• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Recipes
  • eBooks
  • Spring
  • FREE EBOOK

Create Mindfully

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • eBooks
  • Spring
  • FREE EBOOK
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • eBooks
    • Spring
    • FREE EBOOK
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Kombucha

    Modified: Mar 14, 2025 · Published: May 15, 2021 by Willow Moon · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

    Hibiscus Kombucha

    Jump to Recipe Pin

    This tart Hibiscus Kombucha is a great alternative to homemade kombucha with black tea. It works great with flavors too!

    Hibiscus Kombucha in two mason jars.

    💌 SAVE THIS

    I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    One of my favorite hobbies is making homemade kombucha. I love creating new flavors and controlling how much sweetener I add.

    Best of all, I love saving money by not buying store-bought.

    One of my latest experiments is trying out different teas in the kombucha first fermentation. This Hibiscus Kombucha is the first of hopefully many of those experiments.

    The first fermentation of kombucha is when you combine sweetened tea, a kombucha scoby, and some starter tea. You let it ferment for 7-21 days and the result is uncarbonated unflavored kombucha.

    This Hibiscus Kombucha is sweet, tart, and fruity tasting.

    Two other first fermentation recipes to try are Yerba Mate Kombucha and Green Tea Kombucha recipe. Both are mild, light, and refreshing.

    Another hibiscus recipe is my Agua de Jamaica recipe.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love It
    • 🧾 Ingredients
    • 🥣 Supplies
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Tips
    • What Flavors Pair Well With Hibiscus?
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs
    • 🥃 Other Kombucha Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ❤️ Why You'll Love It

    • It is sweet, tart, and fruity flavored.
    • It's a great starter for second fermentation kombucha flavors.
    • It's a nice alternative to kombucha made with black tea.

    🧾 Ingredients

    Ingredients for hibiscus kombucha on a cutting board with labels.
    • A kombucha starter pack, which includes a kombucha scoby ( symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) in some kombucha starter liquid - or - 1-2 cups freshly made kombucha and a scoby.
    • Hibiscus flowers - I also have tutorials for Yerba Mate Kombucha (first fermentation), and how to make green tea kombucha.
    • Filtered water
    • Sugar

    To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    🥣 Supplies

    • Gallon sized jar
    • Tea towel or coffee filter
    • Thick rubber band
    • kitchen thermometer

    🔪 Instructions

    Hibiscus flowers above pan with hot water.

    Step 1: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat.

    Step 2: Add dried hibiscus flowers. Steep 5-10 minutes.

    Sugar in measuring cup above pan with hibiscus tea.

    Step 3: Add 1 cup of sugar, and stir until dissolved. Reheat the tea to get the sugar to dissolve faster if needed.

    Kombucha scoby in gallon sized mason jar with hibiscus tea.

    Step 4: Add the tea mixture to a gallon sized jar, along with room-temperature filtered water, the kombucha scoby, and the fermented tea that it came in.

    Check to make sure the mixture is between 75°-85°. It will most likely be on the hotter side, but it will cool down as long as the room is between 75°-85°.

    Hibiscus Kombucha in a gallon-sized jar with towel secured on top.

    Step 5: Secure the jar with a tea towel or coffee filter and a rubber band. Place the jar in a warm location - between 75°-85°.

    Colder temperatures = mold, so make sure the room is between those temperatures!

    Let the kombucha brew between 7- 21 days. Begin tasting the kombucha on day 7. If it tastes too sweet, let it ferment longer. I like to brew mine for 18 days.

    After the kombucha is done brewing, pour it into bottles and place it in the fridge, save 1-2 cups of liquid for your next batch, or you can start a second fermentation with flavors.

    The video below is for homemade kombucha with black tea, but the process is the same:

    You can also add sweetener to the homemade kombucha. You will need some bottles with flip top lids, and a funnel. I like 2 tablespoons of maple syrup per 25 oz. bottle of kombucha, or ½ cup per gallon.

    Pour maple syrup, then the finished hibiscus kombucha into each glass bottle, leaving 1-2" head space. Let sit 3-5 days in a warm location again, popping the bottles each day to let out carbon dioxide. Taste each day to test its flavor and fizziness.

    💭 Tips

    • Since kombucha is usually made with black tea, you will want to have an extra scoby when trying recipes like this one. Once you have made a batch or two of homemade kombucha, your scoby will produce a baby scoby. That's a good time to experiment with other teas.
    • Hibiscus tea will stain your scoby and may change its flavor, which is another reason to have an extra scoby.
    Hibiscus Kombucha in two mason jars.

    What Flavors Pair Well With Hibiscus?

    Sweet tart fruit goes well with hibiscus. Hibiscus tea tastes like cranberry, raspberry, and pomegranate.

    If you make a second fermentation (by adding flavors), you can use raspberries, mixed berries, strawberries, cranberries, pomegranates, or cherries for a foolproof recipe.

    Flavors I've made with hibiscus kombucha:

    • Raspberry Hibiscus Kombucha
    • Strawberry Hibiscus Kombucha
    • Blueberry Hibiscus Kombucha
    • Cherry Hibiscus Kombucha
    • Mixed Berry Hibiscus Kombucha

    Or you can try other fruits like banana, pineapple, blood orange, or kiwi to see how they complement each other.

    5 Secrets To Making Kombucha

    Pomegranate Kombucha in two glasses.

    Kombucha just got easier!

    We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs

    What does hibiscus kombucha taste like?

    Hibiscus kombucha is sweet, tart, and fruity.

    What Flavors Pair Well With Hibiscus?

    Raspberries, mixed berries, strawberries, cranberries, pomegranates, and cherries pair well with hibiscus.

    🥃 Other Kombucha Recipes

    • Raspberry Kombucha in two glasses.
      Raspberry Kombucha
    • Peach Kombucha
      Peach Kombucha
    • Strawberry Kombucha
      Strawberry Kombucha
    • Pomegranate Kombucha in two glasses.
      Pomegranate Kombucha

    If you tried this Hibiscus Kombucha Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how you like it in the 💬 comments below. I love hearing from you!

    📋 Recipe

    Hibiscus Kombucha
    Pin Print Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    5 from 2 votes

    Hibiscus Kombucha

    This tart Hibiscus Kombucha is a great alternative to homemade kombucha with black tea. It works great with flavors too!
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 5 minutes minutes
    18 days days
    Total Time 18 days days 10 minutes minutes
    Servings 14
    Calories 58kcal
    Author Willow Moon
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 Gallon sized jar
    • 1 Tea towel or coffee filter
    • 1 Thick rubber band
    • Kitchen thermometer

    Ingredients

    • 14 cups filtered water
    • ½ cup hibiscus flowers
    • 1 cup cane sugar
    • 1 kombucha culture*
    • 1-2 cups homemade kombucha

    Instructions

    • Bring 2 cups filtered water to a boil.
    • Add hibiscus flowers and remove from heat. Allow to steep 5-10 minutes, then strain.
    • Add sugar and stir to dissolve. If the sugar is taking too long to dissolve, turn on the heat again and heat 1-2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
    • Add sweetened tea to a clean gallon sized jar. Fill with room temperature filtered water. Using a kitchen thermometer, make sure the tea is 75°-85°. (By adding room temperature water to the hot tea mixture it will be around 85°-87°, but it will cool down to room temperature.)
    • Add kombucha culture and 1-2 cups homemade kombucha (or starter culture and starter tea) to the sweetened tea. Secure a tea towel or coffee filter over the jar with a sturdy rubber band.
    • Place the jar in a warm area that is between 75°-85°. Cold temperatures cause mold, so a warm area is necessary for the success of your kombucha!
    • The kombucha will be ready between 7-21 days. Taste it at day 7. If it's too sweet, ferment it longer. I like to brew mine for 18 days.

    Notes

    *If using a kombucha starter pack you won't need homemade kombucha because the starter culture comes in starter tea.
    To sweeten the hibiscus kombucha and make it bubbly, you will need some bottles with flip top lids. I use 25 oz. bottles.
    Pour 2 tablespoons maple syrup, then the finished homemade kombucha into each bottle, leaving 1-2" head space. Let sit 3-5 days, popping the bottles each day to let out carbon dioxide. Taste each day to test its flavor and fizziness.

    💌 SAVE THIS

    I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
    SIGN UP for my newsletter, get a FREE 30 Minute Vegan Dinners 7-Day Meal Plan as a welcome gift! 💌

    *Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.

    More Kombucha

    • Lemon Lime Green Tea Kombucha
      Lemon Lime Green Tea Kombucha
    • Lemon Green Tea Kombucha
      Lemon Green Tea Kombucha
    • Mango Green Tea Kombucha
      Mango Green Tea Kombucha
    • Raspberry Green Tea Kombucha in a glass with straw.
      Raspberry Green Tea Kombucha

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Willow Moon with green shirt and tie dye scarf.

    Namaste, I'm Willow!

    I've been vegan for 25 years and
    gluten-free for 13 years. I share easy and delicious vegan gluten-free recipes the whole family will love! Read more →

    Spring Recipes

    • Broccoli Fritters on a plate.
      Broccoli Fritters

    • Benedictine Tea Sandwiches on a plate.
      Benedictine Tea Sandwiches

    • Green Detox Juice
      Green Detox Juice

    • Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Pasta (vegan, gluten free) - This rich vegan gluten free pasta is perfect for date night. It has only a few ingredients, but tastes like it came from a restaurant.
      Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Pasta

    Popular Recipes

    • Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt Bites
      Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt Bites (Vegan)

    • Apple Pecan Chickpea Salad Sandwich on a plate.
      Apple Pecan Chickpea Salad Sandwich

    • Vegetable Fritter being dipped into vegan chipotle ranch dressing.
      The Most Amazing Vegetable Fritters

    • Homemade Payday Bars on parchment paper.
      Homemade Payday Bars

    • Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia pudding in a bowl.
      Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding

    • Banana Cream Pie Overnight Oats
      Banana Cream Pie Overnight Oats

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for my newsletter and get a FREE 30 Minute Vegan Dinners 7 Day Meal Plan as a welcome gift!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Tip Jar

    Featured In:

    A list of magazines that Create Mindfully has been featured in like Good Housekeeping, Dr. Axe, Peta, and more.

    Copyright © 2014 - 2025
    Create Mindfully - All Rights Reserved.

    Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Willow Moon and Create Mindfully with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All photos and artwork are property of Willow Moon and Create Mindfully. Do not duplicate or copy without proper consent.

    Hibiscus Kombucha (vegan, gluten free) - This tart kombucha is a great alternative to kombucha with black tea. It works great with flavors too!

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

    My family loved this!
    Thank you for sharing this recipe, I loved it!
    This worked exactly as written, thanks!

    Or write in your own words:

    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.