What sweeteners do you use to sweeten your tea?

I feel like a bit of a sweetening rebel after reading the other posts, but I’m an ex-coffee drinker so anything goes! I use just about anything I can get my hands on: white sugar, honey, rock sugar, syrup, occasionally sugar substitute, agave nectar… if it sweetens the tea I’ve probably tried it. Currently, I’ve been favoring small amounts of white sugar and clover honey though.

Oh, I should probably add brown sugar to this list as well…pretty much if I’ve ever put it in coffee, I have put it in tea.

None

I have tried to give up the sweetener, but I just haven’t been able to enjoy tea without it. I haven’t added sugar to regular old iced tea for decades, but I do add sweetener to the good iced teas I make. I use mainly the German rock sugar from Teavana, which I adore. I found some lighter crystal sugar block at an Asian market and had to smash it with a hammer to break it up, but it’s actually quite good. Not the burnt sugar taste of Teavana’s, but lighter and mild. I might have to go get more. I’ve also had some palm sugar that I bought at the Asian market that I haven’t opened yet because it is so hard and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I could try grating it, as someone said.

I sometimes use liquid stevia from the grocery store especially for a sleep tisane, when I’ve already brushed my teeth or at work, where it is easy. It tastes like saccharine to me, so don’t prefer it. I just ordered some Sunrider Sunectar and Sunny Dew, which are both stevia sweeteners (Sunny Dew has chrysanthemum in it also, I think) that are supposed to be processed in a much more healthful way than the ones I’ve been buying. They STILL can not sell them as sweeteners, which is weird when you consider Truvia and Purevia. In the late eighties I used Sunectar, the laws then were so prohibitive that it could only be sold with a powder to use as a facial mask. I guess stevia really is good for your skin, but the Sunrider reps all privately told people that it was a wonderful sweetener. Which it was, and you only needed a few drops of it, unlike the watered down store versions. I remember it having that darker sugar flavor that the clear stevias don’t have. I am really looking forward to trying it again, and seeing what my thoughts are on it now.

Agave nectar is wonderful too, and I like it for teas that I brew at a lower temperature that might not melt the rock sugar as well. For some reason, I just don’t favor using it as much. Maybe because it is light and I end up using more with the stronger teas that I usually prefer.

I don’t tend to sweeten my teas, but when I rarely do I tend to use agave nectar. I like how light and clean it is, how it doesn’t seem to alter the flavor of the tea itself but just sweetens what’s there.

I never sweeten green/white/yellow teas (the sweetness would just kill the subtle flavors and seems rather blasphemous to me). Whenever I’m sick I like to brew some black tea and sweeten it with honey. Also, I absolutely love honey added to ginger. I’m constantly having sinus problems, so the ginger clears up my nose and the honey definitely soothes my irritated throat! Besides those two instances, I hold back on the sweetener. Actually, this applies to all areas of my life. You won’t ever see me eating dessert or sugary filled foods.

Well…being raised on nothing but sweet tea (born and raised in the south kinda tea) and just recently finding my love of herbal teas, I tend to sweeten…. quite heavily actually… My weapon of choice is Agave Necter!

I came across a new sweetening option at Walmart. It’s called blond coconut sugar and is made from the flower on the coconut tree. It has a brown sugar like texture and flavor. I’m enjoying it in a re-steeped cup of Candy Cane tea :) Just thought I’d share!

The only teas I sweeten are chai, Hibiscus (Jamaica) and my summer semi-sweet herbal blends-

I sweeten my chai- with local or organic honey( about half to one teaspoon per serving (1-2 cups)- learning to use raw/unbleached sugar cubes as well-
my herbal blends (often mint and hibiscus based, with some chamomile notes in- I use mint every batch, and throw in what blends well)in summer that I chill I will often use agave nectar (1-2 teaspoons for the full pitcher) sometimes honey. Jamaica I have used white sugar in the past,(growing up) been trying it recently with raw sugar when I can find the Jamaica flowers to start with!

i rarely sweeten my tea. there are a few black teas that i sweeten. what i add, depends on where i am. at work, i use agave. at home it’s just plain old white sugar, even though i have a bottle of agave here.

I really like the Tea Honey from Adagio, and I get it at a local grocery store. I also use brown rock sugar and agave, depending on my mood.