5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (2024)

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My favorite fruit flavored kombucha recipes using fresh fruit, frozen fruit or dried fruit – plus tips for how to get fizzy kombucha!

5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (1)

That first taste was so strange. Mildly vinegary, slightly fruity and refreshingly fizzy.

We were grabbing a meal at an outdoor cafe and my sister ordered kombucha and invited me to try a sip. At first, I didn’t think I liked it, but after a few sips it started growing on me.

Little did I know, I would grow so enamored with kombucha that I would start to brew it at home on a regular basis!

Years later, we have quite the system down for brewing and bottling kombucha in our kitchen!

I’m the one who brews the tea, adds the sugar and gets everything set up for the initial fermentation with the scoby in a 2 gallon glass jar. (You’ll find my tried and true kombucha brewing process in this post – plus some rookie brewing mistakes you don’t want to make.)

When it’s time to bottle, I usually recruit my husband to help. We get out our reusable bottles and caps, a funnel and whatever fruit and sweeteners we happen to be using to flavor our kombucha.

We make a bit of a mess because we always spill a little, but it’s worth it in the end!

Read on to get recipes for all our favorite fruit flavored kombucha recipes!

5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (2)

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Kombucha Recipes – How To Make Fizzy Kombucha with Secondary Fermentation

First things first – the question everyone always asks – “How do you make fizzykombucha instead of flat?”

The initial fermentation of your kombucha may create a bit of carbonation on its own. That’s because the scoby makes an airtight seal in the brewing vessel, allowing CO2 to build up underneath.

The best way to get fizz in your kombucha is through secondary fermentation. Secondary fermentation occurs when you bottle your kombucha.

Here are some tips for increasing carbonation in the bottle to get fizzy kombucha:

  • Add sugar – Yeast gobbles up sugar and the result is bubbles! Sugar can be added in the form of fruit (fresh, pureed or dried) or with a squirt of honey. (See flavoring recipes below.)
  • Fill bottles completely – Less oxygen means more room for carbon dioxide to build up.
  • Cap tightly – Don’t let those bubbles escape. If you are reusing bottles, make sure the lids are tight. Flip-top bottles are a great choice because they seal completely.
  • Leave out on counter – Warm air leads to more fizz. (Note: Exploding kombucha bottles are rare but you should check bottles after 2 to 3 days at room temperature and consider moving to the refrigerator if the carbonation level is high. This is especially true in summertime temps!)

That said, once you start brewing kombucha, you’ll find that the amount of carbonation can be hit or miss. Some bottles bring on a huge amount of fizz (best to open bottles over the sink, just in case!) and some just fizzle out.

When you do get a flat bottle of kombucha, just mix it with a little carbonated water to get your desired fizz!

RELATED: Kombucha vs. Kefir – Learn about the similarities and differences of these two fermented drinks.

5 Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes

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Over many years of brewing kombucha, we’ve tried many different recipes and flavor combinations. Home brewed kombucha is tasty on its own – but we tend to prefer it after a secondary fermentation with fruit.

Secondary fermentation can be done with fresh fruit, frozen fruit, dried fruit or fruit juice – there are so many options!

One thing I’ve realized is that flavored kombucha is not an exact science. The ingredient amounts I suggest here are just that – suggestions! Feel free to customize these recipes as you see fit and don’t worry too much about precise measurements.

There is no set rule for how long to let your kombucha sit in secondary fermentation. Typically I start tasting it after a couple days but it can last for about a month. In warm weather, I often move the bottles into the refrigerator after 2 or 3 days to make sure they don’t build up so much carbonation that they explode.

Also, most of these flavors involve leaving fruit in the bottle during secondary fermentation. You will need to use a small mesh strainer to strain out the fruit before serving.

Here are our top 5 fruit-based kombucha recipes:

5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (4)1. Blueberry Gingerale

This recipe involves a tiny bit of cooking – but it’s worth it! We use frozen blueberries and fresh ginger to make a blueberry ginger syrup to add to bottles during secondary fermentation.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup frozen organic blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup water

Method: Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until blueberries are soft and mushy and a light syrup is created. Let cool completely before using. Strain out the pulp so you have the liquid only. Makes 1/2 cup of syrup which is perfect for a 1 liter bottle of kombucha.

5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (5)2. Strawberry Lemonade

I’m amazed at how the delicate flavor of strawberries comes through the acidic kombucha – but it does! Lemonade is a perfect complement to the strawberries to make a nice light flavor for summer!

Ingredients:

  • Fresh organic strawberries
  • Lemonade (I like Simply Lemonade)

Method: Cut up 2 to 3 strawberries into chunks. Add strawberries and 1/2 cup lemonade to a 16 oz bottle.

5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (6)3. Cherry Candied Ginger

Cherry is another classic kombucha flavor and it’s especially great combined with spicy candied ginger.

Ingredients:

Method: Add a layer of cherries to bottle (1/2 to 1 inch), plus a few chunks of candied ginger.

5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (7)4. Mango Puree

If you are a mango fan, you will love this simple mango kombucha made with pureed mango.

Ingredients:

  • Frozen organic mangos
  • Honey (optional)

Method: Defrost mangos and puree in a blender until smooth. Add 1/4 cup mango puree to a 16 oz bottle. Add a squirt of honey if desired.

5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (8)5. Cranberry Fizz

Last but not least, this is our favorite kombucha flavor, hand’s down! And it’s the easiest one of all! We tend to use sweetened cranberries because the sugar helps to make the kombucha fizzier. You can add honey if you want but it’s not necessary. We just love the mellow but rich flavor that comes from the craisins!

Ingredients:

  • Dried cranberries (craisins), sweetened and preferably organic
  • Honey (optional)

Method: Use enough dried cranberries to cover the bottom of the bottle – 1/2 inch to 1 inch. Add a squirt of honey directly to the bottle.

If you’ve made it this far, I’m guessing you’ve gotten beyond that initial – What is this strange drink? phase of kombucha. If you are ready to try brewing your own homemade kombucha, I hope you’ll try one of these recipes!

What are your favorite homemade kombucha recipes?

5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (9)
5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (10)

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5 of The Best Fruit Flavored Kombucha Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best fruit for kombucha? ›

Mango makes a great pairing with kombucha because it tones down some of the tartness commonly associated with kombuchas. Brewing hard fruit kombuchas requires sugar for an extended fermentation period, and mango puree is a great addition of a fruit for fermentation of these sugars.

How to make fruit flavoured kombucha? ›

Add 1/4 cup of fruit juice to each bottle using a funnel. Add kombucha (about 1 and 3/4 cups) to a 16-ounce bottle. You can strain the kombucha through a coffee filter first which helps it not to form another baby SCOBY on top of your bottle, but straining is not required. Cap the bottle shut.

What is the ratio of kombucha to fruit? ›

If flavoring with fresh, frozen, or dried fruit, start with 10-30% fruit and 70-90% Kombucha. If flavoring with juice, start with 10-20% juice and 80-90% Kombucha. Suppose flavoring with herbs, the variety and strength of herbs vary greatly.

Can I put frozen fruit in my kombucha? ›

I used fresh strawberries and peaches from the farmer's market, pureed them in my Vitamix and added the fruit to my black tea kombucha. Your kids will absolutely love to make kombucha too- note: you can also use frozen berries or any frozen or fresh fruit. Just thaw and puree thoroughly to add to your kombucha mixture.

What not to eat with kombucha? ›

One tip to keep in mind is that many people find that kombucha does not pair well with foods that are already higher in acidity because the flavor can become lost or overpowered.

Why not to drink kombucha everyday? ›

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that four ounces of kombucha can be safely consumed one to three times a day. Overconsumption can lead to headache, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, or ketoacidosis.

Can you use canned fruit to flavor kombucha? ›

Juices from the refrigerator section (like orange juice) can often leave a weird metallic aftertaste. Store-bought frozen or canned fruit can lead to weird funkiness/aftertaste. I've had some instances of success, when some of my bottles were perfectly fizzy and tasted great, and others were flat or tasted off.

Can I use frozen blueberries in kombucha? ›

Frozen berries are GREAT to use when flavoring. kombucha. Here's why: 1Home freezers take a long time to cool down food.

Is it OK to use flavored kombucha as a starter? ›

A pure, fresh brew that grows a new, healthy SCOBY each time it ferments should have ZERO added flavors (including from the tea with which it's brewed). Even commercial brews that are flavored with fruit and truly natural flavors can introduce bad bacteria and the potential for mold formation.

Can you drink too much homemade kombucha? ›

Kombucha has been linked to a wide array of benefits, leading some people to overconsume this beverage. Drinking too much kombucha can lead to excess sugar and calorie intake and side effects like digestive distress. It's also unpasteurized and contains small amounts of caffeine and alcohol.

How much sugar to put in kombucha? ›

What is the recommended ratio of tea, sugar, water, and starter tea for making kombucha? For a 1-gallon batch of kombucha, you'll need 1 cup of sugar, 6-8 bags of tea, and 12 fl oz of starter tea. The rest should be filled up with clean, filtered water.

How much kombucha should one person drink a day? ›

How much kombucha is OK to drink? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that drinking approximately 4 ounces (oz) of kombucha per day “may not cause adverse effects in healthy persons.” Note that most kombucha bottles sold at the store are more than 4 oz.

Can you use canned peaches for kombucha? ›

So is fruit juice. Among my favorites are frozen strawberries and raspberries, dried elderberries and incan berries, and juices of cranberry and blueberry. Flavored kombucha is also a great way to use-up the liquid from canned fruits like peaches, pears, or pineapple.

How do I keep fruit flies away from my kombucha? ›

Another option is to place a few drops of orange oil in a bottle top or similar and place somewhere near your ferment. Fruit flies and other insects do not like the smell and stay away. You will find that you need to refresh the oil every couple of days (also ensure that it cannot be eaten by pets/children).

What is the best thing to brew kombucha in? ›

For F2, you want good-quality, food-grade glass that's thick enough to handle high pressure contents. And equally important is the cap. You want a cap that can be secured tightly enough to make an airtight seal. That's what'll allow you to trap the carbonation into the liquid as your brew ferments in the bottle.

Which Flavour is best for kombucha? ›

In this article, we'll be looking at the top eight kombucha flavours that are easy to make at home: ginger, lemon, pineapple, strawberry, peach, apple, orange and carrot. By trying out these recipes, you'll have the chance to discover exciting new flavours and health benefits.

Can I put fresh fruit in kombucha? ›

After first fermentation, remove your SCOBY from the vessel (or transfer your kombucha tea into another vessel, like a pitcher) and add your fruit to the kombucha that you want to flavor. Adjust the flavoring to your preference (by adding more fruit if needed or letting it steep for a while if you're using herbs).

What should I put in my kombucha? ›

Achieving the Best Kombucha Flavours: Mixing Ingredients
  1. Pineapple and mint.
  2. Honey and lime.
  3. Strawberry, rose petal, and honey.
  4. Cedar and peach.
  5. Banana and vanilla.
  6. Ginger and orange juice.
  7. Raspberry & cucumber.
  8. Mango and hops.

References

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