Here are some healthy mocktail recipes that are easy to make and perfect for the entire family to enjoy, from toddlers to grandparents!

The weather is heating up, schools are closed and it’s official vacation time! Well, now that the kids are free, they’re sure to be out and about, attending summer camps, meeting friends or getting involved in various summer activities. In the midst of all this, they may forget to do something important – hydrate!

Reminding them to drink water helps to an extent, but then you may find that they get ‘bored’ with water. So as parents, we have to think a little creatively, which is where mocktails enter the picture!

As their name suggests, a mocktail is simply a ‘mock’ cocktail, which is a non-alcoholic version of a traditionally alcoholic drink. This makes mocktails something everyone in the family can enjoy, and today we’ve got some awesome mocktail recipes for you to try this summer!

10 Healthy Mocktail Recipes For Summer

1. Ginger Lemon Slush

We’ve featured an earlier version of this recipe, but this here is a healthier alternative – now you can enjoy this childhood favorite guilt-free!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 tsp Lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp Ginger juice
• 150 ml Club soda
• Sweetener of your choice
• Crushed ice
• 5-6 Fresh mint leaves
• Rock salt for serving

Method:

1. Blend all your ingredients except the rock salt.
2. Wet the rim of your glass with lime juice or water and then dip the wet rim into rock salt, so the rim is completely coated. Pour in your mocktail and enjoy.

2. Watermelon Mint Cooler

Since watermelons are 92% water, this mocktail is one of the most hydrating mocktail recipes to try this summer. What’s more, it’s packed with Vitamins A and C, keeping you healthy all season.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Fresh watermelon chunks
• 8 Fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon Lime juice
• Sparkling water (optional)

Method:

1. Blend the watermelon chunks until smooth. Strain to get rid of any seeds.
2. Put the mint leaves into your serving glass and crush them lightly.
3. Add ice cubes, then pour in the strained watermelon juice and the lime juice.
4. If you like, you can add some sparkling water for fizz.
5. Serve garnished with a piece of watermelon or a spring of mint.

3. Passionfruit Mocktail

If you’re looking for mocktail recipes that use ingredients that you don’t generally choose, this passionfruit one is perfect, especially since you can make it with just 3 ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 1 Passionfruit or frozen passionfruit pulp
• 1 tablespoon Fresh lime juice
• 1 cup Coconut water
• Soda water (optional – if using, go for 1/2 cup coconut water and 1/2 cup soda)
• Sweetener (optional – only if your coconut water is not sweet enough)

Method:

1. Put the passionfruit pulp into a glass. If using frozen pulp, make sure it’s completely thawed.
2. Add lime juice, coconut water, and ice, and mix well.
3. If you’re using sparkling water, now’s the time to add it. Mix well.
4. Garnish with a lemon slice and serve.

4. Raspberry Lemonade

Raspberries don’t just give your mocktail recipes a gorgeous red color; they also give it a lovely flavor, especially when combined with lemons and honey!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Fresh or frozen raspberries
• 4-5 Lemons
• 3-4 tablespoons Honey
• 4 cups Cold water
• Fresh mint leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Crush the raspberries in a jug. If using frozen berries, let them thaw completely.
2. Squeeze the lemons and add the juice to the crushed raspberries.
3. Add the honey and cold water and mix well.
4. Add a few mint leaves and chill for at least an hour.
5. Garnish with some raspberries and lemon slices and serve.

5. Kiwi Mint Refresher

Kiwis are popular with most kids, which makes this one of the most kid-friendly mocktail recipes to try this summer! It’s also packed with Vitamin C, making it a great pick to boost immunity.

Ingredients:

• 3 Kiwi fruits, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 10 Fresh mint leaves
• 2 cups Sparkling water or club soda
• 1 teaspoon Sweetener of choice

Method:

1. Blend the kiwi fruit pieces, lime juice, mint leaves, and sweetener (if using).
2. When it’s time to serve, pour into glasses and top with sparkling water.
3. Garnish with mint or kiwi slices and serve.

6. Strawberry Quencher

Besides raspberry, here’s another way to add some beautiful color to your mocktail recipes – use strawberries! Packed with antioxidants, this is a great health booster for the whole family.

Ingredients:

• 5 Strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon Lime juice
• 10 Fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon Honey or maple syrup
• Ice cubes 
• Sparkling water (optional)

Method:

• Crush the strawberries and mint leaves in a jug.
• Add the lime juice and honey and mix well.
• Put ice cubes in your serving glass and pour in the contents of the jug.
• If using, add sparkling water to your liking and stir well.
• Garnish with strawberry slices, lemon slices or fresh mint leaves.

7. Peach Honey Mocktail

Peaches are always a good idea, especially when you use them in mocktail recipes! This recipe combines peaches with lemons and basil for an interesting flavor.

Ingredients:

• Half a fresh peach, chopped or 5 canned peach slices
• 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
• 6-8 Basil leaves
• ½ teaspoon Honey
• 100 ml Soda water

Method:

1. If using canned peaches, blend the peach slices with a couple of tablespoons of the liquid from the can. If using fresh peaches, blend the chunks with a couple of tablespoons of water.
2. In a shaker, put in the basil leaves and crush them gently.
3. Microwave the honey with half a teaspoon of water for 5 seconds and mix well.
4. To the shaker with the basil, add in the peach puree, lemon juice and honey syrup.
5. Add some ice and shake everything till mixed well.
6. Strain the mixture into your serving glass.
7. Top with soda water and garnish with basil or peach slices.

8. Layered Fruit Mocktail

How gorgeous is this layered fruit mocktail? We love mocktail recipes that look pretty; it increases the enjoyment and also makes for a great picture to post on Instagram!

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Make simple syrup by boiling a cup of sugar and a cup of water on a medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Cool the syrup and then chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Keep a tall serving glass ready on the side.
4. Blend the avocado flesh with the banana, some milk and honey to get a puree consistency.
5. Pour the avocado puree into the bottom of the glass to make the first layer.
6. Rinse out the blender jar. Add in the mango chunks, half the ice cubes, half a cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of simple syrup and blend.
7. Pour the mango puree carefully over the avocado layer in the glass.
8. Rinse out the blender jar. Add in the strawberry pieces, remaining ice cubes, half a cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of simple syrup and blend.
9. Pour the strawberry puree carefully over the mango layer in the glass.
10. Garnish with strawberry slices and serve.

9. Cranberry Apple Mocktail

Cranberry juice is often used for its medicinal benefits, but it also works excellently when added to mocktail recipes! This one is a sugar-free recipe that uses the natural sugars of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup Cranberry juice
• ¾ cup Apple juice
• ½ cup Sparkling water

Method:

1. Mix together the cranberry juice, apple juice, and sparkling water.
2. Add ice cubes, garnish with apple slices and serve.

10. Virgin Pina Colada

One of the most celebrated summer drinks is a pina colada. Unfortunately, that is a drink that contains alcohol, so we’ve got a version that’s more family-friendly and healthier!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Pineapple chunks
• ¾ cup Thick coconut milk
• Sweetener of your choice
• 4 to 6 Ice cubes
• Pineapple wedges to garnish

Method:

1. Blend the pineapple chunks with your sweetener till you get a smooth puree.
2. Add the thick coconut milk and ice cubes and blend again.
3. Garnish with pineapple wedges and serve immediately.

The Eatwell Guide recommends drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, more if it’s very hot or you’ve been extra active. These mocktail recipes will come under those, but please remember that your family’s main source of hydration should still be plain water. Fruit mocktails and juices can give you a nice break on an extra hot day, so on such days, you know where to go!

 Prerna is the founder, editor and owner of ‘Maa of All Blogs’, one of India’s Top Parenting Blogs. Besides being a certified Ashtanga Yoga instructor, she is also a fashion designer and an economics graduate.

When she’s not busy running her home and business, she ensures she stays active – whether it’s running the half marathon, completing the Oxfam walk or climbing to the Everest base camp. Prerna enjoys wearing all her hats, and she does so in style!