6 Low-Sugar, At-Home Cocktail Recipes So Delicious, You’ll Swear You’re at a Bar

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Making your own craft cocktail is a fun at-home activity —just remember to practice moderation.
Image Credit: Tanveer Badal/Image Source/GettyImages

If you enjoy mixed drinks, then you most likely appreciate the experience of ordering a specialty cocktail from the menu and watching as the mixologist crafts their masterpiece.

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As fun as going out for cocktails can be, it... well... requires going out. And cocktails can carry a hefty price tag — as in, you could eat lunch for the price of just one drink.

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On top of that, mixed drinks are usually high in calories and sugar — if you see added sugars like honey, simple syrup or agave, there's a good chance that drink is overloaded.

But, you can have your cocktail and drink it too, on your couch, in your sweats, without spending $15 and without overdoing it on your daily sugar intake.

We've rounded up six of our most delicious cocktails that you can make at home — all with 10 grams of sugar or less.

Always remember to practice moderation when drinking alcohol. That means, one drink per day for women and a maximum of two per day for men, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Tip

Get the measurements right and keep your cocktail chilled by investing in a shaker set. Here are a few we like:

  • S'well Shaker Set Carafe in Calacatta Gold ($40 on Amazon.com)
  • Final Touch Handmade Wood Cocktail Shaker ($54.99 on Amazon.com)
  • Stainless Steel Bartender Kit ($25.95 on Amazon.com)

1. Raspberry Summer Cocktail

This summer cocktail is filled with fiber.
  • Sugar: 7 grams

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How can a cocktail pack 4 grams of fiber? Add raspberries, that's how. The Raspberry Summer simply pairs rum, lemon juice ginger beer and raspberries — that's it.

This drink has just 7 grams of sugar but offers up more fiber than you'd find in a small apple. About 90 percent of Americans aren't getting enough fiber (women need 25 grams and men, 38 grams), according to a January 2017 analysis in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

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And while we don't recommend filling up on this cocktail to meet your daily needs, if one drink can give you a little boost, we're OK with that.

Get the Raspberry Summer Cocktail recipe and nutrition info here.

2. Arbiter of Taste Healthy Cocktail

Chicory root, a type of fiber, is added to this cocktail recipe.
  • Sugar: 0 grams

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Chicory root, one of the ingredients in this cocktail, is commonly found in packaged foods like bars and healthy ice creams. Also known as inulin, chicory root is a type of fiber that comes from a plant.

It's a prebiotic food that gets broken down in your small intestines and indirectly feeds the good bacteria in your gut, according to a December 2017 article published in The Scientific World Journal. All you need to know to make this drink though is that it tastes delicious, is low in sugar and may help your gut health as you imbibe.

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Get the Arbiter of Taste Healthy Cocktail recipe and nutrition info here.

3. The Invigorator

Cucumbers and coconut water make this a refreshing drink.
  • Sugar: 3 grams

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Think of this drink as an adult spa-water, combining cucumber, coconut water, aloe vera juice, dry vermouth and vodka. Each cocktail packs only 3 grams of sugar.

Aloe vera is most known for its benefits when used topically, but it may also be beneficial when consumed as well. Drinking an aloe vera syrup was observed to reduce common symptoms of GERD such as flatulence, nausea and heartburn, a December 2015 paper published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine found.

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Get The Invigorator recipe and nutrition info here.

4. Lime in the Coconut

You'll swear you're on vacation when enjoying this cocktail.
  • Sugar: 8 grams

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You put the lime in the coconut... and mix it all up with vodka and some fresh mint leaves. You'll be channeling island beaches from your living room with this cocktail that clocks in at 8 grams of sugar per serving.

The good thing is coconut water is hydrating (which is key if you're enjoying more than one cocktail) and provides the electrolyte potassium.

Get the Lime in the Coconut recipe and nutrition info here.

5. KiwiHito

Strawberries and kiwi naturally flavor and sweeten this cocktail.
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com
  • Sugar: 9 grams

A traditional mojito calls for sugar but our healthier take with the KiwiHito uses kiwi and raw strawberries to sweeten and flavor the drink. In fact, each drink only has only 9 grams of sugar.

Kiwis are often overlooked but they really deliver on nutrition. The fruit is rich in vitamin C and is also a source of folate, potassium and fiber. They're also rich in antioxidants and may help keep you regular, according to a June 2012 paper published in Nutrition Today.

Get the KiwiHito recipe and nutrition info here.

6. Tito’s Turmeric Tonic

Turmeric adds warm spice and some health benefits.
  • Sugar: 7 grams

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Waking up to a turmeric lattés is nice but rounding out the night with a turmeric tonic is next level. This drink incorporates the actual spice, which is rich in curcuminoid polyphenol.

Turmeric is linked to helping manage symptoms of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and arthritis, according to a January 2020 study published in Nutrition Today.

One thing the spice definitely delivers on is flavor and it lends warmth to this otherwise fruit drink which also features pineapple juice, lemon juice and vodka. Each glass has 7 grams of sugar.

Get the Tito’s Turmeric Tonic recipe and nutrition info here.

Click below to pin and save these cocktail recipes for later!

Have your cocktail and drink it too, on your couch, in your sweats, without breaking the bank.
Image Credit: Graphic: LIVESTRONG.com Creative
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