This stunning Dragon Fruit Mocktail is a gorgeous drink made with muddled dragon fruit, mint, honey, lime, and pitaya powder for an extra pop of pink! It's finished with lemon-lime sparking water for some fizz and flavor. It's like a virgin dragon fruit mojito.
Of course, you can add a shot of rum to these, but they're perfectly delicious on their own as a non-alcoholic dragon fruit drink!
Try my Watermelon Lime Slushie and my Low Calorie Bubble Tea for more delicious drinks!
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Dragon Fruit rink
My dragon fruit obsession began due to a dragon fruit drink I ordered at my local coffee chain. I've been hooked since the first sip and eager to craft my own drinks with this underrated tropical fruit. So I got to work on a dragon fruit flavored mojito recipe without rum, and the result is a thirst quenching DELICIOUS mocktail the whole family can enjoy.
If you're a mojito fan, you'll love this fruity twist on the classic. It's light, refreshing, and a cinch to make with a short list of refreshing ingredients. Mojitos are traditionally sweetened with sugar, but I opted for honey. As a result, the mojito is naturally sweetened without sacrificing any flavor.
More tropical drinks to try: Banana Juice
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Pitaya powder gives this pink drink that beautiful vibrant hue. It is almost too pretty to drink! This is a perfectly balanced sweet, tart, and tangy summertime drink. Pitaya powder is available on Amazon. Pitaya powder is organic freeze-dried dragon fruit, and it is loaded with antioxidants. I use this powder in many other recipes, such as my dragon fruit yogurt parfaits and dragon fruit popsicles.
If you want to make this mocktail a cocktail, by all means, go for it! Add a white rum and this fresh fruit mojito is instantly the real deal. Cheers!
More tropical drinks you must try: Sparkling Citrus Punch
Ingredients You Need
- Lime: Juice from fresh lime makes a big difference in cocktails. Bottled lime juice will work, but the citrusy flavor won't be as vibrant.
- Honey: The sweetness from honey helps balance the acidic sour notes. Use raw, local honey if you can.
- Pitaya powder: This bright pink powder amplifies the dragon fruit flavor and is responsible for the hot pink hue. It contains a lot of antioxidants and can be added to so many things, like yogurt, cottage cheese, smoothies, etc.
- Fresh dragon fruit: New to this funky looking fruit? Let's break it down. The flavor and texture of the flesh of the dragon fruit are often described as a cross between a kiwi and a pear speckled with itty bitty black chia like seeds. You'll need to cut it in half, cut off the skin, and then use the white fleshy fruit on the insides. The seeds are OK to eat (or drink).
- Fresh mint leaves: This wouldn't be a mojito recipe without mint. You'll muddle the leaves directly into the drink and use a sprig to garnish the glass.
- Lime sparkling water: Lime LaCroix is perfect and doesn't add sugars or artificial flavors, but you can use any lemon-lime soda or plain seltzer water.
More delicious drink recipes: Watermelon Milkshake
Step By Step Photos
Add chopped dragon fruit and mint.
Lightly mash the fruit and mint.
Add lime soda and gently stir.
Fill two glasses with ice, and pour in the mojito mixture.
More summer drinks to try: Iced Peach Green Tea
How To Make This Mocktail Recipe
Step 1. Mix lime juice and sweeteners: Add honey and freshly squeezed lime juice to a large pitcher. Whisk well, then add the pitaya powder and whisk until incorporated.
Step 2. Muddle with fruit and herbs: Add the chopped dragon fruit and mint leaves to the pitcher and lightly mash the fruit and mint with a muddler or the back of a long bar spoon.
Step 3. Add mixer: Pour in the can of lime soda and gently stir. Give it a quick sip and adjust the flavors if needed.
Step 4. Garnish and serve: Fill two highball or collins glasses with ice, and pour in the mojito mixture. Garnish the drink with mint sprig and lime wedges. Enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
More fruity drinks to try: Green Tea Strawberry Lemonade
Ways To Make This Drink Sweeter
You can stir in an ounce of juice to this delicious drink for a refreshing twist. Some great options are orange juice, grapefruit juice or pineapple juice.
Tips
- Despite its gorgeous shade of pink, the skin of the dragon fruit won't add much to the drink, so it's best to remove it. Before peeling, I sometimes cut two thin wheels from the thickest section of the fruit to use for garnishes.
- The purpose of lightly mashing (aka "muddling") the dragon fruit and mint leaves is to release the essence of the fresh ingredients and infuse the drink with balanced flavors. Do your best not to bruise the mint leaves as you muddle if you want them to look fresh and bright. Or if you want a mintier flavor, you can mash up the mint leaves first to release their flavor, and then add the dragon fruit.
- Be sure to take a quick sip before serving and balance the flavors if necessary. Add honey if it's too tart. Add lime juice if it's too sweet.
- You can sweeten things with simple syrup, agave nectar, or maple syrup as an alternative to honey. You can also add a vanilla extract to enhance the sweet taste.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dragon Fruit Mocktail
The peak months for dragon fruit are June through September, but they are sold in large stores year-round. If your supermarket doesn't have any, check the nearest Asian grocery store.
Yes, you can prepare the mocktail in advance and store it in the refrigerator. However, it's recommended to add the lime sparkling water just before serving to maintain its fizzy texture. The mocktail is best when consumed fresh, but you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
I do not recommend freezing.
More Drinks You Might Enjoy
Dragon Fruit Mocktails
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons pitaya powder
- ¼ cup dragon fruit peeled and chopped
- 6 mint leaves
- 12 ounces lime sparkling water
Instructions
- Add the chopped dragon fruit and mint leaves to the pitcher and lightly mash the fruit and mint with a muddler or the back of a long bar spoon.
- Pour in the can of lime club soda and gently stir. Give it a quick sip and adjust the flavors if needed.
- Fill two highball or collins glasses with ice, and pour in the mojito mixture. Garnish the drink with mint and lime, and enjoy!
Notes
- Despite its gorgeous shade of pink, the skin won't add much to the drink, so it's best to remove it. Before peeling, I sometimes cut two thin wheels from the thickest section of the fruit to use for garnishes.
- The purpose of lightly mashing (aka "muddling") the dragon fruit and mint leaves is to release the essence of the fresh ingredients and infuse the drink with balanced flavors. Do your best not to bruise the mint leaves as you muddle.
- Be sure to take a quick sip before serving and balance the flavors if necessary. Add honey if it's too tart. Add lime juice if it's too sweet.
- You can sweeten things with simple syrup, agave nectar, or maple syrup as an alternative to honey. You can also add a vanilla extract to enhance the sweet taste.
- Storing: You can prepare the mocktail in advance and store it in the refrigerator. However, it's recommended to add the lime sparkling water just before serving to maintain its fizzy texture. The mocktail is best when consumed fresh, but you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Kimta
Pitaya power is not available where I live. Can I do without the pitaya powder? Or is there a subsitute? Thank you!
simplylowcal
Hi there! You can definitely make this without the pitaya powder. Without it just won't have the pretty pink color. 🙂