No, it’s not summer.

When you think of hibiscus you might think of summer.

Yes, I know the weather is colder. Why not spend the day curled up on the couch with a smoothie…er, I mean cup of herbal tea?

Aahhhh, what if I told you that you can do both?

So, first let me tell you, I am not a huge tea drinker, but I do keep quite a few kinds of herbal tea in the house for when its needed.

Hibiscus tea specifically has quite a few health benefits. Here is a list of just some of the things hibiscus can be good for:

protecting the liver
stimulating the appetite
may prevent kidney stones
helping reduce fevers
may help with depression
soothing coughs
helping to repair the skin
helping to lower blood pressure
helping to reduce cholesterol
may help with weight loss
may fight against certain cancers

OK, so we’ve learned the benefits of hibiscus, now, let’s move on to the recipe.

Since hibiscus tea has a sort of bitter taste I decided to make it like a smoothie. It’s like trying to get a child to take their medicine by disguising it with something they like, except in this case that child is you 🙂

This recipe can be adapted to any herbal tea of your liking, so if you have a favorite herbal tea, by all means pair that with your favorite non-dairy milk and fruit and see how it comes out.

Hibiscus Peach Smoothie

This recipe serves 1.

What you’ll need:

1 cup of steeped hibiscus tea, cooled (I used Hawthorn & Hibiscus Tea from Traditional Medicinals)
1 cup frozen peaches
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 banana (optional)
1 tbsp raw or organic honey (optional)

Directions:

Prepare tea per package instructions. Let cool either in the fridge for an hour or overnight.
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.
Pour into a cup/glass/mug of your choice and enjoy!

*NOTE: You can also try this recipe while the tea is still warm. Blend all the ingredients except for the tea in a high speed blender. Pour your warm tea into a cup and add the smoothie in a little bit at a time to taste. Stir well and enjoy!