You've been oh-so studious about making healthy choices every chance you get. You're skipping the booze, and you're in the mood for a zero-proof mocktail that isn't creeping back up in calories with juice on juice on juice on simple syrup. And for good reason. So keep those calories low and those flavors high with these low-calorie mocktail recipes.
Low-Calorie Strawberry Lemon Mocktail
Summery and spring flavors don't need to be heavy or high in calories. Fresh flavors mean low-calorie, and this exceeds expectations. You know when you're looking for an afternoon pick-me-up? This is it.
Ingredients
- 3-4 strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 ounces nonalcoholic white rum OR coconut water
- 1½ ounces sparkling lemonade
- Ice
- Strawberry slice and lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberries.
- Add ice and nonalcoholic white rum.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with sparkling lemonade.
- Garnish with a strawberry slice and a lemon slice.
Low-Calorie Zero-Proof Paloma
Grapefruit soda can really skew things when you're looking for a healthier paloma mocktail. We've got a solution for you.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- 1½ ounces nonalcoholic tequila, optional
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Grapefruit club soda to top off
- Grapefruit wheel, lime wheel, and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, graperuit juice, lime juice, and nonalcoholic tequila, if desired.
- Top off with grapefruit club soda.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a grapefruit wheel, lime wheel, and mint sprig.
Low-Calorie Kickin' Kombucha Mocktail
Fret not, there are only 50 calories from sparkling grape juice in this mocktail. Time to pop those zero-proof bottles!
Ingredients
- 3 ounces kombucha
- 2½ ounces sparkling white grape juice
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a wine glass, add ice, kombucha, sparkling white grape juice, and lemon juice.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a lemon slice.
Sleepy Girl Mocktail: Low-Calorie Edition
Skip the magnesium, because who wants the tummy troubles, but skip right to some low-calorie flavor. Whether you use this as a reason to stay in because you're feeling sleepy is up to you.
Ingredients
- 5 ounces tart cherry juice
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce diet lemon-lime soda
- Ice
- Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, add ice, tart cherry juice, lime juice, and diet lemon-lime soda.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Low-Calorie Iced Tea Mocktail
Bitters add heaps of flavor without heaping on the calories in this iced tea mocktail. Better yet, it's easy to double or triple the recipe or even make it up in a pitcher so you always have some on hand.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces iced lemon tea
- 2 dashes peach bitters
- 1 dash almond bitters
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, add ice, lemon tea, peach bitters, and almond bitters.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Healthy Berry Mocktail Muddle
Handfuls of fresh fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, and cherries, are the key to a mocktail that's bursting at the seams with flavor. Better yet, this is the solution for when you don't know what to do with all that fresh fruit before it spoils. We love a fun solution.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
- ½ cup cherries, pitted
- ½ cup raspberries
- ¼ ounce diet cran-pomegranate juice
- 3-5 fresh basil leaves
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce nonalcoholic vodka
- Crushed ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle strawberries, cherries, and raspberries with cran-pomegranate juice.
- Add ice, basil leaves, lime juice, and nonalcoholic vodka.
- Shake to chill.
- Double strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
Low-Calorie Zero-Proof Mojito
Although the mojito is already so light and refreshing, all that simple syrup can really derail things, along with a heavy pour of white rum. Lighten it up, skip the booze, and say so long to the syrup. But that minty flavor? That stays.
Ingredients
- 6-8 fresh mint leaves
- 6 ounces coconut water
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, mint leaves, coconut water, and lime juice.
- Shake well to muddle ingredients together.
- Double strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
Low-Calorie Refreshing Cucumber Mocktail
Looking for something a bit spiced yet refreshing? Don't be afraid of the ginger beer — it only adds 40 calories to this cocktail, and the rest are fresh, crisp, and clean ingredients.
Ingredients
- 5-6 cucumber wheels
- 2 ounces limeade
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- 3 ounces diet ginger beer to top off
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber wheels with limeade.
- Add ice and lemon juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Double strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
Zero-Proof Drinks With Full Flavor
Low calories don't mean low on flavor with these zero-proof alcohol-free drinks. Juicy, fizzy, bitter, or herby, you can still live a delicious life without breaking your bank of calories. So raise a glass without raising the calories the next time you're stirring your way through mocktail happy hour. And if you're watching sugar, try our low-sugar mocktails.
