Drinking water has been known to boost your metabolism naturally, and introducing additional fresh ingredients to your water is an easy, delicious, and healthy way to increase your daily hydration.
Infused water can be made with a creative combination of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs immersed for a certain length of time in water.
This refreshing drink is subtly flavored with these ingredients, and has virtually no calories.
For this reason, a tall, cold glass of infused water can serve as a powerful tool in helping you achieve a healthy lifestyle, without reaching for high-sugar beverages like soda, juice, or flavored iced tea.
One of the best things about making your own infused waters is that there are so many tasty options to try, with very little risk involved in creating this easy beverage!
You can try different combinations of fruits and herbs to create your own personal favorites.
You can make a small or a large batch, and you can add as much or as little fruit as you want, according to your taste preferences.
Some popular fruits to use are assorted citrus, melon, and berries. And cucumber is the go-to veggie for a refreshing twist.
For even tastier additions, you have your pick of fresh herbs and seasonings like basil, mint, and ginger.
To enhance your H20 with bold flavors, here are some of our favorite infused water recipes, each one featuring a dynamic combination of fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs for the most refreshing experience.
Refreshing Infused Water Recipes
1. Citrus and Cucumber
Serving glasses of this citrus and cucumber infusion will really transform your home into a relaxing spa oasis!
Feel revived and refreshed as you enjoy the vibrant medley of lime, lemon, and orange. All of the bright citrus is balanced by the subtly vegetal and grassy cucumber slices.
While white fuzzy robes, clay face masks, and soothing Enya soundtracks aren’t required, they are highly encouraged!
2. Berry
If you need a healthy way to use up fresh berries, and don’t want to be weighed down by batches of buttery baked goods, crafting a mixed berry beverage is an ideal solution.
And it’s so easy to do!
In our recipe, we use a mix of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. And a few slices of orange add just the right citrusy pep.
But don’t be afraid to add or subtract ingredients according to your whims. This isn’t an exact science, and there’s nothing to lose with experimenting with different ratios – especially if it means going a little heavier on the types of berries you prefer to eat.
For more information on picking, storing, and washing those fresh berries when you’re ready to use them, learn how to make the most of fresh berries.
3. Strawberry, Lemon, and Basil
Is the summer sun bright and hot? Are you craving a chilled beverage to keep cool?
In this recipe, you’ll love the bright flavors and vibrant colors of lemon, combined with fruity strawberries.
A seasonally appropriate addition of fresh basil leaves provides a floral touch with every sip you take.
And we love using a few extra leaves for the final garnish!
4. Watermelon and Mint
Another perfect summertime drink, this watermelon and mint option is a great thirst-quencher to enjoy!
Both watermelon and mint are always in abundant supply during the warmer months of the year, so you can take advantage of our pretty pairing in this drink throughout the entire summer.
You can prep the melons in a cube shape using a knife, or use a melon baller for a fun look.
Just like with the basil in our previous strawberry and lemon version, make sure to have plenty of extra mint on hand for garnishing.
You’ll find the recipe right here.
Mind the Time
Every flavored water recipe relies upon a certain length of time for optimal infusion, so be sure to re-read your recipe’s instructions and take notice of our recommended number of hours.
Rest assured, nothing seriously detrimental will occur if you infuse for too little or too much time. However, we want to set you up for the most successful, and tastiest, drinks!
Here are easy fixes to the most common timing mistakes:
If you infuse for too little time, you won’t achieve the best embodiment of your ingredients. The solution is simple here – taste-test a little of the water at the 2-hour mark, and decide if you want to let the ingredients linger in the liquid for longer.
If you infuse for too much time, certain ingredients, especially the citrus, will impart a bitter flavor. Again, the solution is easy! You can add 1/2 cup of plain water at a time to dilute the strong flavors.
Do you prefer more subtle flavors? Or do you like bigger, bolder punches? Leave a comment below!
Let’s keep drinking! Raise a glass to more homemade beverages. Stay refreshed and quenched, and head to these three other non-alcoholic recipes you can make from scratch:
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on May 14, 2015 by Jennifer Swartvagher. Last updated on October 25, 2023.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
Now this truly amazing, the presentations above beg me to quench my thirst immediately 😉 Definitely trying one or two amazing fruit infused water demonstrations/presentations above… amazing treats for the summer, removes the blandness that’s plain water 😉
These ideas sound so great for hot weather. They’re also much healthier than the flavored waters on the market these days. The watermelon mint and the berry-infused waters sound most appealing to me, but they all look lovely. I’ll definitely have to grab some fruit and experiment with certain combos when the weather improves.
I didn’t know you could do this!! I love the simplicity of your recipes, and will definitely be trying some of them out when it warms up here in the UK. I particularly like the watermelon one; I find watermelon to be one of the most refreshing things to enjoy in the hot weather, and perfect for keeping you hydrated.
The combination of fruit and water is sure to keep hydration at bay in the summer.
Fruit infused water is a refreshing way to entertain and can be cheaper too. Sometimes I add some carbonated water and mix it up so it tastes fresher. I don’t like fruit that much, so this is a good way for me to get my intake and also to use up fruit that I don’t like as much.
I’m going to try to prepare the watermelon infused water right now! These recipes are awesome for summer and they are definitely going on the fridge door. That cucumber and lemon water also sounds refreshing. Could this work for me if i prepare them in the morning and then come back in like 6-7 hours after work?
Is there a maximum time limit to this as well? I’m asking because I would love to come home to some delicious fruit-infused water. I wouldn’t want to be cutting up fruits after work. I’d like to just add some ice to it and relax.
Your water will be adequately infused after 6-7 hours. You should be able to come home to a delicious drink after work. These infused waters will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days.
I love adding fruits, veggies, & herbs in certain combinations to my water. Most recently I did a lemon, lime, cucumber, & rosemary mix that was delicious. However, I read that it’s best to slice as much of the peel off citrus before using it because it can make the water bitter.
Yes, leaving the skin on the citrus fruit can make the water bitter.
I find drinking water so boring sometimes, however good I know it is for me and however much I want to drink it sometimes I see myself gravitating towards fruit juices, syrups or even just soda/fizzy drinks. However I can honestly say that some of these receipes look amazing. One thing I did note when I put the cucumber in the water was that I really had to leave it a while before the water tasted of anything otherwise its just a cute glass of water. But there really is no harm in that! But thanks so much for some new ideas !
This is actually a great idea any time of year, to help people drink more water. It is especially nice for summer though, using all the nice fruits. I love some mint in mine as well. You make it look even better than it usually does. These drinks look very inviting. It doesn’t seem like drinking water but more like having a little treat or a festive beverage.
What a great way to stay better hydrated. I need to do this way more often, for the kids and for myself.
I love the look of fruit infused water. I love the idea of it. However I never seem to add enough fruit. You mentioned letting it sit for a few hours and I will try that. Hopefully im just not letting the water soak up all the yummy flavors.For some reason it always tastes like celery water with a hint of lemon. I don’t even use lemon in my water! (Nor celery for that matter).
This may be a dumb question but does the fruit begin to look mushy or not as vibrant as the absorbs the fruit flavor? I don’t know if I could eat something that looks like decomposed fruit juice.
I’m very excited to have found this page, it seems you post about exactly what is on my mind!
Yes, after some time, the softer fruits will start to become mushy, but it will not be undesirable to look at — and it will still be yummy!
I first started seeing these on Pinterest and thought it was some health fad…that is, until I started drinking some myself. Sure, plain ol’ water is delicious and all, but man when you add some fruit in there it is downright awesome!
I have yet to experiment with the different fruit/herb combinations (I’m a bit of a scaredy cat that way), but my go-to one is always lemon. I heard lemon water is really good for you anyway, but to me lemon is one of the many fruits that symbolizes summer and cool drinks. However, from the looks of this, I’ll have to try it with some strawberries…which is great timing, because my husband and I just went strawberry picking not too long ago!
Lemon really is a great choice, and is always a nice pick-me-up. I really enjoy orange as well. The orange is sweeter of course, but I also love the aroma. Just the aroma of citrus makes the water that much more appealing.
Don’t be afraid of the herbs, especially mint. Mint is wonderful for an infusion as well. I also like it in tea.
Strawberry is very good too. I quite like it. I need to start doing this more often.
I recently started making “Sassy Water”, which is a recipe I found that consists of cucumber, lemon, mint, and ginger. It is quite delicious and is supposed to be good for boosting metabolisms. I am not sure if this is the case, but I have quite enjoyed it as a change of pace from typical water, which I actually drink a lot of.
I am an athlete and I’m always on the look out for good, new, healthy food or drinks. I have been using infused fruits in my water for a while, or what some people like to call detox water because it’s so healthy and good for clearing out your system. Drinking a good amount of these beverages can also help with weight loss.
I’m am so glad that detox beverages are getting more attention. Everywhere I go I see people now with their infused drinks in their water bottles.
And for those who are first time trying this, take my word, this is a very easy and effective beverage for flushing out the toxins in your body.
Every morning I cut up some fruit, add them to my water, and head out. I drink about four bottles a day and within a week of starting this I’ve already felt so much healthier and just better. Plus I get that nice fruit flavored taste that I like.
These drinks sound so good and refreshing. You should also try infusing your water with mint, lemon, cucumbers, and kiwi. It is used as a detox and is really good. At one point, I replaced all my drinks with this amazing detox, and I saw the results, after a nice work out.
I’ve never seen this done before and thought that it would just taste like, well, water. With some bits of fruit floating around in it. I had no idea that the water would actually take on some of the flavour. I assume that the fruit slices are OK to be eaten after the water has been drunk?
I love infused water! It’s a great substitute for sodas and is an interesting twist that makes people drink more water.
As a runner, I am a big supporter of eating natural food products versus processed food because I am able to get the right amount of nutrients by consuming nature’s produce. Infused water is a smart way to hydrate your body while taking in the vitamins and minerals present in fruit. No need to rely on food supplements with this drink.
You might want to try a pineapple and mint combination for a refreshing drink. It tastes great too!
I am always amazed at how many people I know that do not drink enough water. My family are not in that category. We drink more than our fair share. Infusing water with fruit is a great idea to not only liven up the water we already drink, but to also help convince others to drink more water.
These recipes look great! I am a huge fan of fresh strawberries in my water and recently started putting mint and cucumber in as well. I start everyday with a glass of lemon water before I even allow myself to have my caffeine. It does amazing things for how my stomach feels and my digestive track is so much healthier with this one little change. Has anyone ever used grapefruit in their water? I am curious if it would hold up or just bit overly bitter?
I do this all the time…for the taste and for the health benefits. I usually get my jug of water wash and cut a lemon, then drop it right on in. There are great health benefits achieved with this concoction. Thank you for posting the other recipes…I may try the watermelon. By the way this is all year round for me.
I love the fact that you put so many simple recipes in this article. I’ve been wanting to make flavored water for a while, but I’m ridiculously low on ideas. I have a small problem, though; my favorite recipe involves limes. However, the limes end up tasting terrible after a single day, because of the zest, I guess, and it makes my water taste strange. Is there something I can do to preserve it longer? Thanks!
My part of the world is uber hot these days! These fruit-infused water recipes are a must-haves! They will generally quench the thirst and alleviate the heat. I especially love the Watermelon Mint Infused Water and the Citrus Cucumber Infused Water!
One of my favorite things about hot weather are infused waters, I just love them. I started to try them about a year ago but this year I have made a lot more of them and I’m feeling proud of my self because I’m usually not the healthiest person and that makes me feel better, lol.
My favorite one is definetly the strawberry and lemon one, and also, the other day I tried to made one just with cucumber and it was really refreshing! But I think that it would be better with some mint on it.
Thanks for sharing this ideas!
I know that I don’t drink as much water as I should, but these fruit infused waters look so refreshing and tasty, I think I could possibly drink more now. Since we have fresh cucumbers from the garden this year, I’ve been frequently drinking ice-cold cucumber water. I also have some mint growing this year and I think I’ll try some mint-flavored water. I didn’t think of adding it to water for a refreshing drink and I’ve been wanting to do something with my mint instead of just watching it grow.
Oh my gosh I squealed internally when I saw this post! I love flavored water and have been looking for more ideas! The one that sounds the best to me on here is the watermelon mint one! I never thought of putting those two together! Honestly though, they all sound amazing! And adding ginger?? I never thought of that but I want to try it! I have recently come to love ginger and I understand it is super healthy so I want to eat/consume more of it. Plus, I tend to get dizzy and nauseous a lot so that will naturally help me feel better 🙂 Love it all! Thanks for sharing!
As hot as it has been lately, it’s tough to stay well-hydrated. I really don’t like drinking plain agua, so I’m back to trying more of these ideas. I managed to drink two very large glasses in a row after adding some limon. It is so much more palatable and refreshing this way.
I also want to try peach. Will that work? Peaches are in season and are one of my favorite fruits.