Go Back
–+ servings
Three glasses of vibrant red hibiscus lemonade garnished with mint sprigs.next to a large pitcher filled with a red beverage.

Hibiscus Lemonade

Hibiscus lemonade is a fun and flavorful twist on the old fashioned lemonade that Grandma made.  A simple syrup made with dried hibiscus flowers gives this lemonade the gorgeous crimson hue and an earthy cranberry-like taste.
4.91 from 11 votes
Print Pin Save
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 151kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Simple Syrup:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers

For the Lemonade:

  • 5 cups cold water
  • 2 cups lemon juice
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced
  • Ice cubes
  • Fresh mint for garnish
  • Drinking straws

Instructions

Make the Simple Syrup:

  • Add the sugar 2 cup of water and the dried hibiscus flowers to a small saucepan set over medium-high and bring to a boil.  Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. 
  • Remove from the heat and cool for 10 to 15 minutes; then strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing down on the flowers with the back of a spoon, and discard the used hibiscus flowers.  

For the Lemonade:

  • Pour the cold water into a 2-quart pitcher, add the lemon juice and the cooled hibiscus syrup stirring well.  Add lemon slices to the pitcher.  
  • Place several ice cubes and a lemon slice in tall glasses and fill with the hibiscus lemonade. Top each serving with a sprig of mint and serve with a straw.  

Notes

  • When making the hibiscus simple syrup the hibiscus flowers will absorb some of the syrup. You should have approximately 1-½ cups of syrup after straining.  
  • Some lemons have an excessive amount of seeds.  To easily remove many of them before squeezing, cut the lemons in half and insert a dinner fork in several places of the exposed flesh, gently twisting the fork. The seeds will rise to the surface where you can scrape them off with the fork. Repeat the procedure with each lemon. Then proceed with the juicing.  The fork will also help release their juice.
  • A refrigerated lemon will be more resistive to releasing its juice than a room temperature lemon. Set the lemons on the countertop to come to room temperature.  Another tip is to place the cold lemons in a bowl of warm (not hot) tap water for 30 minutes.
  • If the lemons are especially firm and difficult to juice, try rolling them on the countertop while firmly pressing down which breaks down the tissues.  Also you can place them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds before squeezing them.

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.2mg