16 Popular And Easy Recipes Of Mocktails For Kids

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Mocktails are great alternatives for cocktails, especially for children, as they are alcohol-free (1).They are creative options that let you enjoy the crafty mixed taste of cocktails without the ill effects of alcohol. They are at once thirst-quenching and family-friendly. If you are looking for delicious and colorful mocktail recipes for kids, you have come just to the right place. In this post, we have rounded up some of the most delicious and fun mocktails for you to prepare right at home.

16 Popular And Easy Mocktail Recipes For Children

Mary Sabat, nutritionist and certified personal trainer from Alpharetta, Georgia, says, “Non-alcoholic options such as mocktails, fruit juices, smoothies, flavored water, and simple beverages like milk are suitable for children. It’s important to ensure that the beverages are age-appropriate and free from any harmful ingredients. Parents or guardians should monitor their child’s beverage intake to ensure it aligns with their dietary needs and preferences.”

Below are some simple and easy mocktail recipes free from zero-nutrient ingredients, like white sugar and soda (2) (3). You can include your children in the mocktail-making process.

1. Watermelon slush

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It is a hydrating and nutrient-rich drink perfect to beat the scorching heat in summers and quick to make.

You will need:

• 1 cup watermelon (deseeded and cubed)
• 2 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
• 4-5 mint sprigs (chopped)

How to prepare:

1. Freeze the watermelon cubes overnight.
2. Blend the watermelon cubes with almond milk into a smooth liquid.
3. Pour in a serving glass, garnish with chopped mint sprigs, pop in a mocktail stirrer or a mocktail umbrella, and serve with mini club sandwiches.

Health fact

Watermelon is high in vitamin C, which helps in improving immunity and healing wounds. Therefore, children with slow-healing wounds can eat fruits rich in vitamin C (4).

2. Rosemary blueberry smash

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This flavorful, bright-colored, and refreshing punch recipe for kids is an all-season favorite among children and teens.

You will need:

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 2tsp manuka honeyⁱFound in Australia and New Zealand famous for its antibacterial properties
• 3tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup ice cubes

How to prepare:

1. Put all the ingredients in a mocktail shaker and gently press the blueberries and rosemary with the back of a spoon to release juices.
2. Now add some ice and shake it vigorously for seven to eight minutes.
3. Once the blueberries and rosemary sprig are well bruised, strain the juice into a mocktail glass, add some fresh ice, and serve immediately.

3. Shirley temple

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It is a refreshingly flavorsome beverage with mild sweet and tangy cherry flavor.

You will need:

• 1/2oz. cocktail cherry juice
• ¼ fl.oz. fresh lime juice
• 6oz. ginger ale
• ½ cup maraschino cherries (for garnish)
• ½ cup ice cubes

How to prepare:

1. Take a Collins glass, fill it half with ice cubes, and add cocktail cherry juice, lime juice, and ginger ale by stirring gently.
2. Garnish with two skewered maraschino cherries and serve immediately.

4. Strawberry lemonade

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A delightful and fun lemon-flavored drink usually served with summer salads and casseroles.

You will need:

• 1 cup of ginger ale
• 1 cup of fresh lemonade
• 3 strawberries (finely chopped)
• 1 strawberry (thinly sliced, for garnish)
• ½ cup ice cubes

How to prepare:

1. Put lemonade, ginger ale, finely chopped strawberry, and ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and shake everything well for at least five to seven minutes.
2. Pour the mix into a mocktail glass, garnish with strawberry slices, and serve immediately.

5. Non-alcoholic sangria

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This non-alcoholic cocktail recipe for kids is a vitamin and mineral-rich drink with refreshing natural citrus flavors.

You will need:

• 1 cups grape juice
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• 1tbsp lime juice
• oz. canned apple juice concentrate (frozen and thawed)
• ½ orange (sliced)
• ½ lime (sliced)
• 1 apple (cored and chopped)
• 1 cup strawberries (sliced)
• 1 cup water

How to prepare:

1. Put grape juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and apple juice concentrate in a mocktail pitcher.
2. Add orange, lime, apple, and strawberry slices and give a quick stir.
3. Add water and keep in the refrigerator for an hour.
4. Serve chilled with a grilled chicken sandwich or hearty green salad.

Quick tip

When the fruits are allowed to steep in the juice for a long time, they turn plump and juicy. So, if you have time, let the drink sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

6. Pineapple orange mocktail

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A mildly sweet, refreshing drink loaded with the goodness of vitamin C.

You will need:

• 1 cup fresh pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1tsp honey
• 1tbsp fresh cilantroⁱThe Spanish name for coriander leaves which are largely used in cooking and as medicine (chopped)
• 1 cup crushed ice

How to prepare:

1. Put crushed ice in a cocktail shaker or a mocktail mixer and pour pineapple and orange juice over the ice.
2. Add honey and cilantro, and shake the mixture thoroughly for five minutes.
3. Serve immediately with sandwiches, rolls, salads, or casseroles.

7. Bulldog buster

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It is a delightful, mixed flavor drink with a punch of sweet, sour, and tangy flavors.

You will need:

• 1 cup cranberry juice
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ½ cup ice cubes

How to prepare:

1. Add all the ingredients in a medium-sized pitcher and stir them well.
2. Pour the mixture into a wine glass, add some ice cubes, and serve right away.

8. Pina colada mocktail

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It is an alcohol-free, healthy, and soul-satisfying alternative to the pina coladaⁱA popular classic cocktail of Puerto Rico made of pineapple, white rum, and coconut cocktail.

You will need:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup fresh pineapple (diced)
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 2 cup ice cubes
• 2-3 pineapple wedges (thinly sliced, for garnish)

How to prepare:

1. Blend banana, pineapple pieces, pineapple juice, ice, and coconut milk in a mocktail blender.
2. Pour the mixture into a red wine or martini glass, garnish with pineapple wedges, add a couple of mocktail straws and a mocktail umbrella, and serve immediately.

Did you know?

Using store-bought pineapple juice instead of fresh one helps reduce the tartness of the drink.

9. Spicy delicious mocktail

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It is a sweet, spicy, and healthy drink for children across ages.

You will need:

• ½ cup tomato juice (without seed)
• 5 ½ fl.oz. vegetable juice (with no salt)
• ½tsp Worcestershire sauceⁱAlso called Worcester sauce, it is derived from Worcestershire, England, and has vinegar and tamarind as its main ingredients
• 1tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1tsp fresh dill (chopped)
• 1tsp dill pickle juice
• Dash of tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
• ½ cup ice cubes

How to prepare:

1. Blend all the ingredients into a smooth-flowing drink using a blender.
2. Pour the ready drink into a flute glass and serve immediately with cheese nachos or fresh bean salad.

10. Watermelon Fresca

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It is a hydrating and refreshing summer drink rich in potassium.

You will need:

• ¼ cup ginger root (peeled and sliced)
• ¼ cup water
• 4 cup watermelon (peeled, deseeded, and cubed)
• 3-4 fresh mint sprigs (for garnish)

How to prepare:

1. Put ginger slices and water in a saucepan on medium heat, bring the mixture to boil, and then simmer it for a minute.
2. Once done, let the ginger decoction cool and strain it into a bowl.
3. Blend watermelon cubes and ginger decoction into a smooth mixture.
4. Pour the blend into a martini glass, garnish with mint sprigs, and serve right away.

11. Cranberry cooler

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It is one of the best fruity, micronutrient-rich, refreshing mocktail drinks for children and teens.

You will need:

• 2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup maraschino cherryⁱA sweetened cherry without any added sugar, and is a rich source of vitamin C, fiber, iron, and potassium. juice
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2tbsp lemon juice
• 2oz. ginger ale (chilled)
• 1 medium-sized orange (thinly sliced in circles)

How to prepare:

1. Put pineapple juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, maraschino cherry juice, and lemon juice in a pitcher and mix well.
2. Add the chilled ginger ale, and while stirring constantly, pour the drink into a highball glass.
3. Garnish with orange slices and serve immediately.

12. Mint choco mocktail

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Children and teens love this delectable mocktail drink for its tasty chocolate and mint combination.

You will need:

• Low-fat or non-dairy chocolate and mint ice cream
• Coconut cream
• A handful of mixed nuts (finely chopped)
• ½ cup crushed ice
• 2tsp dark chocolate syrup (sugar-free)

How to prepare:

1. Dip the rim of a cocktail glass into the chocolate syrup and set it aside to dry.
2. Next, put all the ingredients into a blender and blend them well.
3. Pour the drink into the cocktail glass and serve immediately.

13. Spicy cider

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It is a simple yet customizable, tangy-spicy drink made up of apple and cinnamon.

You will need:

• 2 cup apple juice or cider (mild cider)
• 1 orange (sliced into wheels)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves

How to prepare:

1. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat the mixture on medium heat until it begins boiling.
2. Turn off the heat, let the mixture stand a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
3. Pour the mixture into a cup and serve while still warm.

14. New year sunrise

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It is a colorful, tasty, and quick-to-prepare fruity mocktail drink for every age.

You will need:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 cup homemade lemonade (sugar-free)
• 1 cup grenadineⁱA deep red, nonalcoholic syrup made from pomegranate, sugar, and lemon juice with a sweet and sour taste or cranberry juice cocktail concentrate
• 1 orange slice (thinly sliced wheel)

How to prepare:

1. Take a hurricane glass and fill its one-third with orange juice.
2. Add lemonade to fill the glass, leaving a small gap for the grenadine.
3. Slowly and carefully pour a small amount of grenadine such that it sinks to the bottom of the drink to make a red layer.
4. Garnish with an orange slice tucked at the edge of the glass and serve right away.

15. Georgia on my mind

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It is a sweet, tangy, and fruity-flavored drink great for children across ages.

You will need:

• 1 cup pureed peach
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup almond milk
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup agave syrupⁱDerived from the Mexican Agave plant and rich in carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
• ¼ tsp vanilla bean extract
• ½ tsp ground cardamom

How to prepare:

1. Blend all the ingredients into a smooth-flowing mix using a blender.
2. Transfer the mix into a glass and place it in the refrigerator to chill.
3. Serve the chilled drink with muffins and sandwiches

16. Mojito mocktail

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• 2 cups cold water
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
• Ice cubes
• Lime slices and mint sprigs, for garnish

How To Prepare:

1. Boil a cup of water in a saucepan.
2. Remove from heat and add half the fresh mint leaves to the water.
3. Let the leaves steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and allow the mint-infused water to cool.
4. Add the fresh lime juice and honey to the mint water.
5. Add the mint-infused water to the sweetened lime juice. Stir well to mix the flavors.
6. Gently muddle the remaining mint leaves in a bowl to release their flavor.
7. Add the muddled leaves to the pitcher and stir again.
8. Refrigerate the mocktail for at least one to two hours.
9. Pour the chilled mocktail into a glass and add ice cubes.
10. Garnish with a lime slice and a sprig of fresh mint. Serve!

An Indian blogger shares a healthy mocktail recipe in her blog ‘Delighted by Cooking,’ She prepares it for her children and family using ginger and lemon juice. She writes about the recipe: “Remove the seeds and chop the gooseberry. Add the chopped garlic and blend it in a blender with a cup of water. Now strain the extracted juice and add the lemon juice. Add honey and mix well.

“If needed honey can be substituted by salt, but kids love honey. Even kids would relish this juice (i).”

Tips For Making Mocktails Fun For Kids

Making mocktails can be a fun way to spend time with your children. Given below are some tips that can help you engage them in the process.

• Let the children pick their favorite mocktail recipe.
• Allow them to personalize their mocktails by choosing their favorite fruit and flavors.
• Use fancy glasses, mugs, and unique straws that are visually appealing to kids.
• Have them decorate the glasses with fun and colorful garnishes, like fruit skewers and mini umbrellas.
• Prepare colorful and uniquely designed ice cubes.
• Let the kids write their names in their mocktail glasses.

Infographic: Popular And Easy Mocktail Recipes For Children

Mocktails are non-alcoholic beverages that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, including children. Some popular mocktail recipes for children include the virgin margarita, the Shirley Temple, and fruit punch. The following infographic features a list of a few mocktail ideas you can try with your children. Experiment with various flavors and combinations and come up with your refreshing drinks. Happy mixing!

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Popular And Easy Recipes Of Mocktails For Kids

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Learn how to make a delicious and healthy fruit punch mocktail for children! Perfect for summer parties or just a fun treat, this fruit punch is sure to be a hit among children.

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Natasha UspenskyHolistic Nutrition

Natasha Uspensky is a certified holistic nutrition counselor, Ayurvedic practitioner, wellness blogger, and founder of NU Health & Wellness and The Organic Beauty. With over 11 years of experience, she practices a holistic approach to wellness.

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• 
  Mary SabatRDN, LD Mary Sabat is certified in personal training by the American Council of Exercise (ACE) and has 30 years experience as a fitness trainer, diet planner, and holistic health coach. She did her BS in Dietetics and Nutrition at University of Delaware and MS in Human Nutrition with an emphasis on Exercise Science, at Rutger’s University.
  
  Mary Sabat is certified in personal training by the American Council of Exercise (ACE) and has 30 years experience as a fitness trainer, diet planner, and holistic health coach. She did her BS in Dietetics and Nutrition at University of Delaware and MS in Human Nutrition with an emphasis on Exercise Science, at Rutger’s University.

Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

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Nida holds a bachelor's degree in Zoology and a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Genetics and Medical Laboratory Techniques from Goa University. Before joining MomJunction, she worked as a laboratory technician. She began content writing during her college years and has been featured as a co-author in a children's short story compilation book.

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