• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact me!
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Food Photography and Styling
  • Travel
    • Hawaii
    • Las Vegas

Pineapple and Coconut logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Shop
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » How to make Homemade Hibiscus Simple Syrup

    February 23, 2021 Cocktails & Drinks

    How to make Homemade Hibiscus Simple Syrup

    Jump to Recipe

    Making your own homemade hibiscus simple syrup really is just that, simple. 

    dark red hibiscus syrup in a bottle, dried hibiscus flowers

    Hibiscus are often associated with tropical islands, the yellow hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii, but hundreds of varieties are found all over the world from Africa, Indonesia, India and Southeast Asia to Latin America and the Caribbean. There are 232 species of Hibiscus flowers but not all are edible. Roselle or Hibiscus Sabdariffa is the variety used most in culinary applications. 

    They are gorgeous flowers that come in all shapes and sizes. But the one used for this simple syrup recipe is the roselle variety. It is what is found in teas, sold in bulk online and in well stocked Mexican and International grocery stores.

    Hibiscus used in Mexican and Latin cuisines is called Jamaica/flor de Jamaica ( pronounced ha-my-kuh) has been used in cooking, baking and drink making for years and years.

    It is known as Sorrel in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean and most used in drinks and teas, often with spices added and sometimes rum. 

    dark red dried hibiscus flowers

    The calyx, flower petals and leaves are the edible components. The calyces are dark red, and what are used in teas, as food colorings, and also dried and or candied, used similar to raisins or dried cranberries. The flowers of Hibiscus Sabdariffa are a pale pink or pale yellow with a dark red center. They really are a beautiful flower. 

    I keep a pound of dried hibiscus I buy from an amazing well stocked local Mexican grocery store in my pantry at all times. I use it in many recipes, one of which is hibiscus simple syrup. 

    saucepan filled with sugar and dried red hibiscus flowers

    How do you make hibiscus syrup?

    For this hibiscus simple syrup recipe I like to make a rich simple syrup. Simple syrup is typically a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water. I like to go with a 1.5:1 sugar to water for a richer syrup.

    I add the sugar and hibiscus to the pan then add the water. I use regular white granulated sugar for this recipe, you can also use Demerara sugar if you like. 

    dark red hibiscus syrup in a pan

    The hibiscus already starts to cast a red hue in the water before the syrup is cooked. Hibiscus is used along side beets in natural food dyes and you can see why, it is such a strong beautiful red color.

    I heat the syrup until boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then I lower to a simmer to thicken the syrup slightly. About 10 minutes of simmering.

    Remove from heat, cover pan with a lid and let steep for an hour. Or overnight if you forget the pan is on the literal back burner of your stove. The longer you steep the richer the flavor and color.

    dark red hibiscus syrup in a pan being strained into a large glass measuring cup

     Strain into a bowl, cup, jar etc. I strain into a large measuring cup first since I tend to make a mess. You can see how plumped up the hibiscus is after being simmered and steeped. These now have a chewy texture to them and can be eaten like dried cranberries or cherries. They are pretty sticky at this point so keep that in mind if keeping them to snack on. 

    You could also keep these in a jar with the syrup and use for cake decorations or cocktails later on. I might play around with making my own candied hibiscus using these rehydrated calyces. Usually candied hibiscus is made from fresh hibiscus calyces, not dried and rehydrated. I will let you know how it comes out. 

    rehydrated dark red hibiscus calyces

    How do you store hibiscus syrup?

    Once the syrup is strained I will store it either in a mason jar or a fun swing top bottle seen here. These have a stopper and keep the syrup air tight, and I have found it tends to last longer in the fridge than any other container. And they are easy to pour from. 

    dark red hibiscus simple syrup in a jar and in a bottle scattered dried hibiscus flowers

    What do you use hibiscus simple syrup for?

    • Simple sodas with a tablespoon or so of the syrup over ice with sparkling water or soda water added. A refreshing beverage year round as well as a great non-alcoholic option. 
    • Add to cocktails in place of regular simple syrup for a floral and fruity flavor, or to make it more tropical tasting. You can riff many classic cocktails with the addition of hibiscus simple syrup.
    • Hibiscus syrup can be used to sweeten and color cake and cupcake frostings, used to color and flavor cookie icing.
    • You can use it for ice creams and sorbets, either in the recipe or drizzling over the top
    • Hibiscus syrup is great in savory applications too such as bbq sauce and marinades. 
    • Use it to add moisture and flavor to cakes. Brush over the tops of cake layers or the bottom of a freshly baked bundt cake. 
    • Make a tropical fruit salad and drizzle a little of the hibiscus syrup over the top to add a touch of sweetness and floral notes

    bottle of dark red hibiscus syrup in a bottle glass with ice with syrup and soda

    How to make Homemade Hibiscus Simple Syrup

    Shanna
    A sweet, tart and floral hibiscus simple syrup perfect for cocktails and mocktails, tea, sorbets, marinades and more.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Additional Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 10.6 oz/300g
    • 1 cup water, 8oz/250 ml
    • 1 ounce dried hibiscus flowers, a little over half a cup

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
    • Remove from heat, cover pan with a lid and steep for at least an hour.
    • Strain unto jars or bottles that have airtight lids. 
    • Simple syrup will keep in your refrigerator up to a month. Keep chilled at all times. 

    Notes

    You can make the traditional simple sugar ratio if you like, just reduce the sugar to 1 cup (7.1 oz/200g). 1 cup water and 1 ounce of the dried hibiscus.
    You can add whole spices such as vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, fresh ginger, etc. for a spiced version for holiday drinks. These get strained out before pouring the syrup into jars or bottles. 
    Orange or lemon zests are also lovely to add to the simmering syrup. These might need to be double filtered out depending on what size strainer you use.
    dark red hibiscus syrup being poured into a glass filled with ice

    Can you freeze simple syrup?

    Sure but, why? Its best kept in the refrigerator so it stays at a liquid state. If made in a 1:1 ratio it will freeze solid. 

    What if the simple syrup has crystalized?

    Probably past is best freshness time, but you can set the jar or bottle in a pan of simmering water to re-liquify. 

     

     

     

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Shanna. Welcome! 16 + years food blogging. I am a self taught baker, cook and mixologist and longtime photographer. I love making healthy meals, sweet treats and fun cocktails. Hope you enjoy my recipes!

    Read more →

    Recent recipes

    • Four Giant Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Jumbo Lemon Blueberry Crumb Muffins
    • Cacao Nib, Date and Blood Orange Scones
    • Meyer Lemon Sable Cookies with Lemon Curd and Toasted Italian Meringue Buttercream

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    Privacy Policy

    About

    Recipe Index

    Food Photography

    Travel

    Subscribe

    Subscribe to get latest recipe emails, recipe roundups and more!

    Sign up here

    Contact

    Contact

    Pinterest

    Instagram

    Facebook

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Pineapple and Coconut LLC