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30 Minutes or Less

Non-Alcoholic Christmas Punch

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close up image of non-alcoholic christmas punch in a glass.

My Mom is the cocktail queen! It all started a few years ago with her famous lime daiquiri recipe, then last summer with Mom’s watermelon palomas. So this year I asked if she had any good non-alcoholic mocktail recipes she’d be willing to share with us. And what did she come up with, you ask? This perfectly sweet, slightly spiced, and bubbly non-alcoholic Christmas punch. Perfect if you’re trying to cut back on alcohol this holiday season, or need a fun mocktail recipe even the kids can enjoy! It’s seriously so good, we plan on making it for family and friends all holiday season long. Mom will bring the mocktails, and I’ll bring the gluten-free Christmas desserts! Cheers!

two glasses of non-alcoholic christmas punch on a table.

Why You’ll Love This Non-Alcoholic Christmas Punch 🎄

  • Family-friendly and kid-approved – Everyone can enjoy it, and the flavors are festive without being too sweet.
  • Elevated flavor – The homemade spiced simple syrup adds warm ginger, cinnamon, and clove notes that taste way more special than store-bought punch!
  • Easy to make ahead – The syrup lasts up to a month in the fridge, so you can whip up a mocktail in seconds all holiday season long.
  • Perfect for holiday parties – It looks stunning in a glass with fresh cranberries and orange slices floating on top.
  • Can be made alcoholic if needed – Just swap the sparkling cider for champagne or prosecco!

How to Make Spiced Simple Syrup 🍂

This homemade spiced syrup is what sets this mocktail apart – it infuses your drink with warm holiday flavor without needing any specialty ingredients.

  1. Add sliced ginger, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, cloves, and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until reduced by half.
  2. Add in the sugar and stir until fully dissolved.
  3. Strain the syrup into a heatproof jar (like this one), chill, and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

It’s simple, cozy, and makes your whole kitchen smell like Christmas!

pouring sparkling apple cider into non-alcoholic christmas punch.

Frequently Asked Questions ❓

What is Christmas Punch?

Christmas Punch is a festive holiday drink traditionally made with fruit juices, sparkling soda or cider, and sometimes alcohol. This version is non-alcoholic and made with a homemade spiced syrup for a warm, cozy holiday twist.

How do I make this Christmas Punch alcoholic?

Just replace the sparkling apple cider with champagne, prosecco, or a dry sparkling wine. You can also add 1 ounce of vodka, rum, or bourbon per serving.

Can I use store-bought simple syrup in this recipe?

You can, but the flavor won’t be nearly as rich or spiced. If using store-bought, add a pinch of cinnamon or a dash of ginger to mimic the homemade version.

Mom’s Recipe Tips 🍾

  • Make the syrup ahead of time so assembling each drink takes less than a minute.
  • Use crushed ice to keep the drink extra cold and refreshing.
  • Add garnishes! Fresh cranberries, orange slices, and rosemary sprigs make it look incredibly festive.
  • Taste and adjust – add more syrup for sweetness, or extra cranberry juice for a more tart mocktail.

This Non-Alcoholic Christmas Punch is easy, fun, festive, and absolutely perfect for kids and adults alike. You’ll want to make a double batch!

close up image of non-alcoholic christmas punch in a glass.
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Non-Alcoholic Christmas Punch

This festive Non-Alcoholic Christmas Punch is the perfect holiday mocktail – refreshing, beautifully spiced, and loved by both kids and adults. Made with a cozy homemade spiced simple syrup, it tastes like Christmas in a cup and comes together in just minutes. And the best part? It’s my mom’s go-to holiday punch, and it’s a new family favorite!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 1 serving

Equipment

  • 1 small saucepan
  • 1 cocktail glass

Ingredients

For the spiced simple syrup:

  • 4 slices fresh ginger
  • 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
  • 4 whole black peppercorns
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water

For the Christmas punch:

  • 1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
  • 1/2 ounce orange juice
  • 1/2 ounce spiced simple syrup
  • sparkling apple cider or champagne

Instructions

For the spiced simple syrup:

  • In small saucepan over medium heat bring all ingredients except sugar to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half (about 20 mins).
  • Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container. Can be made up to 1 month ahead, store in the refrigerator.

For the Christmas punch:

  • In a glass, combine the cranberry juice, orange juice, and 1/2 ounce of simple syrup then stir to combine.
  • Add ice to the glass, then fill it the rest of the way with sparkling apple cider (or champagne to make it alcoholic!). Garnish with orange slices and fresh cranberries.
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30 Minutes or Less

Mom’s BEST Frozen Daiquiri

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frozen daiquiri with fresh limes on the side.

Cool and refreshing frozen daiquiri, with a secret ingredient! My Mom’s famous recipe for this best EVER frozen cocktail. Just four ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally delicious.

two frozen daiquiris with fresh limes on the side

The Secret Ingredient: Coconut Rum

A few weeks ago, my Mom had the genius idea to swap out regular rum in her frozen daiquris for coconut rum. And boy, it made allllll the difference! A hint of coconut in this tropical cocktail left everyone asking “what is that?! that’s DELICIOUS!” It’s sort of like a cross between a classic daiquiri and a piña colada. The coconut is light, not at all overpowering, and simply perfect.

My Mom – a fan of the finer things in life – uses an exclusive small-batch brand of coconut rum. But let me tell you, I recreated her recipe with this Bacardi Coconut Rum (purchased for $15!) and my frozen daiquiris tasted just as good!

closeup image of a frozen daiquiri with limes on the side.

What Else You’ll Need to Make a Frozen Daiquiri

Lime Juice – Fresh squeezed is best! My Mom insists on using freshly-squeezed juice in all of her cocktails. And I must admit, fresh squeezed lime juice makes a world of a difference in these frozen daiquiris!

Simple Syrup or Agave – Feel free to use whichever you have on-hand! I used agave nectar because it’s what I had leftover from these Skinny Strawberry Margaritas.

Ice – This one seems pretty self-explanatory, ha! Though I will say, if you’d like a frozen strawberry daiquri instead, replace the ice with two cups of frozen strawberries.

Blender – I own and LOVE my Vitamix blender. It’s super powerful, and there truly isn’t anything it can’t blend. However, any blender will work to blend this frozen cocktail. You could even use a Nutribullet for easier cleanup!

overhead image of a frozen daiquiri with a lime on top.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Sugar-Free: For a sugar-free option, replace the simple syrup with your favorite sugar-free liquid sweetener.

Make it a Mocktail: Turn this into a delicious non-alcoholic frozen beverage by using equal parts coconut water in place of the coconut rum!

frozen daiquiri with fresh limes on the side.
3 from 3 votes

Mom’s BEST Frozen Daiquiri

Cool and refreshing frozen daiquiris, with a secret ingredient! My Mom’s famous recipe for this best EVER frozen cocktail. Just four ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally delicious.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes
Servings: 2 daiquiris

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces coconut rum
  • 2 ounces lime juice
  • 1 1/2 ounces simple syrup (or agave)
  • 2 cups ice

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

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30 Minutes or Less

Frozen Margaritas

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glasses of frozen margaritas with limes on top

These frozen margaritas are everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and MORE! They’re deliciously tart, slightly sweet, and oh-so refreshing. Ditch the unnecessary margarita mix and blend together a batch of these homemade frozen margaritas. All you’ll need is 5 ingredients and just a few minutes!

overhead image of four glasses of frozen margaritas with a plate of salt on the side

What You Need To Make Frozen Margaritas

Silver Tequila – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – use good quality tequila! I’m sure we’ve all taken a sip of a margarita and thought, hmmmm that’s not a very good margarita. And I’m telling you, 9 times out of 10 it’s because that marg you’re sipping on was made using dirt-cheap tequila. Whenever I pick up tequila, I aim for not the most expensive, but also not the cheapest. Espolón, Patron, and Casamigos are all brands I’ve tried and would definitely recommend!

Triple Sec – For those of you that don’t know, triple sec is an orange-flavored liqueur. It adds just a touch of sweetness and some nice fresh flavor to these frozen margaritas. However, if you don’t have triple sec, you can easily use fresh squeezed orange juice instead. Fresh squeezed orange juice is lower-cal and a slightly healthier option. So use whichever you’d like in this recipe!

Agave – This natural sweetener is used in place of the simple syrup in this frozen margaritas recipe. Agave dissolves quickly and packs in quite a bit of sweetness. This sweet syrup is the perfect compliment to the otherwise tart flavors in this frozen cocktail. Just a little bit of agave is all you need to make these drinks perfectly sweet!

Make It A Mocktail

  • To make virgin frozen margaritas, substitute the tequila with grapefruit juice. Also, use fresh squeezed orange juice instead of triple sec. You’ll have a delicious and refreshing summertime mocktail!

Tips For Making Frozen Margaritas

  • Serve these margaritas immediately after making! Unfortunately, any frozen cocktail will begin to separate after blending. Especially in the warmer months! Therefore, I highly recommend preparing your ingredients and then blending everything up right before serving.
  • Feel free to add any frozen fruit you’d like! A handful of frozen strawberries would make a delicious addition to these cocktails.
  • Blend just enough, but not too much. Under-blending will result in large ice chunks throughout your drink. And let me tell you, nothing’s worse than not being able to slurp up your frozen margarita because a giant ice chunk has clogged your straw. However, if you blend them too much, they could start to melt and taste watered down.
Frozen Margaritas
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Frozen Margaritas

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

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

These frozen margaritas are everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and MORE! They’re deliciously tart, slightly sweet, and oh-so refreshing. Ditch the unnecessary margarita mix and blend together a batch of these homemade frozen margaritas with just 5 ingredients and in just a few minutes!

Ingredients

  • lime wedges

  • salt

  • 8 ounces silver tequila

  • 1 cup lime juice

  • 4 ounce triple sec, see Notes

  • 2 ounces agave or simple syrup

  • 4-6 cups ice

Directions

  • Run a lime wedge along the rim of each glass, then dip them in salt to coat the rim.
  • Add all remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until no ice chunks remain.
  • Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Triple Sec: If you don’t have triple sec, you can use fresh squeezed orange juice instead!

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30 Minutes or Less

Pineapple Mojito (Low-Sugar)

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club soda being poured into a pineapple mojito

This pineapple mojito is incredibly light and refreshing! This recipe features an easy-to-make pineapple simple syrup that takes this summer cocktail to the next level. Fresh mint leaves, plenty of lime wedges, and a splash of white rum quickly come together to create this effortlessly delicious beverage.

club soda being poured into a pineapple mojito

I almost forgot how much I love mojitos. As you guys already know, I’m a big margarita girl. But that doesn’t mean stop me from craving ice cold mojitos in the summer! There’s just something about the literal sparkle in a mojito that makes it one of the most refreshing cocktails of all time. And because I’ve been on a pineapple kick lately (pineapple mimosa, I’m looking at you) I figured, why not add one of my favorite fruits to one of my favorite drinks?

I attempted making a pineapple mojito by simply muddling fresh pineapple chunks into the bottom of a glass. And while it was good, the pineapple really struggled to shine through. Therefore, I quickly and easily solved that problem by whipping up a homemade pineapple simple syrup. The incredible thing about this pineapple simple syrup is not just that it adds more delicious pineapple flavor, but that it adds extra sweetness without any extra sugar!

What You Need To Make a Pineapple Mojito

Fresh Pineapple – Pineapple’s peak season is anywhere between April and July, so enjoy it while it tastes best! Avoid any pineapples that are too green and very hard when gently squeezed. I like to tell if my pineapple is ripe or not by smell. It’s ready for this recipe when it smells like mildly sweet pineapple!

Mint – The magic ingredient that makes this pineapple mojito irresistibly refreshing. I actually used mojito mint leaves for this recipe, but any fresh mint leaves will work. And if you’re feeling adventurous, mint is a pretty easy plant to grow so I highly recommend you plant some! Your own mint plant = mojitos all day every day.

White Rum – White rum is traditional for any mojito recipe. I also prefer white rum for its more mild flavor over dark rum. If you’re in a pinch and only have dark rum, you can use it in this recipe. However, be sure to avoid using spiced rum or flavored rum – those simply won’t work.

Make it a Mocktail

  • Leave out the rum and add a touch more club soda for a refreshing pineapple mojito mocktail!
Pineapple Mojito
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Pineapple Mojito

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

1

drink
Total time

5

minutes

This pineapple mojito is incredibly light and refreshing! This recipe features an easy-to-make pineapple simple syrup that takes this summer cocktail to the next level. Fresh mint leaves, plenty of lime wedges, and a splash of white rum quickly come together to create this effortlessly delicious beverage.

Ingredients

  • For the pineapple simple syrup:

  • 1 cup fresh pineapple

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/4 cup sugar, see Notes

  • For a single pineapple mojito:

  • 8 fresh mint leaves

  • 2 line wedges

  • 2 pineapple chunks

  • 1 1/2 ounces white rum

  • 2 tablespoons pineapple simply syrup (recipe included)

  • club soda, see Notes

Directions

  • For the pineapple simple syrup:
  • Blend pineapple and water until smooth, then add to a saucepan with the sugar.
  • Simmer for 30 minutes then cool and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour before using in the recipe below.
  • For the pineapple mojito:
  • Add the fresh mint leaves, lime wedges, and pineapple chunks to the bottom of a glass and muddle to release flavor.
  • Fill cup with ice then add in white rum, pineapple simple syrup, and finish off with club soda. Stir before serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Sugar: I used coconut sugar to keep this pineapple mojito refined sugar-free, though white or cane sugar will work as well!
  • Club Soda: I love using a pineapple flavored club soda for this cocktail recipe to boost that delicious pineapple flavor, however plain club soda will taste great too.
  • Pineapple simple syrup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

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