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30 Minutes or Less

Skinny Strawberry Margarita Recipe

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close-up image of a skinny strawberry margarita in a glass with fresh strawberries and lime wedges on top.

A lighter, but just as delicious skinny strawberry margarita! Shake up one of these ice cold cocktails at your next Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, or summer party. Made with fresh-squeezed juice, good quality tequila, and fresh strawberries for an incredibly light and refreshing cocktail!

skinny strawberry margarita being poured from a cocktail shaker into a glass.

What You’ll Need To Make A Skinny Strawberry Margarita

Strawberries – Fresh (not frozen) strawberries are a perfect fruity addition to this classic cocktail! Slice off the tops of your strawberries, then gently muddle them in the bottom of your drink glass. Last, pour your shaken skinny margarita on top and give it a gentle stir to incorporate.

Lime Juice – Fresh-squeezed lime juice is best in any margarita recipe. However, if you’re short on time, or making a large batch of these, go ahead and use bottled lime juice instead. Though when picking a bottled lime juice, make sure it has just one ingredient – limes – no added sugar, please!

Orange Juice – Just like the lime juice, fresh-squeezed orange juice is best, and healthiest in this recipe. Most traditional margarita recipes have some sort of orange liquor which packs in extra calories and sugar. So by replacing the liquor with fresh-squeezed orange juice, we effectively turn this into a “skinny” cocktail!

Agave Nectar – Another key component to this skinny strawberry margarita recipe. The agave nectar replaces simple syrup, with a very similar taste and sweetness! Though if you don’t have agave nectar, you can use honey or simple syrup to sweeten your drink instead.

skinny strawberry margarita in a glass with fresh strawberries and lime wedges on top.

Tips and Tricks

  • Craving a frozen strawberry margarita? Place all ingredients (strawberries, tequila, lime juice, orange juice, and agave nectar) in a blender with a small handful of ice! I love making a whole pitcher of frozen margs for friends and family on hot summer days.
  • If you don’t own a fancy-shmancy muddler, simply use the end of a mixing spoon to muddle your strawberries instead. Preferably one with a wide, flat end – but really anything that allows you to press and crush your strawberries will do!
  • Switch up this summer cocktail recipe however you’d like! Rim the glass with just salt, or just sugar, based on your preferences. You could even muddle in some fresh mint leaves to make it even more refreshing! Or for a skinny blackberry margarita, check out my recipe here.
overhead image of a skinny strawberry margarita in a glass.

Make It A Mocktail

For a virgin strawberry margarita, replace the tequila with 2 ounces of tonic or sparkling water!

Skinny Strawberry Margarita Recipe
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Skinny Strawberry Margarita Recipe

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DrinksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

serving
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

A lighter, but just as delicious skinny strawberry margarita! Shake up one of these ice cold cocktails at your next Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, or summer party. Made with fresh-squeezed juice, good quality tequila, and fresh strawberries for an incredibly light and refreshing cocktail!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • lime wedge

  • 3-5 strawberries, stems removed

  • 2 ounces tequila

  • 3 tablespoons lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons agave nectar

Directions

  • Mix sugar and salt together on a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass, then dip rim into sugar and salt mixture.
  • Place strawberries at the bottom of the glass and muddle until crushed, then fill the glass with ice.
  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add in tequila. lime juice, orange juice, and agave nectar. Secure lid and shake for 30 seconds, then strain into glass. Gently stir to combine muddle strawberries and shaken margarita.

Recipe Video

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Desserts

Sugared Cranberries (with a hint of orange!)

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close up image of sugared cranberries

Super simple sugared cranberries with a hint (just a hint!) of orange! Perfectly tart, yet sweet, and totally addictive. These sugared cranberries are a great cocktail garnish, cake/pie topping, or delicious on their own!

sugared cranberries in a small bowl.

What You’ll Need to Make Sugared Cranberries

Sugar – Sugar’s needed for both the simple syrup and the sugar coating. I used organic cane sugar for my sugared cranberries, but regular white sugar works great too!

Cranberries – Whole fresh, not frozen, cranberries! We’ll start by coating them in a 3-ingredient simple syrup, then rolling in sugar and orange zest. Fresh cranberries are extremely tart, so the sugar in this recipe works wonders to help balance that out. The end result is a perfectly tart, yet sweet dessert or snack!

Orange Juice & Zest – While you can totally make this recipe without any orange, I highly recommend adding it. A hint of citrus is the perfect compliment to fresh cranberries. Orange juice and zest brighten up this entire recipe, and make it EXTRA special!

sugared cranberries on a plate with a spoon

Tips and Tricks

  • If the sugar doesn’t seem to be sticking to your cranberries, give them an extra 30 minutes to dry out. The drying time of your cranberries all depends on the climate in your kitchen. Therefore, make adjustments as you see necessary.
  • This is the perfect holiday recipe! I love making a double batch of these sugared cranberries for friends and family. I divide them up into small cellophane bags, complete with a ribbon, and they’re the perfect little holiday treat hand-out!
sugared cranberries in a small bowl

This Recipe Is…

Sugared Cranberries (with a hint of orange!)
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Sugared Cranberries (with a hint of orange!)

5 from 4 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

3

cups
Cooking time

3

minutes
Drying time

1

hour
Total time

1

hour 

3

minutes

Super simple sugared cranberries with a hint (just a hint!) of orange! Perfectly tart, yet sweet, and totally addictive. These sugared cranberries are a great cocktail garnish, cake/pie topping, or delicious on their own!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, optional

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

  • 3 cups fresh cranberries

  • 3 tablespoons orange zest

Directions

  • Combine water, orange juice, and ½ cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 3 minutes stirring frequently.
  • Remove from heat, then add in the fresh cranberries. Stir to coat cranberries in sugar syrup, then use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer cranberries to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread into an even layer and let dry for 1 hour.
  • Mix together remaining sugar and orange zest in a large bowl, then add dried cranberries about a cup at a time to bowl. Toss cranberries in sugar until all are evenly coated, then repeat with remaining batches until all cranberries are coated in sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Spicy Cucumber Margaritas

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two spicy cucumber margaritas with spicy salt rim on the side

These spicy cucumber margaritas are tangy, smoky, and perfectly sweet! This refreshing cocktail features a spicy rim along with fresh muddled cucumbers. Shake together a batch of these healthier homemade margaritas for your next dinner party or summer barbecue!

two spicy cucumber margaritas with spicy salt rim on the side

What You Need To Make Spicy Cucumber Margaritas

Lime Zest – The lime zest in the spicy rim is my very own secret ingredient. It adds a touch of brightness that will have people asking, “what is that?!” Just a teaspoon of fresh lime zest brings these drinks together. They’re ideally salty, sweet, and savory!

Agave – This natural sweetener makes these margaritas that much more healthy. I personally like the taste of agave better than simple syrup. Agave is darker in both color and flavor. Though if you’re looking for an even healthier cocktail – use honey instead!

Cucumber – This crisp, fresh vegetable is 96% water! Therefore, I like to look at this cocktail as a way to hydrate while I dehydrate. Ok ok gigs up. I can’t confidently say these margaritas are actually healthy just because they contain a vegetable. But I can say the cucumber perfectly balances out the spice. There’s just something about the combination of the two that is *chef’s kiss* perfect!

Make It A Mocktail

  • Use 2 ounces of tonic or sparkling water in place of the tequila. Also, use orange juice instead of triple sec for a virgin spicy cucumber margarita!

Tips For Making Spicy Cucumber Margaritas

  • The longer you shake these margaritas, the spicier they’ll be! Tossing the sliced jalapeños in your cocktail shaker will encourage them to release their spicy oils. So the longer they have to release those oils, the spicier your drinks will be.
  • For a skinny margarita, use orange juice instead of triple sec. The use of agave falls under the “skinny” label. Though if you want to make this a true skinny spicy cucumber margarita (wow that’s a mouthful) make sure you use fresh-squeezed orange juice instead of triple sec.
  • If you don’t like a salty rim, use sugar instead! Replace the salt with the same amount of sugar. Enjoy a slightly sweeter, yet still spicy and delicious cocktail.
Spicy Cucumber Margaritas
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Spicy Cucumber Margaritas

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DrinksCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

These spicy cucumber margaritas are tangy, smoky, and perfectly sweet! This refreshing cocktail features a spicy rim along with fresh muddled cucumbers. Shake together a batch of these healthier homemade margaritas for your next dinner party or summer barbecue!

Ingredients

  • For the spicy rim:

  • 3 tablespoons salt

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon lime zest

  • 4 ounces tequila

  • 2 ounces lime juice

  • 1 ounce triple sec, see Notes

  • 1 tablespoon agave, see Notes

  • 1 cup cucumber, sliced

  • 3-4 jalapeño slices

Directions

  • Mix together all spicy rim ingredients together on a small plate. Then run a lime wedge along the rim of both glasses before dipping in the salt mixture. Set glasses aside.
  • Place the tequila, lime juice, triple sec, agave, and cucumber in a cocktail shaker. Muddle together, squashing the cucumbers in the process.
  • Fill the shaker with ice, add in jalapeño slices. Then secure with lid and shake for about 1 minute.
  • Fill both glasses with ice, then pour over ice.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Triple Sec: For a lower calorie drink, you can sub the triple sec for 1 ounce of fresh-squeezed orange juice instead!
  • Agave: Simple syrup or honey would both work in place of the agave in this recipe.

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Breakfast

Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

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Close up image of cranberry orange scones.

These cranberry orange scones are perfectly flaky and sweet! I took a traditional recipe and turned it gluten and dairy-free with just a few simple swaps. These scones taste incredible with a warm cup of coffee for breakfast or lightly toasted as an afternoon snack.

Cranberry orange scones stacked on top of eachother.

Breakfast in bed was the big thing on Mother’s Day in my house. And because my dad can barely boil an egg, the cooking of breakfast was always my job. I always loved to cook, so I had fun thinking up a breakfast menu for my mom on Mother’s Day. I don’t remember too many menu items from over the years, but I do remember making her cranberry orange scones one year. And the only reason I remember is because I truly couldn’t believe how INCREDIBLE they were! Ever since that Mother’s Day, I’ve thought about those scones frequently. And honestly, I have no good excuse as to why I haven’t remade them sooner?!

Though for this year’s cranberry orange scones, I added my Sam Does Her Best signature gluten-free and dairy-free twist. You know what it is. Not going to lie here either, I was pretty worried these just wouldn’t work sans gluten and dairy. But to my surprise, they definitely did. And not only did they work, but they taste even better than what I remember! So without further ado, I present to you gluten-free and dairy-free cranberry orange scones that will change your Mother’s Day game forever.

What You Need To Make Cranberry Orange Scones

Gluten-Free Flour – I use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Powder, it’s pretty much an exact dupe to regular all purpose flour. Though feel free to use any gluten-free flour you’d like, my only recommendation would be to make sure that it contains xantham gum. Xantham gum is a stabilizer and a key ingredient in holding your baked goods together.

Dairy-Free Butter – Make sure your butter is ice cold for this recipe! I’d even recommend dicing it into cubes and then sticking it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so. Cold butter is signature to any and all scones because when baked, it gives your scones that irresistible flaky texture.

Dairy-Free Milk – I used almond milk and had great results, but feel free to use whatever unsweetened dairy-free milk you’d like in these cranberry orange scones. You also want to make sure that the milk is cold, in order to ensure the butter in this recipe stays cold.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use a fork to combine the butter into the flour. When mixing, lightly mash the butter cubes with the back of the fork. You’re simply looking to break up the butter into the dry ingredients. You’ll know you’re done with this step when you have a crumbly mixture and your butter is the size of peas.
  • Lightly whisk the eggs before adding them into the cranberry orange scones dough. Crack them in a bowl and give them a quick whisk with a fork to break up the yolks before proceeding with the recipe.
  • Make sure your surface is well-floured before transferring the dough onto it. The dough will be quite sticky, but when introduced to flour on your work surface, will be much easier to handle! Continue sprinkling gluten-free flour on the surface, on your hands, or on the dough itself whenever it feels too sticky to work with.
Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
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Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SnacksCuisine: ScottishDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

8

scones
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These cranberry orange scones are perfectly flaky and sweet! I took a traditional recipe and turned it gluten and dairy-free with just a few simple swaps. These scones taste incredible with a warm cup of coffee for breakfast or lightly toasted as an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour

  • 1/4 cup almond flour

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

  • 8 tablespoons cold dairy-free butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

  • 1 cup cold dairy-free milk

  • 2 large eggs, whisked

  • 1 cup dried cranberries

  • For the egg wash:

  • 1 egg, whisked

  • For the icing:

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Mix together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, sugar, baking powder, and orange zest in a large bowl.
  • Add in the cubed butter and mix with a fork until the butter is the size of peas, then fold in the cranberries.
  • Add in the cold milk and whisked eggs, mix until just combined.
  • Transfer dough to a floured sheet of parchment paper set on a work surface and gently press into a 1-inch thick circle.
  • Slice into six triangles and transfer to a baking sheet, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with extra sugar.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, then remove from oven, gently separate scones, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Make the icing by whisking the powdered sugar and orange juice together in a small bowl, then drizzle over cooled scones.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Ingredient Swaps: Feel free to use all purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour, and leave out the almond flour if you’d like. You can also swap regular butter for the dairy-free butter and cow’s milk for the dairy-free milk in this recipe.

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30 Minutes or Less

Skinny Blackberry Margarita

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blackberry dropping into a glass of skinny blackberry margarita.

Yes, you read that title right – the skinny blackberry margarita is here and ready to change your life! This cup of pure magic is bursting with fresh blackberry and lime flavor, with just a touch of sweetness. Finished off with a salt + sugar rim, this skinny blackberry margarita are nothing short of perfection.

blackberry dropping into a glass of skinny blackberry margarita.

I am a margarita girl through and through. If there’s a marg on the happy hour menu, there’s a 99% chance I’m ordering it. Because of my sheer obsession with margaritas, I wanted to create a recipe for my own margarita here one day. As the weather warms up and my margarita cravings increased, I knew now was the time. But I didn’t want to create just a regular margarita – that’s boring. So I thought hmmm blackberries sound good. And that’s quite literally how these skinny blackberry margaritas came to be.

Why Skinny?

I want to start off by saying that I am usually NOT a fan of foods or recipes that call out “skinny,” or ” low-fat.” Or really anything in the title that would imply that if you didn’t eat or drink this recipe, you’d be “fat.” But the term “skinny margarita” is actually widely known as a specific kind of margarita. It’s almost like asking for a “spicy margarita,” the extra word helps to identify its ingredients (not call out its nutrition facts). Therefore, by calling this a skinny blackberry margarita, we are making it known that this recipe contains fresh-squeezed orange juice and agave nectar. For more info on these ingredients, see the section below!

What You’ll Need to Make a Skinny Blackberry Margarita

Tequila – Silver or reposado tequila taste best in this cocktail, but really any tequila will work! Though keep in mind that the better quality the tequila is that you use – the better tasting your margarita will be.

Fresh Orange Juice – Fresh orange juice replaces the orange liqueur in this skinny blackberry margarita recipe. Simply slice an orange in half then squeeze one of the halves into a glass. Half of a squeezed orange usually yields enough fresh orange juice for this recipe!

Agave Nectar – This sweet syrup is a natural sweetener reigning from – you guessed it – the agave plant! The agave nectar in this recipe replaces the simple syrup used in most traditional margarita recipes. We use a fairly small amount of nectar in this recipe in order to keep the sugars low. Though feel free to add as much or as little agave nectar as you’d like!

Make it a Virgin Skinny Blackberry Margarita

  • Use 2 ounces of tonic or sparkling water in place of the tequila to make this a virgin skinny blackberry margarita!
Skinny Blackberry Margarita
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Skinny Blackberry Margarita

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DrinksCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

serving
Total time

5

minutes

This cup of pure magic is bursting with fresh blackberry and lime flavor, with just a touch of sweetness. Finished off with a salt + sugar rim, this skinny blackberry margarita is nothing short of perfection.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • lime wedge

  • 5 blackberries

  • 2 ounces tequila, see Notes

  • 3 tablespoons lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons agave nectar

Directions

  • Mix together the sugar and salt on a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass, then dip in the sugar and salt mixture.
  • Place blackberries at the bottom of the glass and muddle until they are lightly crushed, then fill the glass with ice.
  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add in the tequila, lime juice, orange juice and agave nectar. Secure the lid and shake for 30 seconds, then strain into your glass.

Notes

  • No muddler? No problem! I used the end of a spatula as a muddler – you can use any kitchen utensil you’d like to lightly crush the blackberries.
  • Tequila: Silver or reposado tequila taste best in this recipe, though you can use any tequila you’d like.

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