Homemade Hibiscus Iced Tea (One-Gallon Recipe)

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This bold, refreshing hibiscus iced tea recipe makes a full gallon and is made completely from scratch using dried hibiscus flowers (no tea bags or concentrates needed). It’s also known as Agua de Jamaica and is a naturally caffeine-free herbal iced tea that’s perfect for serving a crowd.
Two glasses filled to the brim with homemade hibiscus iced tea. The drinks are in front of a gallon container of the hibiscus tea. Each drink is garnished with lime and there are a few lime wedges and dried hibiscus petals surrounding the drinks.

Hibiscus Iced Tea is a bold, naturally caffeine-free herbal drink with a deep pink color and tart, fruity flavor.

It’s just as easy to make by the gallon as it is by the glass, which makes it perfect for everything from casual backyard cookouts and family dinners to holiday parties and group gatherings.

And wow, is it delicious. The flavor is bright and slightly tangy—almost like cranberry, but milder and more refreshing.

A splash of fresh lime juice adds a hint of citrus, and a little sugar rounds everything out without making it overly sweet.

I make this all the time when I want something a little different from sweet tea or lemonade. It’s especially great for serving a crowd, keeping in the fridge on hot days, or mixing into fun drinks once you’ve made a batch.

A four-photo image showing a top-down picture of a refreshing glass of homemade hibiscus iced tea, garnished with a round slice of lime and lots of mini sphere ice cubes. There's also a photo of the ingredients, a gallon container filled with the hibiscus tea, and two glasses of the iced tea. The image has text overlay that says, gallon hibiscus iced tea, a tart and refreshing herbal iced tea recipe for making by the gallon.

Why You’ll Love this Big-Batch Hibiscus Iced Tea Recipe

It’s super refreshing – The tart, citrusy flavor is incredibly thirst-quenching, especially when served in a tall glass full of ice.

Perfect for parties and gatherings – This recipe makes a full gallon, which means you’ll have plenty to serve a crowd without having to make multiple batches.

Looking for more big-batch drink recipes? Check out my gallon homemade lemonade and gallon sweet tea recipes!

No caffeine, all flavor – Hibiscus tea is herbal and naturally caffeine-free, so it’s a great option for kids or guests avoiding caffeine.

More affordable than store-bought – This recipe is made with just dried hibiscus flowers, sugar, limes, and water (no pricey ingredients required). If you buy the hibiscus in bulk, it’s even more budget-friendly.

Totally customizable and great for mixing – Once you see how easy it is to make a batch of hibiscus tea concentrate, you can mix it into other drinks like lemonade, limeade, sparkling water, or even cocktails for a twist on the original. If you’re craving the lemonade version, check out my Hibiscus Lemonade recipe (it’s another way to use dried hibiscus flowers.).

Two ribbed glasses filled with red hibiscus iced tea and lots of ice. Each drink is garnished with lime and has a glass straw with a glass flower on it inserted into the iced tea. In the background is half a lime and a small bowl filled with dried hibiscus flowers. The drinks look super refreshing and ice cold.

Ingredients

  • Dried hibiscus flowers (flor de Jamaica)
  • Sugar
  • Water
  • Limes
An overhead photo showing the four ingredients needed to make a gallon batch of homemade hibiscus iced tea, including dried hibiscus flowers, sugar, limes and water.

What to Look for When Shopping

Hibiscus – Look for dried hibiscus flowers labeled flor de Jamaica in the Mexican or international aisle of most grocery stores. If you make this often (like I do), it’s worth buying in bulk online or at Latin markets.

Limes – For limes with the most juice, choose ones that feel heavy for their size and have thin, smooth skin. The fresh lime juice adds a bright, citrusy layer that balances the tartness of the hibiscus.

Water – Use filtered water if possible for the cleanest flavor. I usually use my Brita pitcher and it makes a big difference.

Sugar – Plain granulated sugar works best here. It dissolves easily into the simple syrup and keeps the drink nice and smooth.

An overhead photo of a refreshing glass of homemade hibiscus iced tea. The drink is filled with mini sphere ice cubes, is garnished with a round lime slice and has a glass straw that's embellished with a glass flower inserted into it. There are a few dried hibiscus petals scattered around the table that the drink is sitting on, as well as a lime wedge.

How to Make One-Gallon Hibiscus Iced Tea

Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.

  1. Make the simple syrup – In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Heat until the sugar fully dissolves, then set aside to cool.
  2. Steep the hibiscus tea – Add the dried hibiscus to a large heatproof container. Boil 4 cups of the water and pour over the hibiscus. Let it steep for at least 15 minutes, until richly colored and flavorful.
  3. Assemble the iced tea – In a one-gallon container (like this one-gallon glass dispenser with spigot), strain the hibiscus tea and discard the solids. Add the simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and about 10 cups of cold water. Stir to combine, then chill in the refrigerator. Serve over ice and garnish with lime if desired.

Making the Simple Syrup

Making a simple syrup is super easy and is a great way to sweeten the tea without any graininess or sugar settling to the bottom.

Steep the Hibiscus Tea

To get that rich color and full flavor, you’ll steep the dried hibiscus flowers in boiling water for about 15 minutes.

A large 4-cup heat-safe glass measuring cup with spout filled with hibiscus leaves steeping in hot water. Next to the tea is an electric kettle which was used to heat the water.

Assemble in a Gallon Container

Once you’ve made your syrup and hibiscus concentrate, it’s time to bring everything together.

Recipe Notes

You don’t have to heat the simple syrup – Making it on the stove is the quickest way to dissolve the sugar, but it’s not essential. If you prefer, you can combine the sugar and water directly in your gallon container and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Just make sure to stir well as this can take a few minutes.

Cold brew is a great option – If you have a little more time, you can cold brew the hibiscus tea by combining the dried flowers and water and letting it steep in the fridge overnight. It saves the step of boiling the water.

Make ahead to save time – If you’re prepping for a party or gathering, you can make the simple syrup and hibiscus concentrate a day or two ahead. Just store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the full gallon.

Make extra to freeze it into ice cubes – This is one of my favorite tricks. Frozen hibiscus tea cubes are perfect for adding to the gallon container to keep the drink cold without watering it down, which is especially helpful if you’re serving it outdoors.

Try this next: If you love hibiscus, don’t miss my Hibiscus Lemonade. It’s a tart, vibrant twist that’s just as easy to make using dried hibiscus flowers.

Are hibiscus iced tea and Agua de Jamaica the same?

In reality, hibiscus iced tea and Agua de Jamaica are the same drink. Both are made with dried hibiscus flowers, water, sugar, and lime juice. But one big difference is that Agua de Jamaica is often made in even larger 5-gallon batches.

It’s commonly served from large glass containers called vitroleros, especially at parties, markets, or taquerías. The flavor and ingredients are nearly identical, though Agua de Jamaica is often made a bit sweeter, depending on personal taste or regional traditions.

More Gallon Drink Recipes You’ll Love

If you love this recipe, check out a few of my other big-batch drinks:

Two glasses filled to the brim with homemade hibiscus iced tea. The drinks are in front of a gallon container of the hibiscus tea. Each drink is garnished with lime and there are a few lime wedges and dried hibiscus petals surrounding the drinks.

Gallon Hibiscus Iced Tea

Yield: 1 gallon
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This bold, refreshing hibiscus iced tea recipe makes a full gallon and is made completely from scratch using dried hibiscus flowers (no tea bags or concentrates needed). It’s also known as Agua de Jamaica and is a naturally caffeine-free herbal iced tea that’s perfect for serving a crowd.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 limes
  • 15 1/2 cups water, diviided

Instructions

  1. Make the simple syrup – In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Heat until the sugar fully dissolves, then set aside to cool.
  2. Steep the hibiscus tea – Add the dried hibiscus to a large heatproof container. Boil 4 cups of the water and pour over the hibiscus. Let it steep for at least 15 minutes, until richly colored and flavorful.
  3. Assemble the iced tea – In a one-gallon container (like this one-gallon glass dispenser with spigot), strain the hibiscus tea and discard the solids. Add the simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and about 10 cups of cold water. Stir to combine, then chill in the refrigerator. Serve over ice and garnish with lime if desired.

Notes

  • You can make the simple syrup without using the stove by stirring the sugar into water in the gallon jug as a first step. Just to be sure to stir until it is fully dissolved. The stove method is just quicker.
  • If you have a little more time, you can cold brew the hibiscus tea by combining the dried flowers and water and letting it steep in the fridge overnight. It saves the step of boiling the water.
  • Prepping for a party or gathering? Make the simple syrup and hibiscus concentrate a day or two ahead. Just store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the full gallon.
  • Make frozen hibiscus tea cubes in advance. This trick is one of my favorties for keeping drinks cold without watering the drink down as they melt.

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