As a Starbucks barista, I carry a certain responsibility when it comes to you all: I must tell you any and all Starbucks hacks for your own benefit and enjoyment. So here is today’s DIY hack: a Starbucks’ green tea lemonade recipe.
The Essential Ingredients
It’s so incredibly easy — you only need two things. To make a Starbucks green tea lemonade, you need lemonade and green tea that has notes of mint, lemongrass, and lemon verbena.
I went with Tazo Zen Green Tea and Minute Maid Light Lemonade. Starbucks’ lemonade is a blend of water, lemon juice, lemon oil, and sugar — this kind of Minute Maid was the closest bottled version I could find.
Totally optional: turn on the Starbucks Spotify playlist and brew a pot of coffee while you make your green tea lemonade. You know, if you’re trying to get the the full effect.
Okay, now that your kitchen feels somewhat like a Starbucks, you’re ready to make some green tea lemonade.
Homemade Starbucks Green Tea Lemonade
Ingredients
Instructions
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil on the stove, then add 3 green tea bags to the water. Turn off the heat and let this steep for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bags and squeeze out any liquid inside of them. Add 3 more cups of water to the tea, then pour it into a pitcher.
Shake your bottle of lemonade, then pour about half of the bottle into the pitcher with the green tea. Give the mixture a stir, then pour a glass and enjoy.
Green Tea Lemonade Health Benefits
Not only are you being trendy and cool by making this Starbucks green tea lemonade recipe at home, but your body is also getting a lot of benefits from the green tea.
Green tea contains antioxidants, which help to prevent aging, cell damage, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and a variety of cancers.
The amino acid L-theanine and caffeine are also found in green tea — a combination that promotes brain function and energy.
It doesn’t stop there: green tea is also a natural fat burner. If you want to feel super basic, just sip on your pretend Starbucks green tea lemonade and think about running. Thanks to the green tea, it’s almost like you’re actually doing it.
Green tea is also thought to prevent depression, tooth decay, and heart disease. Last but certainly not least, drinking green tea supposedly regulates glucose levels, which slows blood sugar from rising after eating. This is especially beneficial for people with diabetes.
Watch That Lemonade Though
If you’re a very health-conscious person, make sure you’re checking the sugar levels in your lemonade. Starbucks is known for having insanely high amounts of sugar in some of their drinks — although this drink is not quite as high in sugar as others.
Bottled lemonade from the store is usually pretty high in sugar, so if this is a big concern for you, you can easily make homemade lemonade from water, lemon juice, and a sweetener of your choice. Simply combine 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 3 cups of water, and sweetener to your preference.
Now that you all know a hack for the Starbucks green tea lemonade recipe, you should drag your eyes away from this screen and give it a whirl. And remember, if you feel that the flavors aren’t balanced to your liking, you can always make adjustments. That’s the beauty of making Starbucks at home.