Hibiscus Tea Recipe

Did you know that you can make tea out of hibiscus flowers? It has an exotic flavor and packs a healthy punch – and it’s a beautiful, bright red color! Hibiscus tea is naturally caffeine-free and contains zero calories.

You can enjoy your tea hot or icy cold and adapt the flavor to suit your taste. If you love hibiscus flowers like I do, it’s a great idea to try this refreshing and healthy tea.

Hibiscus flowers contain antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins. These compounds give red, blue, and purple berries and other foods their vibrant color and have all kinds of health properties. It may reduce inflammation, prevent type 2 diabetes, and improve heart health. Anthocyanins may even help you to lose weight!

I first tried hibiscus tea on a trip to Mexico. In Latin America, it’s known as “Agua de Jamaica,” and is made with dried hibiscus flowers, water, sugar, and sometimes additional flavorings like ginger and cinnamon. It’s served chilled from street carts – just what you need in the hot Mexican sun!

As long as you don’t use too much sugar, hibiscus tea is an excellent herbal tea option for people looking for fresh and healthy alternatives to other sugary beverages.

Hibiscus tea is easy to make and doesn’t require any fancy equipment. I bet you have everything you need in your kitchen right now.

1. Glasses or Cups

You can serve and enjoy cold hibiscus tea in any glass and warm hibiscus tea in any cup or mug. I prefer using transparent glasses, cups, or mugs. The color of the tea is so vibrant and beautiful that you’ll want to see it and show it off.

2. A Long-Handled Pot or Medium Saucepan

If you have a long-handled pot with a spout, it’s your best bet for making hibiscus tea because you’ll have to pour it through a strainer. If your pan doesn’t have a spout, just be careful when pouring the hot tea over the strainer.

3. A Strainer or Colander

Use any type of strainer or colander to separate the flower petals from the tea. A colander will do just fine if the holes are not too big. 

4. A Pitcher or Jug

You can make a batch of hibiscus tea and keep it in the fridge in a pitcher or a jug for up to five days. For best flavor-retaining results, use a glass container. 

Hibiscus Flowers

If you live in a tropical area, it’s easy to find hibiscus flowers. My neighbor has a huge bush with pink hibiscus flowers. You can even plant hibiscus in your own yard or in a pot and have a supply on hand. 

If you don’t have access to fresh hibiscus flowers, you can order packages of the dried flowers in health food stores, your local grocery store, online, and sometimes in Hispanic stores, Mexican markets, or specialty tea stores. Look out for a label that says, “Flor de Jamaica” or Jamaica tea.

I like this brand of dried hibiscus leaves for making tea. You can also buy hibiscus tea bags, but I think using the hibiscus petals is so much better in terms of freshness and flavor.

Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

The lime juice will balance the sweetness of your sweetener and the natural tartness of the hibiscus flowers. It’s best to use freshly squeezed lime juice with your hibiscus tea. However, if you don’t have limes available in your area or are out of season, buy high-quality bottled lime juice without any added sweetener. 

Another option is to substitute the lime with lemon juice. It will give your tea a slightly different flavor and will change the color to a luscious pink!

Sweetener

If you choose to sweeten your tea, you can use any sweetener you enjoy. The recipe calls for ¼ cup of honey, but you can use as much or as little as you like. If you enjoy tart flavors, feel free to leave out sweeteners altogether.

I like using honey because I think it complements and balances the tartness of the hibiscus. You could try maple syrup for a slightly smokey undertone, agave syrup, or stevia. 

See my list of the best natural substitutes for sugar.

Ice

If you want to enjoy your hibiscus tea icy cold, you can add ice cubes when serving it. Brew the tea and let it cool down or chill it in the refrigerator before adding the ice (similar to my method for making iced coffee). 

I like freezing mint leaves in ice cubes for my iced tea. It looks simply beautiful, and if the ice melts, you’ll have an extra burst of flavor in your tea!

Another option is to freeze different colored melon balls or use frozen grapes instead of ice. It will give your tea an interesting look, and the flavors will match beautifully!