Recipes › Drinks

Flavored Water Recipes

By Samira Kazan

updated November 02, 2023

Here are 20 naturally flavored water recipes , perfect to help you drink water all year long. Using fruits, herbs and spices you can “spice” up your drinking habits!

detox water with herbs and lemon in a jug and glass - 1

No matter what the season, I can’t overstate the importance of staying hydrated. Whether it’s during a heatwave or the middle of winter, our bodies need water to function optimally. If you aren’t plain water “fan”, luckily, here is a list of naturally flavoured water recipes with various fruit infuses – to encourage even the most forgetful/reluctant of us to get in our daily water amount, with a smile.

lemon water in glasses - 2

Fruit-flavored and herb-infused water recipes boost the flavor of water without adding any artificial sweeteners or flavors – for a natural, delicious flavor twist. That is to say, whether you want fun infused water ideas or just some inspiration to brighten up your daily glass of water, there’s something here for you.

Remembering to stay hydrated and drinking plenty of water is a critical habit and just needs getting used to. I will be providing some top tips for staying hydrated below, along with different ideas that make the process a lot more fun.

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  • Why drink flavored water
  • The Ingredients
  • How to Make Flavored Water
  • Other Hydrating Drinks
  • How to Make Naturally Flavored Water Recipe

Why drink flavored water

By now we all know how important water is for our bodies and it’s so easy to forget to drink enough water to keep our bodies running at optimum levels. Not only that but there’s a huge amount of us who just don’t particularly like the “lack-of-taste” taste of water.

detox water - 3

And while there are multiple flavor options out there like fruit squashes, flavored drinks, sports drinks, etc., I prefer to try and keep my flavorings as natural as possible so that I’m taking as much pure water as possible. So, I like to stick to flavoring my waters with fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices.

When using fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices you are foregoing all the additional sugars included in juices, squash drinks, and fizzy drinks. To get to the nitty-gritty of it, naturally flavored water recipes are such a simple way to add flavor and sweetness without the negative side effects of sugars.

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Easier Hydration

If you’re struggling to keep up your water intake and want to reduce sugary drinks, then these natural options can go a long way to encouraging you to drink more without even noticing. Above all, when you like the taste of the drink you’re consuming then it’s going to become natural to reach for more. You will be drinking glasses of water without even feeling thirsty.

FANCY

There’s something so fancy about flavored waters. So when I prepare my flavored water in the morning I get to feel extra “fancy” for the day, imagining myself at a spa or expensive resort sipping on my cucumber mint water while getting a facial.

butterfly pea flower lemon water - 5

The Ingredients

HERBS

I LOVE herbs! Most importantly you only need a little to go a long way and there are so many delicious flavors you can take advantage of. In general for water though my favorites are:

  • Mint leaves
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Basil
Herbs to make flavored water - 6

FRUIT

  • Strawberries
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Apple
  • Blackberry
  • Blood orange
  • Kiwi
  • Lemon
  • Lime
  • Raspberry
  • Pineapple
  • watermelon
  • peach
  • mango
  • cucamelon berries
Drawings of fruit to make Flavored Water - 7

VEGETABLES

Okay so this list is fairly small – In fact, it’s one single vegetable and that’s

  • Cucumber

I’ve noticed some people include tomatoes and peppers into their waters too but I haven’t quite gotten up the nerve to do that. So, I think I’ll leave my vegetables to my juices, smoothies, and meals for now.

SPICES

  • Cinnamon
  • Fresh Ginger
  • Cayenne
  • Star Anise
Drawings of spices to make flavored water - 8

Dried or Fresh Edible Flowers and Plants

  • Lavender
  • Rose petals
  • Butterfly pea flower
  • Aloe vera
Drawings of flowers to make Flavored Water - 9

How to Make Flavored Water

With all these potential ingredients in mind, below are 20 delicious ideas for naturally flavored water that you can pour into a large jug, leave to steep, and then drink throughout the day. NO, they aren’t going to be as sweet and strong in flavor as squashes and juices but they provide just enough subtle flavor to make you forget you’re drinking water.

What You’ll Need

The basis for making naturally flavored water is really simple and only needs a few tools:

  • a water jug or bottle
  • something to “muddle” the fillings with – If you don’t have a muddler then even a handle of a wooden spoon will work.

And that’s it, other than the water (you can use filtered or plain tap water will do, room temperature or cold), flavorings, and, optionally, some ice cubes.

The Method

Wash the fruit or herbs you will be using. Depending on your choice, you might want to cut slices of the fruit or vegetable (e.g. if using apple, kiwi, cucumber).

Drawings of fruit and spices for flavored water combinations - 10

Next, add your flavorings to the jug or bottle – a singular type of fruit or herbs or spices or a mix of them. Feel free to experiment with the blends and also how much you add. You can start with just a few slices or a few berries and then add more if you want to intensify the flavor.

Furthermore, depending on how much flavor you want them to release, you can muddle/smudge the fruit/herbs a little.

Add in the ice cubes (optional).

Fill to the top with water. If you are using a bottle, close it tight and give it a gentle shake to allow for the “juice” of the muddled fruit/spices to mix with the water. If you are using a big water jug, stir a bit with a spoon.

Voila! Your naturally flavored, fruit-infused water is ready! Now, just remember to drink it.

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The Combinations

  1. Lemon, mint & ginger
  2. Thyme & lemon
  3. Raspberry, lemon & mint
  4. Citrus & cucumber
  5. Grapefruit
  6. Strawberry , mint & lemon
  7. Raspberry & lime
  8. Watermelon & rosemary
  9. Pineapple & mint (also would be amazing with coconut water)
  10. Mango & lime
  11. Peach, mint & lemon
  12. Kiwi, strawberry & mint
  13. Blueberry, mint & lemon
  14. Apple, cinnamon and star anise
  15. Blood orange, pomegranate & mint
  16. Blackberry & mint
  17. Blackberry & lavender
  18. Roses, rosewater, pomegranate & lime
  19. Aloe vera & citrus
  20. Aloe vera, cucumber & ginger

And any other combination you’d like. Just drink a glass of flavored water every now and then and enjoy.

Drawings of fruit and herb combinations for flavored water - 12

Other Hydrating Drinks

  • Aloe Vera Juice (Aloe Water)
  • Peach Lemonade
  • Tepache De Piña
  • Lemon Chia Fresca
  • Limonana Mint
  • Agua de Horchata
  • Cucumber Lemonade
  • 30 Best Juicing Recipes

Equipment

  • Pitcher or large bottle

IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x

  • ▢ 4 cups water
  • ▢ fruit or herbs or choice check the notes for delicious combos
  • ▢ ice cubes optional

Instructions

  • Wash the fruit or herbs. Depending on what you have chosen, cut or slice the fruit.
  • Add the flavorings to the jug or water bottle.
  • Muddle or smudge the fruit/herbs to release extra flavor (optional).
  • Fill to the top with water.
  • Stir and enjoy!

Notes

  1. Lemon, mint & ginger
  2. Thyme & lemon
  3. Raspberry, lemon & mint
  4. Citrus & cucumber
  5. Grapefruit
  6. Strawberry , mint & lemon
  7. Raspberry & lime
  8. Watermelon & rosemary
  9. Pineapple & mint (also would be amazing with coconut water)
  10. Mango & lime
  11. Peach, mint & lemon
  12. Kiwi, strawberry & mint
  13. Blueberry, mint & lemon
  14. Apple, cinnamon and star anise
  15. Blood orange, pomegranate & mint
  16. Blackberry & mint
  17. Blackberry & sage
  18. Blackberry & lavender
  19. Roses, rosewater, pomegranate & lime
  20. And any other combination you’d like.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Flavored water jug with herbs, lime and lemon and glass - 13

How to Make Naturally Flavored Water

Equipment

  • Pitcher or large bottle

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • fruit or herbs or choice check the notes for delicious combos
  • ice cubes optional

Instructions

  • Wash the fruit or herbs. Depending on what you have chosen, cut or slice the fruit.
  • Add the flavorings to the jug or water bottle.
  • Muddle or smudge the fruit/herbs to release extra flavor (optional).
  • Fill to the top with water.
  • Stir and enjoy!

Notes

  1. Lemon, mint & ginger
  2. Thyme & lemon
  3. Raspberry, lemon & mint
  4. Citrus & cucumber
  5. Grapefruit
  6. Strawberry , mint & lemon
  7. Raspberry & lime
  8. Watermelon & rosemary
  9. Pineapple & mint (also would be amazing with coconut water)
  10. Mango & lime
  11. Peach, mint & lemon
  12. Kiwi, strawberry & mint
  13. Blueberry, mint & lemon
  14. Apple, cinnamon and star anise
  15. Blood orange, pomegranate & mint
  16. Blackberry & mint
  17. Blackberry & sage
  18. Blackberry & lavender
  19. Roses, rosewater, pomegranate & lime
  20. And any other combination you’d like.

Nutrition

Recipe on Alphafoodie: https://www.alphafoodie.com/flavored-water-recipes/