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Warm summer days call for a refreshing drink. The natural flavors of sweet berries, fresh citrus, and bright hibiscus come together in a delicious Berry Hibiscus Iced Tea that's the perfect afternoon refresher.
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Whether you're looking for a delicious sip for relaxing pool-side, or just want to dream of warm summer days while it snows outside, this berry hibiscus iced tea has you covered.
Hibiscus contains both citrus notes and floral, so pairing it with fresh orange and sweetening it with honey draws out both of those delicious flavors.
This recipe is easily doubled or tripled (use the tools in my recipe card) for summer parties or backyard entertaining. Just make sure you choose a big enough pitcher or container for the larger batches!
I love serving this iced tea alongside some baked sweet potato chips and roasted red pepper dip for easy and delicious happy hour entertaining.
What's in Homemade Hibiscus Iced Tea
- Strawberries and blackberries - Fresh berries are best, but thawed frozen berried will work too if that's what you have available.
- White sugar - Cane sugar or beet sugar both work great.
- Orange - Use a fresh orange for this recipe.
- Honey - Choose your favorite honey or use agave syrup for a vegan option.
- Dried hibiscus flowers - Look for 100% dried hibiscus flowers, not hibiscus tea or a tea blend.
- Fresh mint - This is an important flavor component to the drink, so don't leave it out.
How to Make Hibiscus Berry Iced Tea (Step by Step)
Place sliced strawberries, blackberries and sugar into a quart jar.
Juice the orange into the jar. Stir to combine and let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Muddle the mixture to completely crush the berries.
Add honey and set the berry mixture aside.
Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add dried hibiscus flowers and fresh mint.
Let mixture steep for 5 minutes.
Strain out the hibiscus and mint. Pour half of the hot tea into the quart jar with the berry mixture.
Stir until the honey has dissolved, then add in the rest of the tea.
Cover and place the jar in the refrigerator until it has cooled completely. (At least 3-4 hours, preferably overnight.)
Note: You MUST let the tea cool completely in the refrigerator before you drink it. Do NOT pour the tea over ice while it’s hot, warm, or even room temperature. The ice will melt quickly and you’ll end up with a SUPER watery drink with much less flavor.
Make the tea the day before - or at least morning before - you intend to serve it so it can chill completely.
Shake the jar well before serving the tea in highball glasses over ice.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and/or a fresh strawberry.
Recipe Tips
- If you’re making this recipe 3-4 days before you plan to serve it, strain out the berry pieces after the tea has chilled completely. This will give it the longest shelf-life in the refrigerator.
- Use agave nectar instead of honey for a vegan option.
- Make the garnish as fancy as you want! Add a cocktail pick of blackberries, a large piece of strawberry, or a big bouquet of mint to the glass, if desired.
- Feel free to leave out the blackberries or swap them for fresh blueberries, but don’t skip the strawberries. They’re an important component of this drink.
Looking for more refreshing, non-alcoholic drinks?
Berry hibiscus iced tea is one of my favorite non-alcoholic drinks in the summertime. Want to add a few more to your summer happy hour? Try my color-changing unicorn lemonade or watermelon strawberry mocktails.
FAQs and Substitutions
No. While similar, this iced tea is not intended in any way to be a Starbucks copycat recipe. It doesn’t contain any green coffee extract, green tea, or any other kind of caffeinated ingredients.
Yes, just use the same number of fresh berries as listed in the recipe and let them thaw at room temperature before using.
As written, there is no caffeine in this recipe. However, if you choose to use a hibiscus tea bag instead of dried hibiscus flowers, you may be adding in caffeine as many of the hibiscus teas you find at the grocery store contain black tea or white tea. Check the ingredients on your tea box if caffeine is an important ingredient for you to avoid (or add).
If you don't like pieces of crushed berries in your iced tea, simply strain the cooled berry hibiscus tea before serving.
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Berry Hibiscus Iced Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 whole strawberries
- 3 whole blackberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 navel orange
- ⅓ cup honey or agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers not tea
- 3 sprigs fresh mint 10-12 fresh mint leaves
- 2.5 cups water
Instructions
- Place sliced strawberries, blackberries and sugar into a quart jar.
- Juice the orange into the jar.
- Stir to combine and let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Muddle the mixture to completely crush the berries.
- Add honey and set the berry mixture aside.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add dried hibiscus flowers and fresh mint to the hot water.
- Let mixture steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain out the flowers and mint.
- Pour half of the hot tea into the quart jar with the berry mixture.
- Stir until the honey has dissolved, then add in the rest of the tea.
- Cover and place the jar in the refrigerator until it has cooled completely. (At least 3-4 hours, preferably overnight.)
- Shake the jar well before serving the tea in highball glasses over ice.
- Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
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