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Hibiscus Tea is my favorite way to cool down when the Arizona heat is relentless, a gorgeous ruby-red drink that is tart, floral, and refreshingly fizzy. I make a pitcher *on the hottest afternoons* and the girls love how pink and pretty it is. If you love a refreshing sipper, our frosted lemonade is another summer favorite around here.
With just a few ingredients and a quick steep, you can have this naturally beautiful, lightly sweet iced tea ready to pour over ice.
Hibiscus Tea Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 3 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 38 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 2 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 39kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Tart, floral, lightly sweet, and refreshingly fizzy
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a simple iced drink like our apricot smoothie bowls
Quick Answer
Boil water, remove it from the heat, and steep dried hibiscus flowers for about five minutes. Strain and cool the deep red tea, then stir in fresh lemon juice and honey to taste. Pour over ice, top with sparkling water, garnish with lemon, and serve chilled. It is a refreshing, naturally pink drink ready in minutes.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Dried hibiscus does the work. Just a few whole dried hibiscus flowers steep into a vibrant, ruby-red tea with a bright, cranberry-like tartness.
- A quick steep is all you need. Five minutes off the heat extracts plenty of color and flavor without turning the tea bitter.
- Honey sweetens naturally. A spoonful of honey balances the tartness while keeping the drink light and refreshing.
- Sparkling water adds fizz. Topping each glass with sparkling water turns a simple tea into a bubbly, spritzer-like treat.
- It is light and refreshing. At only about 39 calories a glass, this is a guilt-free way to beat the heat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is tart, floral, and beautifully ruby-red, the prettiest drink on any summer table.
- It comes together with just a handful of ingredients and a quick five-minute steep.
- It is easy to dress up for a party, the same way we do with our classic French 75.
Key Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients make this gorgeous, refreshing drink. Here is what you need:
- Dried hibiscus flowers: The star. They steep into a tart, ruby-red tea and are found in the tea or Latin foods aisle.
- Lemon juice: Fresh-squeezed brightens the tea and balances the floral tartness.
- Honey: A natural sweetener that mellows the tang. Add more or less to taste.
- Sparkling water: The fizzy finish that turns this into a refreshing spritzer.
- Lemon slices and ice: For garnish and chill, the same pretty touches we love on our frosted lemonade.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this hibiscus tea your own with a few easy ideas:
- Make it a mocktail: Add fresh mint, berries, or a splash of fruit juice.
- Sweeten differently: Swap honey for agave, simple syrup, or a sugar-free sweetener.
- Skip the fizz: Leave out the sparkling water for a still iced hibiscus tea.
- Make it boozy: Add a splash of rum or sparkling wine for a grown-up version, like our French 75.
How to Make Hibiscus Tea
- Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat, add the dried hibiscus flowers, and let them steep for 5 minutes.
- Remove the hibiscus flowers and let the deep red tea cool to room temperature.
- Stir in the fresh lemon juice and honey until dissolved, then fill two tall glasses with ice and pour the tea over.
- Top each glass with sparkling water, garnish with lemon slices, and serve chilled.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not over-steep, five minutes is plenty. Steeping too long can make the tea bitter.
- Cool the tea fully before adding the sparkling water so it stays fizzy.
- Taste as you sweeten, hibiscus is tart, so adjust the honey to your liking.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the brightest, freshest flavor.
- Make a big batch of the concentrate and top each glass with sparkling water to order.
- Serve it at a party alongside a sweet treat like our candied grapes.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve hibiscus tea ice cold in tall glasses over plenty of ice, topped with sparkling water and a bright lemon slice. Its stunning ruby color makes it as much a centerpiece as a drink, perfect for summer parties and backyard barbecues.
It pairs beautifully with light, fresh bites and sweet treats. Set it out next to our apricot smoothie bowls for brunch or our frosted lemonade at a summer cookout for a colorful drink station.
Hosting a gathering? Make a big batch of the hibiscus concentrate ahead of time and let guests top their own glasses with sparkling water and garnishes. Round out the spread with our layered lemon blueberry trifle for a refreshing, crowd-pleasing menu.
Hibiscus Tea FAQs
Boil water, take it off the heat, and steep dried hibiscus flowers for about five minutes. Strain and cool the tea, then stir in fresh lemon juice and honey. Pour over ice, top with sparkling water, and garnish with lemon slices for a refreshing, naturally pink drink.
Hibiscus tea is tart and floral with a bright, cranberry-like flavor. On its own it is quite tangy, which is why a little honey and lemon balance it beautifully into a refreshing, lightly sweet drink.
Hibiscus tea is naturally low in calories and free of caffeine. It is often enjoyed for its rich color and refreshing, tart flavor, and this version is sweetened lightly with honey for a guilt-free treat.
Yes. Make the steeped, sweetened hibiscus concentrate and store it covered in the fridge for up to four days. When you are ready to serve, pour it over ice and top each glass with sparkling water so it stays fizzy.
Absolutely. Skip the ice and sparkling water and enjoy the steeped, sweetened hibiscus tea warm. It makes a cozy, naturally caffeine-free hot tea, especially nice with a little extra honey and a squeeze of lemon.
Look for dried hibiscus flowers, sometimes labeled flor de jamaica, in the tea aisle, the Latin foods section of the grocery store, health food stores, or online. A little goes a long way for that deep red color.
Thirsty for more? Our frosted lemonade is the next refreshing drink to cool you down.
Hibiscus Tea
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3 whole dried hibiscus flowers
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon honey more or less to taste
- Ice
- 1 cup sparkling water
- 2 lemon slices for garnish optional
Instructions
- Add water to a small saucepan and bring it to boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pot from the heat and place it on the countertop.1 cup water
- Add the hibiscus flowers and let them steep for 5 minutes.1 cup water
- Remove the hibiscus and cool the tea to room temperature.1 cup water
- Add the lemon juice and honey, stir until combined and the honey is dissolved. Taste and add more honey if desired.1 cup water
- Take 2 tall glasses, add ice to each glass.1 cup water
- Add the cooled hibiscus tea mixture to each glass and top the glass with sparkling water. Add lemon slices and serve chilled.1 cup water
Notes
- We like to add some lemon juice and honey to give this some added flavor, this is optional.
- You will need the whole dried hibiscus flower.
- You can double or triple this recipe to make a larger batch to keep in the refrigerator to serve later
- This can be served warm or cold, that is a personal preference.
- We use some sparkling water to pour over the top to give it a little bubble.
Nutrition
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