Diabetes-Friendly Cocktails and Mocktails

Updated November 01, 2019
Looking for a fun and fresh drink that won’t ruin your healthy eating plan? Our diabetes-friendly cocktail and mocktail recipes use a variety of ingredients including fresh fruit, club soda, and sugar substitutes. Enjoy our favorite skinny cocktails -- alcoholic and nonalcoholic -- that everyone will love.
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Bourbon Hot Cocoa

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Chocolate and bourbon? Say no more. Make this delicious hot chocolate recipe from scratch on a cold winter day.

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Mojito Mocktails

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These minty mojito mocktails would be great at a luncheon, a brunch, a baby shower, a pool party—basically whenever you find that a cool, refreshing beverage would be welcome. Be sure to add the ice cubes and sparkling water just before serving to avoid diluting this pitcher cocktail (which is easily doubled to serve a crowd, by the way).

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Blackberry-Rosemary Vodka & Soda

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Blackberries give this vodka cocktail its gorgeous hue and jammy flavor. Use the leftover simple syrup to mix up drinks for friends or skip the vodka for a mocktail.

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Blood Orange Margaritas

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Fresh blood orange juice gives this stunning pink cocktail just the right balance of sweet and sour. For the perfect finish, upgrade the salt rim on your glass by mixing in a little orange zest to add to both the presentation and flavor of these skinny margaritas.

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Snow Banks Sparkling-Wine Cocktail

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In this simple sparkling-wine cocktail, lemon juice and simple syrup make a tart-and-sweet bubbly drink.

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Rosemary-Ginger French 75

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Rosemary and ginger add a flavorful twist to a classic citrusy gin cocktail topped with a little bubbly for a festive libation.

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Elderflower Champagne Cocktail

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Elderflower adds sweet and fruity notes that mingle seamlessly with mint in this refreshing Champagne cocktail.

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Fruit Sparklers

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This easy sparkling fruit drink will please both children and adults. Choose a juice—either grape, cranberry or pomegranate—and mix it with sparkling water and fresh fruit. Delicious and refreshing!

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Mimosas with Juice Ice Cubes

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Take your mimosas to the next level with this fun hack! Make freeze juice in ice cube trays for a pretty and frosty way to add a splash of juice to your Champagne while keeping it cold.

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Tangerine Bourbon Sidecars

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A fresh twist on a classic cocktail, this quick drink recipe uses sweet tangerine juice to balance the tang of bourbon.

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Peach Sunrise Refresher

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This beautiful beverage is perfect for serving at brunch, but it's also a great mocktail for non-drinkers at your next cocktail party. If you have leftover peach nectar from this recipe, pour a splash into hot tea to add sweetness and satisfying fruit flavor.

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First Crush

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This easy cocktail recipe is named for how verjus—a nonalcoholic grape juice that is slightly tart—is made from the first pressing of the annual grape harvest. Look for verjus in wine shops and specialty markets. For this cocktail, use white verjus; red verjus is also available.

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Ginger-Pineapple Spritzer

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Crystallized ginger—also called candied ginger—is the key ingredient in this fruit-flavored drink. By soaking it with pineapple juice for at least two hours, it gives this spritzer an added zing.

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Basil Lemonade

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Basil and lemon pair beautifully in this refreshing summer sipper, sweetened with a touch of honey. Make ahead and allow the mixture to infuse for 30 minutes to 1 hour before straining for a stronger basil flavor.

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Red Wine Cooler

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It's so simple to mix up a tasty wine cooler that's friendly to your special diet, and nothing is better for warm summer evenings.

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Hot Cider with Apple Brandy & Spices

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A natural, cloudy apple cider is delicious for this exotically spicy and aromatic winter warmer, but if you desire a sparkling-clear drink, apple juice can be substituted. Calvados, which is a French apple brandy, adds richness. If you wish to omit it, just add more cider or juice.

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Grape-Pineapple Mint Fizz

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The sweet flavors of grape and pineapple fuse with fresh mint in this quick and tasty summer drink.

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Citrus Mock Mimosas

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No alcohol is needed for these refreshing, citrusy drinks.

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Watermelontinis

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These refreshing summery drinks can be made with or without alcohol.

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Sangria-Style Cooler

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This refreshing drink is a non-alcoholic sangria. Ginger ale and grape juice take the place of wine, and are mixed with ice and delicious fruits.

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Pink Lemon Spritzer

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Healthy pomegranate juice gives its pink color to an elegant blended cocktail that's just right for summer parties.

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Raspberry Ginger Lime Seltzer

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Raspberries, lime, and ginger sparkle in a homemade soft drink that's the taste of summer in a glass. This homemade soda has three parts: fruit concentrate, simple syrup, and seltzer water. Store all three components in the fridge separately, then mix just before serving.

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Pumpkin-Spice Hot Toddy

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Flavored decaf tea adds a seasonal twist to a traditional hot toddy recipe. You can use any flavor of tea for this easy cocktail, but we love the comforting notes of pumpkin-spice in the fall and winter.

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Cranberry Grand Marnier Sparkler

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This colorful cocktail gives a new way to use Grand Marnier liqueur that makes a festive option for holiday toasts and special occasions. Frozen cranberries make a playful garnish and also do double duty by keeping drinks cold.

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Fizzy Rosemary Cider Mocktail

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Many types of mocktails are high in sugar, but this easy mocktail cuts down on the calories and carbs by using club soda and our sugar-free simple syrup recipe.

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