Virgin Margarita Mocktail

This margarita mocktail recipe is easy to make, tastes great, and can be served frozen or chilled. Enjoy this classy virgin drink on any day of week - and at any time of the day.

If you're looking for an easy virgin margarita, you've found it.

this recipe

This easy mocktail ticks all the boxes:

• Healthy: I make this mocktail recipe with freshly squeezed juice, but it can be made with bottled juice too!
• Minimal sugar: with juices that are naturally low in sugar and a no/low sugar mixer, the sugar content of drink is minimal. If you do use a sweetener, you can choose a low/no sugar option such as Stevia or monk fruit sweetener.
• Easy to make: simply mix and serve, or freeze and blend for a frozen virgin margarita.
• It’s Oh So Pretty: with a beautiful salt rim and gorgeous colour, it not only tastes great, but looks insta-worthy too.
• Plenty of variations: can’t find an ingredient or don’t have access to it? Don’t worry, I’ve included plenty of alternatives.

What is a virgin margarita mocktail?

A traditional margarita recipe calls for a mix of tequila, orange liqueur and lime or lemon juice.

It can be served over ice or blended with ice to create a frozen variation. It's served in a traditional glass rimmed with salt, sugar or both - but usually salt!

As you know, I am all about alcohol free, so I have created a delicious non alcoholic option for you. A mocktail margarita is essentially the drink without the alcohol. With a beautiful combination of fresh juices and low sugar sparkling water, this is a much healthier option than an alcoholic margarita - AND it tastes just as good as the real thing!

I also make an amazing strawberry margarita, so be sure to check it out.

Margarita mocktail ingredients

Fresh lime juice: I always prefer fresh juice if possible, but having said that, there are some fantastic healthy options now for pre-squeezed citrus, so don't despair if you can't find (or can't afford!) fresh limes!

Orange juice: Again, freshly squeezed juice works wonders, but there are plenty of bottled options too. Tip: whether you use fresh of bottled, I recommend straining the pulp - I am not a fan of floaties in my drink!

Grapefruit juice: I used a bottled grapefruit juice and it worked perfectly. The grapefruit gives this drink a real kick and adds some complexity, which I think is needed given the absence of alcohol.

Lime sparkling water: I used Waterfords Tahition Lime for this recipe and it was delicious. You can use any brand of lime sparkling water, or Limeaid (which we don't have in Australia!). Just watch the sugar content.

Sweetener of choice: I'm not a huge sweet tooth so I only needed about half a teaspoon of Stevia per drink, but you can add your choice of sweetener to taste. I typically use Stevia, monk fruit sweetener or Manuka honey to sweeten my drinks.

Salt (or sugar): It wouldn't be a margarita mocktail without a traditional salt rim! I go into more detail below.

Lime to garnish: A classy lime wheel is all you need to make this sophisticated virgin margarita.

How to make a virgin margarita

Chilled

For a chilled mocktail, places juices and sweetener (if using) in a small jug and mix well to dissolve the sweetener.. Pour mixture into a margarita glass rimmed with salt or sugar and top with lime sparkling water. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Frozen

Place juices and sweetener (if using) in a small jug and mix well. Freeze mixture into ice cubes. Place icecubes and lime sparkling water into a blender and blend well. Pour into a margarita glass rimmed with salt or sugar and garnish with a lime wheel.

VIRGIN MARGARITA RIM

When I was testing the recipe I had rather large debates with my testers about the rim! Personally I love a classic salt rim. Do not use table salt, use kosher or sea salt instead. It tastes delicious with the bitter flavour of the margarita.

However, a few of my sweet tooth testers were not a fan of the salt, and opted for sugar instead. For me personally this is far too sweet, but if you are a sugar fan, give it a try.

Another option is half salt, half sugar – then you get the best of both worlds! I’ll leave it up to you to choose the one you prefer.

To create the rim, take a lime wedge and cut though it to create a little slit. I prefer a thin rim, but you can make it as thick as you like - hint, too much salt can overpower this drink, so stick to the thin rim in my opinion!

Run the lime around the edge of glass. Try to avoid moistening the inside of the rim as this will result and salt sticking to the side of your glass and falling into your drink.

Dip the rim into the salt or sugar to coat.

And that's it! A beautiful, refreshing, healthy version of a classic drink made into a non-alcoholic cocktail!

I hope you enjoy this easy margarita mocktail recipe.

Cheers!