An elegant glass of Easy 2-Step Hibiscus Flower and Prosecco Gelee sits in the center of a fine china serving plate. Two spoons nest together across the plate, suggesting this dessert is meant to be shared. Two stemless champaigne flutes are bubbling in the background. A gold necklace spells out the words Ti Amo (I love you) in Italian across the front of the image.

Delicious 2-Step Hibiscus Flower and Prosecco Gelee

Published on January 24, 2022 in Desserts, All Recipes

If you’re looking for an easy, homemade Valentine’s Day dessert without chocolate, this recipe for Easy 2-Step Hibiscus Flower and Prosecco Gelee is perfect for a quiet night in. Although chocolate often takes center stage, this recipe offers a light, no bake dessert option for those wanting something different.

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Hibiscus flower recipes continue to trend up

Ingredients such as annatto seeds, agave nectar, and hibiscus flowers have been in my kitchen for years. These are flavors I grew up with. They are familiar, warm and comforting to my soul. For example, I like to use dried hibiscus flowers and toasted coconut flakes in the white chocolate candies shown below. The raspberry fruit notes of the dried hibiscus flowers help cut the sweetness of the chocolate and plays nicely with the coconut.

Easy Chocolate Calavera Candies 2 Ways. A rustic, round silver platter with an etched design of swirls and angular images holds a combination of white and dark chocolate skulls. The chocolates are shaped as either elegant ladies wearing elaborate hats or as gentlemen in top hats. The white chocolate candies have toasted coconut and crushed hibiscus flowers mixed within and sprinkled on the backs of the candies, while the dark chocolate candies have roasted pepitas and dried cranberries. — Dried hibiscus flowers are lovely with chocolate

And like an old friend, I’m very proud and fond of them. Needless to say, I was pleased to read an article by Daphne Ewing-Chow of Forbes Magazine, predicting Hibiscus as one of the Biggest Flavors of 2022. I was happy to see hibiscus flowers finally getting the attention they deserved!

In addition to having a unique, citrus and floral flavor, hibiscus is also a nutrient rich food. It’s high in vitamin C and antioxidants and is widely used in the health and beauty industry for its nutaceutical properties. Honestly, nothing calms an upset stomach like a cup of hibiscus flower tea.

In this recipe for Easy 2-Step Hibiscus Flower and Prosecco Gelee, we make a simple syrup as the base for the gelee. The vibrant, red color and flavor from the flowers is released during the cooking process, but something really special happens to the flowers after they are cooked. They plump up again, and their texture becomes somewhat chewy – like a candy.

I like to use them as a garnish in this dessert. Not only do they give a pop of flavor, but they also make a fun conversation starter when served this way.

A comparable Vegan, Alcohol-free option

This Easy 2-Step Hibiscus Flower and Prosecco Gelee recipe uses sparkling seltzer water and Prosecco (preferably a Rosé) to give the Gelee a light wine flavor. But if you want to skip the wine altogether you can use straight sparkling water. You can also substitute a non-alcoholic, sparkling white grape juice for the Prosecco. These small substitutions will allow you to keep the bubbles without adding the alcohol.

A close up image of this Easy 2-Step Hibiscus Flower and Prosecco Gelee. The gelee is topped with a fresh whipped cream, a hibiscus flower and fresh mint. — Deliciously bright and fresh.

If you like the idea of a light gelee for dessert, but want to keep it Vegan, consider trying my recipe for Vegan Hibiscus Gelee with Coconut Milk. This recipe uses Eden Agar Agar Flakes as the thickening agent instead of traditional gelatin. And the creaminess of the coconut milk nicely compliments this clean dessert.

If you’re not familiar with Agar Agar, it’s a great ingredient to have in your kitchen quiver. Derived from red algae, Agar is a plant-based ingredient that imparts absolutely no smell or taste. Its neutral flavor makes it a great substitute thickener for vegetarian or vegan dishes. And it’s more readily available than you might think.

Agar is also high in fiber (80%), has no calories, no sugar, fat or carbohydrates. And it’s also an excellent source of calcium, potassium and iron. If you’re trying to make small steps toward better health, try substituting Agar in place of other thickeners such as flour, cornstarch or tapioca starch.

If you’re looking for an easy, healthy dessert that you can make once and enjoy over the course of the week without feeling like you’re sabotaging your health goals, give this recipe for Vegan Hibiscus Gelee with Coconut Milk a try. Even without the coconut milk layer, it’s delicious.

Don’t skip the cream on this Easy 2-Step hibiscus flower and prosecco gelee recipe

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time you know I’m all about balance. Sweet needs salt. Tart needs a little fat. The same rule can be applied to this recipe.

Don’t be tempted to skip the cream on top of this Easy 2-Step Hibiscus Flower and Prosecco Gelee. The hibiscus and the bubbly are both sharp flavors – even with the added sugar. However, everything softens when you add a hint of cream. It doesn’t take much, just a few Tablespoons of whipped cream per serving, but it really pulls everything together. Do a taste test side-by-side. Note the difference. And have fun with it!

Cheers and enjoy!

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Easy 2-Step Hibiscus Flower and Prosecco Gelee

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

This recipe yields six 1/3 cup portions of Gelee or four 1/2 cup portions.

Ingredients

For the Hibiscus flower simple syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dried Hibiscus flowers
Finishing the Gelee
1 cup Hibiscus flower simple syrup
1/2 cup sparkling seltzer water (well chilled)
1 cup Prosecco Rosé (well chilled)
2 packages (14 grams total) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. powdered sugar
Reserved cooked hibiscus flowers and fresh mint to garnish (optional)

Directions

Make the Hibiscus flower simple syrup
In a 5-quart sauce pan, combine 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers. Bring to a gentle boil. Stir occasionally to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
After simmering, remove the pan from the heat. Carefully strain off the hibiscus flowers and save for later. Return the hot liquid to the sauce pan.
Finish the Gelee
While the simple syrup is simmering, bloom the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water and lime juice.
Prepare 6 cups for serving. Set aside.
Once the syrup as been strained and returned to the pan, add the gelatin mixture to the simple syrup. Bring the simple syrup back up to the boil and stir the mixture until all the gelatin has dissolved. Once dissolved, remove the pan from the heat.
Gradually add the cold sparkling water and Prosecco and stir. The mixture will bubble up a lot, but will go back down – approximately 3 – 5 minutes. Once the mixture has settled, pour the gelee into serving cups and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
When ready to serve, whip up a 1/2 cup of whipping cream with 1 tsp. of powdered sugar. Garnish with fresh mint and the reserved hibiscus flowers. Serve well chilled.

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