Passionfruit Kombucha Recipe

With this simple organic homemade kombucha using fresh passion fruit, explore the tangy tropical flavors, enjoy the fizz, and reap the numerous health benefits of fizzy, gut-friendly kombucha at the same time. 

Healthy doesn't have to taste bland. In fact, there has been a large increase in the desire for healthy recipes and probiotic foods that focus on gut health as people become more health conscious.

From water kefir to homemade kombucha, the options for gut-friendly foods and drinks multiply by the day. But when healthy is often equated with organic and means higher prices, what's a frugal gal to do? Make her own kombucha, of course. And with this passion fruit kombucha recipe, you'll be well on your way to consuming live probiotics with every carbonated sip.

What is kombucha?

Kombucha is fermented black tea. We make it by combining 3 ingredients together: tea, sugar and a SCOBY. SCOBY stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.

To make your own kombucha, follow our handy step-by-step guide!

Kombucha, which is the tea produced by the SCOBY eating sugar, is slightly sweet and tart in taste and is packed with nutritional value. Every glass is filled with live kombucha cultures and healthy organic acids, which makes it taste a bit sour and full of carbonation. It nourishes the body with it's probiotics, antioxidants, detoxification, glucosamine (for joint health), natural caffeine and vitamin D for balanced energy levels. 

Let's talk fermentation

To make kombucha, there are two fermentation processes - one to ferment the tea using the SCOBY and a second to add flavor. 

If you want to do the entire process yourself, fermentation of the kombucha can take anywhere from one to two weeks. During this process, the SCOBY 'eats' the sugar from the tea and produces healthy probiotics and enzymes. Firstly you will need to brew and sweeten your black tea, and then the process can begin. Learn how to do it here!

Our recipe will take you from the process of starting with an active, bubbly booch (what those in the know, and my children, call kombucha) and flavoring with a little sweet combination of fresh passion fruit puree. It's the perfec balance of sweet and tangy, alongside a healthy dose of bubbles.

The Perfect Starter Kombucha for Beginners

Do you enjoy store bought soda but want a healthier replacement? Look no further! I love starting people out on their homemade kombucha journey with this passion fruit kombucha recipe.

When added to kombucha, passion fruit makes for an extra fizzy carbonated beverage. From over 10 years of playing with kombucha, I have found that this is one of the easiest kombuchas to make, resulting in an extra-fizzy drink.

It's also a great kombucha to serve to skeptics, because it tastes exceptionally fruity and tropical. The natural acidic flavor of the passion fruit beautifully covers the acids from fermentation, making this drink taste like a premium glass of kombucha. With it's refreshing and well-balanced tropical taste, you will enjoy a delicious natural treat without the guilt.  

Ingredients

Fermented kombucha tea - Our recipe for today uses already fermented kombucha tea which has already been through the first process. 

Passionfruit pulp - We are using fresh passion fruit, but you can also use frozen passion fruit too! 

Organic cane sugar - This is an optional addition, however we will be using it to aid the second fermentation of our beverage. 

Hot filtered water - Used as the base for our sugar mix (if you are choosing to add sugar)

Detailed quantities in the recipe card below

Equipment

• 1L flip-top bottle or recycled clear glass bottle with a screw-top lid
• Funnel and fine mesh sieve

How to Make Passion Fruit Kombucha

Clean your equipment:

To begin, clean out the bottle and lid thoroughly with hot water and white vinegar. Make sure you rinse them well.

Make your mix:

If you are opting to use sugar in your beverage, dissolve it in 2 tablespoon of hot water.

Next you will add the dissolved sugar and passionfruit pulp together into the bottle.

Using a funnel with a fine mesh sieve, pour the fermented kombucha tea into the bottle with the sugar and passionfruit mix, leaving 3-5 cm of space at the top.

Ferment:

Seal the bottle and leave it for 3-4 days at room temperature.

Storage:

Transfer the bottle to the fridge if you prefer your kombucha cold and 'burp' the bottle every 7 days by opening the lid and resealing to avoid explosions.

Serving instructions:

Make sure you strain before serving, then sit back and enjoy your passion fruit kombucha! You can top your glass with a half of a fresh passionfruit for a beautiful presentation.

From Mocktail to Cocktail

To make this into an alcoholic drink, add a touch of rum to your passionfruit kombucha. The tropical flavors in a dark rum or a Dominican rum really echo the sweetness of the passion fruit, called maracuya in Spanish.

For a Brazilian twist, add 2 ounces of cachaca to your passionfruit kombucha for a passionfruit caipirinha.

Other passion fruit recipes to try

I love passion fruit for its tropical punch flavor. One of my favorite mocktails is the Glamorous Pornstar Martini which is a perfect blend of passion fruit, lime and vanilla. 

Or want to try eating passionfruit in a delicious Hawaiian inspired recipe? Try my tuna carpaccio recipe - It's really quite something!

My family love overnight oats (and if you are busy like me, they are a staple when feeding hungry children!) What's more, if they are healthy, I feel good about choosing a fast and easy recipe that fits our lifestyle. Try my passionfruit overnight oats and wow your family with the simplicity and yet powerful flavor.