Hibiscus Tea with Cinnamon (Easy Agua de Jamaica Recipe)
Sweet and floral with a hint of spice, hibiscus tea with cinnamon is a delicious drink that's easy to make and ready in minutes. It's beautiful, refreshing, and delicious glass after glass!
easy • vegan • no sugar added • refreshing
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Jump to:
- 📝 quick recipe overview
- ❤️ what you'll love about this hibiscus tea
- 🥣 ingredient notes
- 🔪 equipment notes
- 🧑🏽🍳 how to make hibiscus tea with cinnamon
- Recipe
- 🍽️ how to serve
- 🧊 storage
- ✅ acceptable substitutions and variations
- ♻️ sustainability profile
- ❓ frequently asked questions
- more vegan drink recipes
- 🕰️ the latest
Hibiscus tea is a refreshing drink perfect for any season because it can be served either hot or poured over ice as an iced herbal hibiscus tea. If you've heard hibiscus tea referred to as agua de jamaica (flor de jamaica in Spanish), that's because it is the same thing. It's a hibiscus-flavored agua fresca that means "hibiscus water" or "Jamaica water" (Jamaica refers to the flower, not the country).
A simple agua de jamaica is made with water, dried hibiscus calyces, and sugar. Cinnamon and lime are also commonly used to enhance the flavor.
In this version, I'm substituting the sugar with pure stevia extract powder, similar to my hibiscus lemonade and hibiscus simple syrup recipes. The hibiscus tea is still easy, sweet, and absolutely delicious. For those who prefer sugar, I'll leave some notes for you as well!
📝 quick recipe overview
- Skill level: Easy
- Taste: Sweet
- Waste: Low
- Sustainability: High
- Cleanup: Easy
- Ingredients: Common, moderately easy to source
- Equipment: Common, easy to source
- Time: 15 minutes to make, a few hours to chill
- Consistency: Light, pourable liquid
- Kid-friendly: Yes
- Best for: Enjoyed as an herbal drink, either hot or over ice
❤️ what you'll love about this hibiscus tea
Refreshing and beautiful. Hibiscus gives this a gorgeous deep red color and floral, slightly fruity flavor. Add a little cinnamon and a squeeze of lime for deeper flavor. It's comforting and tasty served warm OR (my favorite) chill and serve with ice for an aqua fresca version.
No sugar added and sweetened with stevia. We use pure stevia extract to skip the sugar, but without sacrificing sweetness.
Easy to make. You have a delicious drink in about 15 minutes. All you need to do is simmer and strain.
Perfect beverage for warm weather. Hibiscus is versatile and while you can enjoy it year-round, I love the flavor and color during warm months. This really is a thirst-quenching drink that takes the edge off the heat in the summer.
🥣 ingredient notes
Dried hibiscus. You should be able to find dried hibiscus at most stores, either in packaging or bulk jars. The dried portions are technically not petals, but are called calyces and are harvested after petals have fallen. This is what infuses the tea with fruity, floral notes and gives it that beautiful, bright red color.
Ground cinnamon. Many recipes call for a cinnamon stick. You're welcome to substitute ground cinnamon with a stick, if you like. I prefer using ground cinnamon because it's more widely available in home kitchens. Opt for organic, if available in your area.
Filtered water. While filtered water is preferred to help prevent off-flavors (tap water flavor can vary from kitchen to kitchen), any neutral water will do here.
Pure stevia extract powder. I discuss why pure stevia extract is my go-to on my sugar-free simple syrup post. I enjoy using pure stevia extract when I want to reduce sugar in certain recipes and it complements the hibiscus flavors really well. This is a twist on traditional recipes that call for granulated sugar as the sweetener.
Fresh lime juice. Citrus is such a great flavor enhancer; though, adding fresh lime juice is optional. It just gives the hibiscus tea a hint of tanginess that makes it even more refreshing.
🔪 equipment notes
- Large saucepan.
- Measuring cups and spoons.
- Spoon or spatula for stirring.
- Electric kettle. Optional, for heating water quickly.
- Fine mesh strainer.
- Bowl or second saucepan for straining.
🧑🏽🍳 how to make hibiscus tea with cinnamon
Bring water to a boil, jump-starting the process with an electric kettle. Add hibiscus and cinnamon sticks (or ground cinnamon) and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Strain the liquid into a heat-safe bowl or second saucepan.
Stir in the lime juice (if using) and pure stevia extract powder.
Allow to cool. Transfer to a glass, airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
Recipe
Hibiscus Tea with Cinnamon
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bring water, dried hibiscus, and cinnamon sticks to a boil before reducing to a simmer over low-medium heat. Simmer for ten minutes.8 cups water, 1 cup hibiscus, 2 cinnamon sticks
- Strain out the hibiscus and cinnamon sticks, pouring the liquid into a separate bowl or saucepan.
- Stir in the pure stevia extract and fresh lime juice until the stevia dissolves.1 tablespoon lime juice, ½ teaspoon pure stevia extract
- Cool and transfer to an airtight container before refrigerating.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you prefer to use ground cinnamon, substitute the cinnamon sticks with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Serve hot or cold.
- Dilute with more water, if desired.
- Adjust seasonings to taste. Add more sweetener, a different fruit (like lemon juice instead of lime juice), and/or include other seasonings, like cloves.
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Let us know how it was!🍽️ how to serve
Hot. If you'd like to drink this like a warm tea, serve warm immediately or reheat after storing in the refrigerator. For those drinking it hot, you may wish to leave out the lime completely, or squeeze lime wedges into the tea for individual servings.
Cool (my favorite). This hibiscus tea is incredibly refreshing cold, and the flavors deepen after chilling for a few hours in the refrigerator.
🧊 storage
Short-term storage. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Long-term storage. If you'd like to extend the life of the hibiscus tea, you can store in the freezer for up to three months. Consider freezing in ice cube trays before transferring to a freezer-safe container. That will allow you to take small batches of the tea and melt over ice without thawing the entire batch.
✅ acceptable substitutions and variations
Ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon sticks make this easier to strain and prevent bits of ground cinnamon from seeping into the drink. However, ground cinnamon is usually easier to find at the store and may be all you have in your pantry. You can skip the sticks and add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the saucepan with the hibiscus. Remember, though, that ground cinnamon is not water soluble. To lessen the bits of cinnamon in the finished drink:
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
- Don't stir the carafe or pitcher that stores your drink before serving. Over time, cinnamon sinks to the bottom.
I have made this with ground cinnamon and leftover cinnamon wasn't noticeable. However, you (or your guests) might be sensitive to it. Follow the tips or opt for cinnamon sticks instead.
Sweetener. I have not tested this with sugar or a different sugar replacement, but you can opt for something other than stevia, if desired.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Add after straining out the hibiscus, starting with small amounts and adding more as needed. Traditional recipes also call for piloncillo (unrefined sugar).
- Alternative sweeteners. Keep in mind that pure stevia extract is more potent than many varieties with fillers. If using something like Truvia, be prepared to add more to taste.
Spices. Experiment with cloves or allspice in place of, or in addition to, the cinnamon sticks. All you need is a pinch, so use restraint until you find your preferred level of spice.
♻️ sustainability profile
sourcing
Organic ingredients. If you have access to organic dried hibiscus, limes, and stevia, opt for that over conventionally grown products. Some produce waxes may contain animal-derived ingredients, so if you're strictly vegan, check with the producer or retailer if the coating isn't identified.
waste
Scraps. After you're done with the hibiscus, cinnamon sticks, and lime, you can either use them to make a stovetop simmer pot, or add them to your compost. If you do compost, it's best to add these acidic ingredients occasionally and in small quantities.
Don't forget to zest the lime first and save for later! I keep my zest in the freezer and add it to fresh salsa for a little extra flavor pop.
❓ frequently asked questions
How is hibiscus tea made?
Hibiscus tea is made by steeping hibiscus flowers (usually dried) either in hot water for several minutes, or in cold water for several hours. People have the option to infuse it with additional flavor, usually with sweeteners, fruit (like citrus), and spices (like cinnamon).
How do you make hibiscus tea less tart?
There are a few steps you can take to reduce the bitterness of hibiscus tea: (1) steep the dried hibiscus for a shorter period of time, or steep them in cold water, (2) reduce the amount of hibiscus you use, (3) dilute the drink with more water, (4) add more sweetener, or (5) add more flavors like citrus juice or spices until you reach the desired flavor.
Can hibiscus tea be served hot or cold?
Yes, hibiscus tea can be served either hot or cold. Hot versions make a delicious, comforting tea. When you serve cold and poured over ice, hibiscus tea is a delicious agua fresca known as agua de jamaica that is similar to a flavored iced tea and a thirst-quenching, refreshing cold drink.
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