Apple orange kombucha is a sweet, refreshing drink. Green tea kombucha pairs beautifully with slightly tart apple and sweet orange flavors. Try one or more of the variations below with your homemade kombucha.
This apple-orange kombucha recipe is fast and straightforward. It doesn’t require any additional fermentation time. Mix it up from either first fermentation or second fermentation kombucha. Store it in the fridge for up to a week and have a refreshing drink on hand.
Table of Contents
Apple Orange Kombucha
Total Time: 6 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
This recipe uses extracts, making it one of our quickest and easiest recipes. It’s a great fall drink but is so delicious that you’ll likely crave it year-round.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups of unflavored green tea kombucha
- 1 teaspoon apple extract
- 2 teaspoons orange blossom water
- 2 cups ice cubes
Instructions
- Pour the green tea kombucha into a large pitcher.
- Add the apple extract and the orange blossom water.
- Stir to combine.
- Serve over ice. Garnish with optional fresh fruit and herbs.
Notes
You can find fruit extracts at your local grocery store or online. Brands like McCormick offer fruit extracts in a wide variety of flavors. Look for extracts without added sugar or preservatives.
In place of orange blossom water, use 1 tsp orange extract and 1 tsp water. Substitute rose water or hibiscus water if you don’t have orange blossom water or extract. Alternatively, use fresh juice. Substitute 1/4 cup apple juice and/or 1/4 cup orange juice for the above extracts. You could also add 1/4 cup of apple cider instead of apple extract.
Instead of green tea kombucha, try kombucha made from white tea or oolong tea. The mellow flavors will combine well with the fruit. Black tea kombucha can also work, though it has a sharper taste that may overpower the fruit. Alternatively, use ginger kombucha after its second fermentation for more flavor and health benefits.
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
What Does Apple Orange Kombucha Taste Like?
Apple orange kombucha is slightly bubbly, sweet, and fruity. It is light and refreshing; the crisp apple flavor combines well with the sweet orange flavor. The green tea kombucha rounds out the flavors by adding herbaceous undertones.
Health Benefits of Apple Orange Kombucha
Kombucha tea offers many health benefits. Kombucha is packed with probiotics, which help strengthen your immune system and support a healthy gut. Kombucha has acids and enzymes that aid digestion and may help relieve constipation and other GI issues. Kombucha is naturally gluten-free and vegan.
Kombucha is low in calories and caffeine, making it beneficial for weight loss. Green tea kombucha helps increase your metabolism, helping you burn more calories. Green tea is also high in polyphenols, which help protect your body from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and signs of aging.
Fruit extracts contain fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They are derived directly from the fruit and have many of the same properties.
Apple extract is:
- A good source of Vitamin A, which supports healthy eye function.
- Rich in Vitamin C, which helps support your immune system and promotes healthy skin.
- Full of antioxidants, which help protect the cells in your body from damage by free radicals.
Fresh apples are a good source of fiber, which aids in digestion.
Orange blossom water:
- Is good for the stomach and can help soothe indigestion.
- Is a good astringent and can refresh skin and hair.
- May help anxiety, as it helps relax your nervous system.
Fresh oranges are rich in Vitamin C and calcium, which help strengthen your bones.
How Much Caffeine Does Apple Orange Kombucha Have?
An 8 oz green tea kombucha has approximately 15 mg of caffeine. Because this recipe yields 24 ounces, divided into four servings, there will be slightly less than 15mg of caffeine per serving of apple orange kombucha. For most adults, this is barely noticeable.
What Spices Can You Add to This Recipe?
Both oranges and apples go well with a wide variety of spices. If you’d like to enhance the flavor of your apple-orange kombucha, try adding the following:
- Chai
- Anise
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cloves
- Ginger
- Pumpkin pie spice
Add a drizzle of honey or a teaspoon of cane sugar to your bottles with these spices for extra sweetness. You may also try adding a few fresh cranberries to your batch of kombucha for a zingy, tart flavor. Experiment with your ingredients until you find your favorite flavor!
Is This Recipe Better With Sweet, Young Kombucha or Older, Sour Kombucha?
Apple orange kombucha works well with kombucha of any age. Sweet kombucha will make your finished kombucha extra sweet and fruity. Older kombucha will also work in this recipe because the fruit will add a slight sweetness to help with the sour flavor. Experiment with both types of kombucha and find the one you enjoy most.