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This stunning Dragon Fruit Mojito is a fun mocktail 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. Add a shot of rum, and just like that - it's a full-fledged mixed drink!
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Check out my Peachy Berry Smoothie and my Real Fruit Smoothie for more delicious drinks!
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 cocktail 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.
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!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It's gorgeous. Pitaya powder gives it that beautiful magenta hue. It is almost too pretty to drink!
- It's delicious. This is a perfectly balanced sweet, tart, and tangy summertime drink!
- It's flexible. If you can't find dragon fruit, you can make this with other seasonal fruits and fresh flavors.
- It's alcohol-free. However, there's room for rum if you want to make a grown-up-only version.
Ingredients You’ll 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 delicate pink powder amplifies the dragon fruit flavor and is responsible for the hot pink hue. If you're looking for more ways to use pitaya powder, try this dairy free pitaya parfait.
- Dragon Fruit: New to this funky-looking fruit? Let's break it down. Dragonfruit, also known as pitaya, is a low-calorie, nutrient-dense super fruit high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The flavor and texture are often described as a cross between a kiwi and a pear speckled with itty bitty black chia-like seeds.
- 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. Feel free to use Sprite if you want something sweeter.
Step-By-Step Instructions
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 club 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 and lime, and enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Remove the skins. 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.
- Muddle gently. 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.
- Taste test. 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.
Variations
Fruit options - If dragon fruit isn't your thing, leave out the pitaya powder and muddle the mojito base with any fruit. Try peach, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, watermelon, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, blood orange, etc.
Sweetening agents - 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.
Make it a cocktail - For a grown-up version, muddle the lime juice, honey, fruit, and mint as instructed, then add 3 ounces of white rum (or Bacardi Dragonberry!) to the pitcher. Gently stir with a bar spoon, top with lime soda, and pour over fresh ice.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Mojitos are best enjoyed fresh, but if you don't finish the whole pitcher, you can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezing: If you made the mocktail version, you can freeze the strained liquid into cubes and use the frozen cubes to chill your future fruit mojito mocktails and cocktails.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! This recipe makes two drinks, but you can always double or triple the ingredients and mix everything in a larger pitcher for parties and gatherings.
The peak months for dragon fruit are June through September, but they are sold in stores year-round. If your supermarket doesn't have any, check the nearest Asian grocery store.
Technically, yes -but if the pink color of the cocktail is important to you, I do not recommend using anything but clear rum.
More Drinks You’ll Love
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Dragon Fruit Mojito Mocktails
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons pitaya powder
- ¼ cup dragon fruit peeled and chopped
- 6 mint leaves
- 1 can lime sparkling water I use La Croix
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
- Remove the skins. 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.
- Muddle gently. 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 you muddle.
- Taste test. 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.
- Storing: Mojitos are best enjoyed fresh, but if you don't finish the whole pitcher, you can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezing: If you made the mocktail version, you can freeze the strained liquid into cubes and use the frozen cubes to chill your future fruit mojito mocktails and cocktails.
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.
KELSEY HUKILL
Man I iwsh I had this recipe last summer when I was pregnant- def want to try it out! Might be great to offer at my sons birthday party!
Natalie
Sounds luscious! Think I have to try this!
Cathy
This looks delicious and refreshing. Thanks for the link to pitaya powder. That's a great price, and I'll have to order some. Definitely making this soon!
Anna
Oh, so excited to try! Love the look of margaritas or mojitos but don't drink so mocktails are the way to go.
Cathie
These look fabulous and I've saved this recipe to try sometime!
Angela
The color on these is just so dang pretty! This is on the menu for my next girl's night in!
Harriet
This looks like the perfect drink to have when our hot summer comes in.
Ai | Ai made it for you
Looks so refreshing! Perfect for a hot day 🙂
Shari L Eckstrom
Your mocktail looks refreshing. I love the addition of sparkling water. I'll be looking out for dragon fruit to give this one a try in future.
Patrice
Love the idea of a dragon fruit mocktail! I don't use dragon fruit nearly enough and it's so good for you.
Natasha
This looks so good! I love the color of this mojito. Can't wait to try this recipe!
Beth
What a great idea to use dragon fruit with its beautiful color - even the seeds look appetizing. And I'm going to hunt up that pitaya powder. Thanks.
Nart | Cooking with Nart
I like mojitos and I also like dragonfruit. This is so my drink! And 44 calories per serving - can't beat that! 🙂
Angela Greven | Mean Green Chef
Wow! This looks like such a refreshing drink and I adore the spin on a classic mojito too, so delish! Thanks, so much for sharing 🙂
Anindya Sundar Basu
Not a big fan of Dragon Fruit but will definitely try this out at home
Sonila
I love dragon fruit and i love mojitos, so this drink calls my name right now. I definitely want to try it:)
Lathiya
Wow, this looks fabulous. This drink is the perfect one to serve on get-togethers. I love the color of this drink.
Adrienne
Love the exoticness of the Dragon Fruit. What a great feature cocktail for a party!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness
The colour of these mocktails is just insane! These would be perfect to serve during the holidays 🙂
Tilly
So refreshing and good for you! Plus the colour is amazing
Anita
I love dragon fruit in smoothies, so this mojito is perfect for me. 🙂 And thanks for introducing me to pitaya powder. I didn't know such a thing exists! 🙂
David
I don't think I've tried dragon fruit. Your mojitas look like the perfect introduction! An elegant cocktail.
Heidy L. McCallum
I love everything about this Mocktail! Looks so refreshing and delish that I could go for one right now. Pinned to save the recipe.
Holly
Yummy!!!
I use pink, red or purple dragon fruit, but yellow dragon fruit is my favourite (yes, they all taste quite different, especially the yellow, which is everyone's favourite!). White flesh is bland, the darker red/purple the colour of the flesh, the more intense... sweet and berry-like, the flavour is.
Is the colour that results, the only reason you use the pitaya powder? I cheat when dragon fruit is out of season and buy it in bags of frozen cubes.
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing 🙂
simplylowcal
Hi Holly! I'm glad you love it. 🙂 I love pitaya powder for the added health benefits, and the color really is beautiful. 🙂 Buying frozen bags of dragon fruit when it's out of season is a great idea.
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. 🙂