellini Peach Raspberry Iced Tea

I’m not going to lie, Olive Garden has been a weakness of mine ever since I can remember. That unlimited salad and breadsticks deal has had me coming back time and again for years. And when they started carrying the bellini peach raspberry iced tea, it was just the cherry on top of the cake for me. 

The first time I tasted this drink, I loved it so much that I actually ordered three in one meal. On a hot summer day there’s nothing better than a delicious glass of iced tea, and this one is pure bliss. So I decided to recreate this magical beverage in my own kitchen so I could make one anytime!

Today, I’m sharing my recipe recreation of the amazingly refreshing Olive Garden bellini peach raspberry iced tea. I hope you love it as much as I do!

What is a bellini peach raspberry iced tea?

This iced tea is made with a base of chilled black tea combined with raspberry and peach syrups. You can experiment with different ratios of syrups to tea depending on how you prefer your drink to taste, but the recipe I’m sharing today is nicely balanced with all three flavors, and is not overly sweet. 

How do you make bellini peach raspberry iced tea?

While this drink is simple to make, there is a bit of prep work involved if you plan on making the syrups yourself. While you can certainly buy premade syrups on Amazon, I personally think the tea tastes much better when you make them from scratch. The only ingredients required to make both the raspberry and peach syrups are fruit, water, and sugar – and both are incredibly simple to make.

1. Make the raspberry and peach syrups. You can use fresh or frozen fruit to make these syrups. Simply put the peaches in one pot and the raspberries in another. Then, add water and sugar to each pot and bring both to a boil. Lower both flames and simmer syrups on low for about 8 minutes. The sugar will dissolve and the fruit will start to break down. Once the fruit has become very soft, strain both syrups separately through a fine mesh sieve. Allow to cool.
   
2. Brew the tea. There are two ways to do this: by cold brewing or hot brewing tea.
   
   • To cold brew: This method involves making the tea far in advance. Place 5-6 black tea bags (or 5 tablespoons of loose leaf tea in a tea infuser) in 6 cups of water and place in the refrigerator. Let steep for 12 hours, then remove the tea bags.
     
   • To hot brew: Place 5-6 black tea bags (or 5 tablespoons of loose leaf tea in a tea infuser) in a large bowl or pitcher and pour 6 cups of boiling water over them. Allow to steep for 3-5 minutes, then remove tea.
     
3. Assemble your drink. You can prepare a large pitcher of bellini peach raspberry tea (my preferred method), or make individual drinks in tall, 16oz glasses. Fill a pitcher with the tea and add the syrup. Mix together then top off the pitcher with ice. Feel free to add more syrup if you want your tea sweeter and sprigs of mint for garnish.

Commonly asked questions

Does it matter what brand of tea I use?

While you can certainly feel free to use any black tea brand you like or have on hand, the better quality the tea the better your drink will taste. Two of my favorite black teas to use for this drink are Art of Tea’s Yunnan Black Tea and Buddha Tea’s Darjeeling Loose Leaf Tea. 

Can I reduce the sugar in the syrups?

You can reduce the sugar in the syrup recipes by up to a half if you want them to be less sweet. Keep in mind this will also make the syrup thinner, so it may appear more watery than like a syrup. 

Can I use frozen raspberries or peaches for the syrups?

Absolutely! This is what I normally do when neither are in season. 

Does this drink contain alcohol?

Nope! While the name does contain the word bellini (a traditional bellini is a peach and champagne cocktail), this iced tea version is alcohol-free. 

Bellini peach raspberry iced tea recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Raspberry syrup (makes a total of 1 cup syrup)

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Peach syrup

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

1 cup fresh or frozen peaches

Tea

5-6 black tea bags or 5 tablespoons of loose leaf tea in a tea infuser

6 cups water

Instructions

To make the syrups: 

1. In a medium saucepan, place the raspberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes. The sugar will dissolve and the fruit will start to break down. 
2. Once the fruit has become very soft, strain the syrup syrup through a fine mesh sieve.
3. Repeat the process with the peaches to make the peach syrup, and allow both syrups to cool.

To assemble the tea:

Pour the tea into a large pitcher along with the syrups. Stir together and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with ice. Pour into glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint.