Iced Jasmine Green Tea with Lychee Jelly

Fragrant jasmine green tea is combined with lychee jelly to make an icy and refreshing drink that is sure to quench any thirst. This recipe is super simple, contains just a few ingredients and no more difficult than making Jello. I’ve come to really love this drink switching from the tapioca pearls to the jelly not too long ago and I am addicted! What I didn’t love was having to pay $4.75 for a single drink at my local tea and juice shop so I decided to save some money and make this cool and refreshing drink at home. No more paying for a high-priced drinks. For about the same price you can make this delicious drink at home and have 4 servings. Gotta love that! 🙂

Notes on the Recipe, Tips and Tricks

Refrigerate the can of lychees overnight and skip having to quick chill the liquid. You must use cold liquid with gelatin.

Use unflavored gelatin. 3 tsp gelatin makes a medium-firm jelly and 4 tsp makes a firm gelatin. The firm jelly holds up better in drinks.

Be sure to stir, stir and stir to completely dissolve the gelatin. It takes longer than you think–approximately 5 minutes. If you don’t stir well, you will have get a thick rubbery layer on the bottom of the jelly from the settling gelatin powder.

I love bits of the lychee fruit in my jelly. If you prefer a smooth jelly, skip the fruit. The recipe remains the same.

Adjust the sweetness based on your preference. Add the sweetener to the hot tea to help it dissolve easily. Honey is my personal favorite with this drink because it’s more delicate than table sugar. Feel free to use sugar substitutes like agave syrup, Splenda or Stevia.

This recipe can easily be adapted to make other delicious and fruity flavors: mango, coconut, jackfruit to name a few. The recipe remains the same.

Consume the jelly within 2-3 days for best flavor.

20 oz can of lychees in syrup
4 tsp unflavored gelatin
4 jasmine green tea bags
4 cups boiling water
4 Tbsp honey

Directions

Open the can of lychees and drain 1 cup syrup into a large measuring cup. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup syrup into another measuring cup and set aside for now. Put the larger cup into the freezer and chill for 20 minutes.

Take 5 lychees and chop into small pieces. Set aside for now. Save some of the remaining lychees to garnish the drink and enjoy the rest.

Remove the cold syrup from the freezer. Sprinkle gelatin on top of the syrup and let stand for 1 minute.

Heat the remaining 1/2 cup syrup in the microwave on High until it boils, approximately 1 minute.

Add the hot syrup to the cold syrup/gelatin mixture and stir together for 5 minutes, making sure the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Add the chopped lychees and mix together.

Pour the mixture into dish or bowl holding approximately 3 cups.

Chill in the refrigerator until the jelly sets, approximately 4 hours.

Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and discard.

Add the honey and combine well. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature.

Run a sharp knife along the edge of the dish to loosen the jelly. Invert the dish onto a cutting board to unmold the jelly.

Cut the lychee jelly into small chunks using a wavy knife.

Fill a tall glass 2/3 full with crushed ice. Spoon 3-4 Tbsp lychee jelly on top of the crushed ice. Pour in the jasmine green tea covering the ice.

Place 1-2 lychees into each glass, add a big sipping straw and enjoy!

Servings: 4

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like: Jackfruit Smoothie (Sinh To Mit), Avocado Smoothie (Sinh To Bo) and Three Color Dessert (Che Ba Mau)

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