Cranberry Mojito {Sugar-Free Option}

Festive, fun and delicious, these beautiful Cranberry Mojitos are perfect for your holiday parties!

‘Tis the season for lots of cocktails and treats, right?  Sigh….

Over the next month, we will be attending holidays gatherings with lots of fun drinks and tasty treats, people will be baking (I know I will!) and many will have less time to exercise. We are busier than ever so it’s not as easy to prep our healthy meals and sneak in workouts. I know I am just as guilty as the next person.

Do you know that the some people can gain between 7 and 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas?  So what does that mean?  No cookies or fun cocktails? No way.

It just means we have to make smarter choices and be more efficient with our time. What I mean is we can have healthier alternatives and we can always fit in some type of physical activity. Yes, even if it’s 15 minutes of dancing in your kitchen to Christmas music (like me!)

I will be the first to say that I definitely exercise less in December. Even though I am well aware it’s the best way to relieve stress around the holidays. But it’s always the first thing to go, right?

So I am trying my hardest to fit it in. Even if it’s a half hour walk around the neighbors in the freezing cold, I am trying my hardest to commit. I just need something to get my body moving, my blood circulating and to get my mind off of my very long to-do list.

That’s why I’m here!  To share lightened up treats and cocktails so that you can still enjoy yourself during the holidays without gaining that extra weight!  I think I am still in denial that Thanksgiving is already next week.  Time is really flying…

I made these mojitos two ways, one with unrefined sugar and the other completely sugar free.  You can choose which way you want to make them, but either way, they were delicious! Me personally, I think they taste better without the added sugar, but I don’t like sweet cocktails any way. You have to do what works for you.

By the way, don’t you just love cranberries? I love their sweet and tart flavor and their pretty, festive appearance. They really do make every drink, dish and dessert so much better looking, don’t you agree?

Did you also know that I typically buy more bags of cranberries during the holidays and freeze them so I can make whatever cranberry recipe I want during the year? Similar to pumpkin, I say cranberry should be all year long, not just around the holidays. Who’s with me?

Now I get to show you just how easy these are to make! Yes, they may appear fancy, but really they only need a few simple ingredients. I promise, no recipe I make, especially during the holidays will ever have a lot of crazy ingredients nor will it take a lot of time. Who has the time anyway?

Side note: I have also made these with vodka instead of rum, mainly because I rain out of rum! They tasted just as good, but I am a vodka drinker. Full disclosure though, it didn’t really taste like a mojito anymore. Still delicious though!

4 from 2 votes

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Cranberry Mojito

Course cocktail

Servings 1 cocktail

Author Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Ingredients

• 4 drops liquide stevia sugar-free OR 1 teaspoon unrefined sugar
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 handful of mint
• 1 1/2 ounces light rum
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
• 4-6 ounces plain seltzer
• ice
• fresh cranberries and mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Place stevia or sugar in a glass with lime juice.
2. Add mint leaves and muddle for a minute or two.
3. Add the run, cranberry juice, seltzer and ice.
4. Garnish with cranberries and mint leaves. Serve immediately.

I also love how pretty and festive these cocktails are! They are perfect for holiday parties and gatherings. Everyone needs a signature cocktail, right?

The red and green colors are so fun and make the most beautiful presentation. When I am hosting I like to add extra mint and lime to add some more color. Gorgeous, festive and ridiculously delicious.

Added bonus:  These are super easy to make! Remember, drink responsibly and drink in moderation. CHEERS!

For all of my friends that are looking for a mocktail, go for it! Simply leave out the run or other alcohol and add some more seltzer. Just because you aren’t drinking alcohol it doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun. This is for my pregnant friends and to all of those kids out there!

Kids love to have their own fun drinks too. These remind me of when I was young and drink “Shirley Temples”, does anyone else remember them? My kids order them now too! Oh, the memories…who doesn’t love a good maraschino cherry?

Another pro tip: make sure you drink at least one glass of water in between cocktails. Alcohol generally dehydrates you so you will need to drink even more water. Try to remember to drink 2 glasses of water for every cocktail you drink.

Hangovers are caused from dehydration from over drinking, so the best way to prevent that is to drink more water. I promise you will thank me later.

Hangovers are no fun at all, especially around the holidays when you have a thousand things to do. And all of that extra sugar doesn’t help either if you plan on having more than two. Trust me, I speak from experience.

I wanted to share some more lightened up holiday cocktails that I thought you might like:

Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

Sparkling Winter Berry Holiday Cocktail from The Busy Baker

Spiked Apple Cider

Holiday Sangria with Orange, Cranberry and Cinnamon from Fit Living Eats

Mixed Berry Wine Spritzer 

Sugar Free Egg Nog from All Day I Dream About You

Mojito Wine Spritzer

Please come back and let me know if you made these Cranberry Mojitos or any of the other recipes I shared above. I love hearing from you!

Thanks for stopping by and please come back soon!