Healthy Mint Sangria

This sangria isn’t filled with sugars like the typical ones.  It’s light and refreshing and makes the perfect summer cocktail.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer! It’s been really nice enjoying the time with my kids, taking them to the pool and watching them play baseball.  I haven’t been posting as much so I can spend time with them and I have really been trying to be present with them and enjoy every second.  Tantrums, fights and all. 😉

As much as I don’t want to wish summer away, I do look forward to get back to a routine and being able to cook more and share more recipes.  I love spending the time with my kids, but it’s almost impossible to get anything done with them home. And they always want to be driven somewhere.

ALL. THE. TIME.

Ok, I am refocusing….

But for now, I will just share this delicious, healthy sangria with you.  You won’t miss the added sugar at all.  Promise. And you will love the slightly fruity taste.

With that being said, if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, then go ahead and add some. I would add some monk fruit or erythritol as a sugar substitute. This way it will still have no added sugar but will have a hint of sweetness. It’s definitely a personal preference.

It’s like your favorite wine just got taken up a few hundred notches! And it’s a fun way to mix up your routine if you are a creature of habit like me. Some might say boring…I just need to be reminded to mix things up every now and then.

Why is this sangria “healthy”? Good question.  I decided to use my beloved green tea to add some antioxidants.  Why not?  I used a mint green tea that added a light, sweet mint taste and paired perfectly with the wine and fruit.  You can use a caffeine-free green tea as well.

Oolong is a type of black tea that also contains a good amount of antioxidants. I drink it regularly in the mornings, but I think I need to try it in this sangria? It can be a little bitter so I think adding a small amount of sweetener would help take away some of that bitterness.

This is such a simple recipe and has no added sugar at all.  Well, if you add the juice from the melons that will add some sugar but that is natural sugar and yes, there’s a difference.  And it’s so pretty so it’s perfect for entertaining.  No one will know how ridiculously easy it was to make!

Also, if you are making this in other seasons, go ahead and make it in the fall and add sliced apples and pears! You can make it in the winter and add cranberries and pomegranates. Do you see where I am going here? The possibilities are endless.

Any way you make it it’s a beautiful presentation. It’s great for parties or just for entertaining at your house. There is something so festive and magical about floating cranberries and pomegranates, am I right? The mint leaves would even make it MORE festive for a Christmas party!

What kind of cocktails do you usually make for parties? I have to admit, I usually don’t get that creative. I offer beer, wine and of course vodka (my favorite) but I rarely create fun cocktails. That has to change right away. Life is too short to drink boring cocktails!

And don’t forget the fresh mint leaves either. They are so fragrant and even adds a slight sweet, herbal taste. My main problem is that my mint always seems to die so quickly? I typically put it in a ziplock bag and store it in the refrigerator, but if you have a way to prevent it from dying so quickly, I would love to hear it!

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Healthy Mint Sangria

Ingredients

• 4 bags mint green tea
• 4 cups hot water
• 1 bottle of wine I used Sauvignon Blanc but you can also Pinot Grigio, Moscato or Riesling
• 1 small cantaloupe cut into small pieces (I used a melon baller)
• 1 small honeydew cut into small pieces
• 1/4 watermelon cut into small pieces
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 handful of fresh mint chopped
• juice from all the melons optional

Instructions

1. Place the tea bags into the hot water and allow to brew for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. Pour tea and wine into pitcher and stir.
3. Add fruit, half the mint and juice from melons if desired. Stir again.
4. Let sit for at least an hour but can sit overnight.
5. Add remaining mint before serving. Can serve over ice. Enjoy!

Feel free to use a different wine if you’d like.  I would definitely opt for a cheaper wine, but still used a medium-bodied, lightly sweet kind.   Some people like their sangria a little bubbly so if you’d like you can use a prosecco or even add some plain seltzer.

I know a few readers mentioned that it tasted delicious with flavored seltzer too. Although I haven’t tried this with flavored seltzer, it does make sense that it would be tasty.  Maybe an orange or lime one for this recipe, a  lemon one for the fall recipe and a cranberry one for the winter recipe?

If you try it with flavored seltzer please come back and let me know what you think. Maybe I will try it next time too! I am always open for feedback…

If you do decide to make it ahead, wait until right before you serve it to add the fruit and mint leaves so it doesn’t get too mushy.  This way it will look fresh and ready to serve!

Come see how ridiculously easy to make this sangria is! Shhh… it’ll be our secret…

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! Cheers to the last few weeks of summer! And let me know if you tried one of the other variations of this sangria. I would love to see some pictures too. Especially ones with floating cranberries and pomegranates 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

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