11 Pregnancy Mocktails That Are Safe and Delicious

Pregnancy mocktails let you enjoy delicious, alcohol-free drinks throughout pregnancy without missing out on great flavour. Since no amount of alcohol has been proven safe during pregnancy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends avoiding alcohol completely to reduce the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) (1) (2). Made with fresh fruits, herbs, and other pregnancy-friendly ingredients, mocktails for pregnant women are a tasty way to stay hydrated and satisfy drink cravings. In this article, you’ll find 11 delicious mocktail recipes for pregnancy, along with practical tips for choosing ingredients that are both nutritious and pregnancy-friendly.

What Are Pregnancy Mocktails?

Pregnancy mocktails are non-alcoholic drinks made with ingredients that are safe to enjoy during pregnancy, such as fresh fruits, fruit juices, herbs, sparkling water, coconut water, and other flavourful additions. They are created to look and taste like cocktails but contain no alcohol, making them a refreshing and pregnancy-friendly alternative for expecting mothers (3).

Benefits of Drinking Mocktails During Pregnancy

When prepared with pregnancy-safe ingredients, mocktails can be a pleasant addition to your routine. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy from choosing the right mocktail during pregnancy.

• Helps you stay hydrated: Mocktails made with water, sparkling water, coconut water, or fresh fruit can contribute to your daily fluid intake.
• Provides vitamins and minerals: Fresh fruits and vegetables used in mocktails can supply nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, and folate, depending on the ingredients.
• Offers a refreshing alternative to alcohol: A thoughtfully prepared mocktail can give you a celebratory drink option without alcohol, which is recommended to be avoided during pregnancy (4).
• Can satisfy changing taste preferences: Pregnancy can affect your appetite and sense of taste (5). Fruity, tangy, minty, or mildly sweet mocktails can provide different flavours when your usual drinks no longer appeal to you.
• Can be tailored to your needs: You can adjust the sweetness, choose fresh ingredients, use pasteurised juices, and avoid caffeine or ingredients that your healthcare professional has advised you to limit.

Best Mocktail for Pregnant Women

We’ve rounded up some of the best pregnancy mocktails that are refreshing, easy to make, and made with pregnancy-friendly ingredients. Here are our top picks.

1. Virgin Mojito

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
• ½ cup chilled sparkling water
• ¼ cup plain water
• Ice cubes
• Lime wedges and mint for garnish

How to Make

1. Add mint leaves, lime juice, and sugar to a glass.
2. Gently muddle the mint with the back of a spoon.
3. Add ice cubes and pour in the plain water.
4. Top with chilled sparkling water.
5. Stir gently and garnish with a lime wedge and fresh mint.

2. Strawberry Basil Fizz

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 fresh strawberries
• 3 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ cup chilled sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Strawberry and basil leaves for garnish

How to Make

1. Hull and chop the strawberries.
2. Add strawberries, basil, lemon juice, and honey to a glass.
3. Lightly muddle until the strawberries release some juice.
4. Add ice and pour in the sparkling water.
5. Stir gently and garnish with a strawberry and basil leaf.

3. Watermelon Lime Margarita Mocktail

Ingredients

• 1½ cups seedless watermelon, cubed
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ cup coconut water
• 1 cup ice
• A small pinch of salt
• Lime wedges for the glass rim
• A little sea salt for the rim
• Small watermelon wedges for garnish

How to Make

1. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of each glass and dip it into sea salt.
2. Blend the watermelon until smooth and liquid.
3. Add the watermelon juice, lime juice, coconut water, salt and ice to a shaker.
4. Shake well until chilled.
5. Pour into the prepared glasses and garnish with a watermelon wedge.

4. Cucumber Lime Refresher

Ingredients

• ½ small cucumber, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ cup chilled sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Cucumber and lime slices for garnish

How to Make

1. Add cucumber slices, lime juice, and honey to a glass.
2. Gently muddle the cucumber to release its juice.
3. Fill the glass with ice.
4. Pour in the sparkling water.
5. Stir well and garnish with cucumber and lime slices.

5. Pineapple Ginger Spritz

Ingredients

• ½ cup 100% pineapple juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger juice or a small amount of finely grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ½ cup chilled sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Pineapple wedge for garnish

How to Make

1. Add pineapple juice, ginger, and lime juice to a glass.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Add ice cubes.
4. Top with sparkling water.
5. Stir gently and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

6. Pumpkin Spice Cream Mocktail

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 graham crackers, crushed
• Whipped cream for topping
• Ice cubes

How to Make

1. Crush the graham crackers and spread them on a small plate.
2. Lightly coat the rim of a glass with maple syrup, then dip it into the crumbs.
3. Add milk, condensed milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin spice to a shaker with ice.
4. Shake thoroughly until cold and well combined.
5. Strain into the prepared glass and top with whipped cream.

7. Pineapple Mint Mojito Mocktail

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• ½ cup coconut water
• ½ cup sparkling water
• 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 thin jalapeño slices, optional
• Ice cubes
• Pineapple and mint for garnish

How to Make

1. Blend the pineapple, coconut water and lime juice until smooth.
2. Place the mint leaves and jalapeño slices in a glass and gently muddle them.
3. Add ice and pour in the pineapple mixture.
4. Top with sparkling water.
5. Stir gently and garnish with pineapple and mint.

8. Orange Cranberry Spritzer

Ingredients

• ½ cup 100% orange juice
• ¼ cup 100% cranberry juice
• ½ cup chilled sparkling water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Ice cubes
• Orange and lime slices for garnish

How to Make

1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Pour in the orange and cranberry juices.
3. Add the lime juice.
4. Top with sparkling water.
5. Stir gently and garnish with orange and lime slices.

9. Apple Cinnamon Fizz

Ingredients

• ½ cup 100% apple juice
• ½ cup chilled sparkling water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• A small pinch of ground cinnamon
• Ice cubes
• Thin apple slices and a cinnamon stick for garnish

How to Make

1. Pour the apple juice into a glass.
2. Add lemon juice and a small pinch of cinnamon.
3. Stir well.
4. Add ice and top with sparkling water.
5. Garnish with apple slices and a cinnamon stick.

10. Blueberry Lemon Mocktail

Ingredients

• ¼ cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ cup chilled sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Lemon slices and blueberries for garnish

How to Make

1. Add blueberries, lemon juice, and honey to a glass.
2. Gently muddle the berries until they release their juice.
3. Add ice cubes.
4. Pour in the sparkling water.
5. Stir gently and garnish with lemon slices and blueberries.

11. Pomegranate Orange Fizz

Ingredients

• ½ cup 100% pomegranate juice
• ¼ cup 100% orange juice
• ½ cup chilled sparkling water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Ice cubes
• Orange slices and pomegranate seeds for garnish

How to Make

1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Add pomegranate juice and orange juice.
3. Stir in the lime juice.
4. Top with sparkling water.
5. Stir gently and garnish with orange slices and pomegranate seeds.

FAQs

1. Which ingredients are good for making healthy mocktails for pregnancy?

Fresh fruits, coconut water, sparkling water, pasteurised juices, mint, cucumber, and citrus fruits can work well in pregnancy mocktails. You can also adjust the sweetness and ingredients according to your dietary needs.

2. Can I drink a mocktail with ginger ale while pregnant?

Ginger ale can be used in mocktails for pregnant ladies, provided it is alcohol-free and consumed in moderation. Check the label for caffeine and added sugar, as some varieties may contain more sugar than expected.

3. What should I avoid when making pregnancy mocktails?

Avoid alcohol, including drinks or mixers that may contain alcohol, and be mindful of caffeine, unpasteurised juices or dairy products, and ingredients your healthcare professional has advised you to avoid (6). Pregnancy mocktail recipes should be simple with fresh, well-washed ingredients.

You do not need a special occasion to mix up simple mocktails. Pick a recipe that catches your eye, pour yourself a glass, put your feet up, and enjoy a drink that makes your day a little more enjoyable. With so many easy pregnancy mocktails to choose from, you may even find one you will want to make again and again. And when you do, don’t forget to come back and let us know which one became your favourite in the comments!

Also Read:

Energy Drinks in Pregnancy
Soft Drinks during Pregnancy
Healthy Drinks for Pregnant Women
Drinks & Beverages to Avoid while Pregnant

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Sources References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy

2. Cleveland Clinic – Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

3. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts – What Is a Mocktail and What Are the Best Recipes?

4. NHS – Drinking alcohol while pregnant

5. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center – 5 weird pregnancy symptoms you might not know about

6. NHS – Foods to avoid in pregnancy