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Happy National Margarita Day! I love this alcohol-free margarita recipe or “mock margarita” that’s incredibly similar to a real one and totally alcohol-free! The ingredients used help to create a tequila-like flavor profile that’s slightly earthy, sweet, and sometimes spicy, almost mocking a mezcal at times.
Most alcohol-free margaritas will contain margarita mixes (that are often non-alcoholic.) These mixes are loaded with refined sugars. With this healthier margarita mocktail, we will only use unrefined sugars that come naturally from fruit and pure maple syrup.
What Makes This Alcohol-Free Margarita Taste Like A Real Margarita?
On this national margarita day we’re choosing to have the option of a mocktail, or making them a bit boozy. Whatever it is that you choose, drink in moderation.
Tonic: Tonic helps to create a noticeable bitterness in this alcohol-free margarita recipe that sometimes can be present in certain tequilas. This can be from the aging process tequila goes through. With Mezcal the smoke may result in a fire-rich smokiness to it’s flavor. This will create more of a whisky flavor profile that has depths of flavor like vanilla, citrus, and even black pepper.
Jalapeno: Jalapeno provides an earthy flavor that gives a spicy kick that balances out the sweetness from other ingredients. Many may opt to remove this ingredient. With that, I highly recommend including it! In my opinion, this is ingredient makes this recipe as delicious as it is!
Honey or Maple: Honey and maple may not be the first choice for an alcohol-free margarita. Agave is a highly-processed sugar or an ’empty’ sugar choice. Agave is seen as a healthy sugar source, when in reality it is a highly-refined one. With that, it is stripped to its core to achieve the syrup molecules that we consume. Using honey or maple is an option that’s very close to its natural state. Subsequently, it could provide us with small amounts of micronutrients. Both are wonderful choices here which we don’t use much!
Lime juice: Obviously… 🙂
Turmeric Powder: This is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that provides even more bitterness which contributes to the overall flavor of this drink.
Orange Juice: This ingredient takes the place of our cointreau or ‘triple sec’ in a traditional margarita recipe. This choice is a lower and natural sugar source to help give our mocktail margarita recipe a lovely orange flavor with subtle sweetness.
Sparkling Grapefruit Juice: This helps to provide bitterness, earthiness, as well as sweetness. This is undoubtedly a very important ingredient when creating a mock-margarita.
Uncommon Ingredients That MAKE This Extra Delicious!
Chia Seeds: This isn’t entirely necessary in this recipe, however it’s extremely common in Mexican drinks, primarily in fruitier ones! Chia seeds have a gelatinous membrane around its exterior and swells when combined with water. It’s a beneficial ingredient for digestion as the gelatinous exterior helps with digestion.
Additionally, they are high in fiber and a great source of quercetin. While this isn’t something to note for this recipe (as it’s such a small amount) the presence of quercetin is an important note for my MCAS patients or histamine intolerance readers. Quercetin helps to inhibit the release of histamine which is a great benefit when having this drink as citrus may fill your histamine bucket.
Tajin: This is a fun and spicy addition to this recipe that pairs perfectly with the above ingredients.
Alcohol-Free Spicy Turmeric Maple Margarita
Ingredients
Alcohol-Free Margarita Ingredients:
- ¼ cup light tonic q brand
- 1-2 tbsp diced jalapeno I promisee you it does not make it spicy if you remove the seeds!
- 1-2 tbsp honey maple or agave
- 2 tbsp boiling water if using honey
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ⅔ cup orange juice
- ½ tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 bottle sparkling pink grapefruit soda
- Ice
- ½ tsp rainbow peppercorns
Toppings For Your Mocktail Margarita:
- ½-1 tsp tajin to top drink or more for the rim
- 1-2 slices of fresh (seedless) jalapeno.
- 1 dehydrated orange slice for the glass
Instructions
- Squeeze all of your limes into a bowl while straining through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve
- Add your diced jalapenos (free from seeds) to your shaker as well as your honey, peppercorns, lime juice, turmeric, & ice. Shake vigorously. (If you would like the peppercorns and jalapeno to be spicier, let sit for a few minutes.
- Follow by using your tajin and a lime by gently adding the lime juice at the edge of the glass and then turning the glass upside down to add tajin to the edge of the glass.
- Follow with the chia seeds into the base of your glass. Add your mixture from the shaker and stir until chia seeds swell slightly.
- Add your ice to your glasses almost to the top and then follow with tonic and sparkling grapefruit. Add a dehydrated orange and lime if desired and top with more tajin.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
More Non-Alcoholic Recipes To Enjoy:
- Mocktail Passiontfruit Margarita (Great for MCAS!)
- Mock Whiskey
Did you try this alcohol-free margarita recipe? Don’t forget to tag me on instagram if you make this recipe! That way you can share with your friends and I can better understand which recipes everyone is loving on the site! If you have a private Instagram account I may not see your tag. Feel free to DM me to let me know! I sincerely appreciate your support <3!
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