With zesty orange and cherry amaretto layers, a subtle nuttiness, and creamy coconut milk for thickness, this healthy frozen mocktail is a fun, delicious drink recipe to make not drinking way more fun. Plus, the ingredients inside are great for glowing skin, cell repair, Vitamin C, and so much more. Below, you’ll also learn my secrets to having so much fun without drinking.
Welcome to my series, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, where I share secrets to truly enjoying life without alcohol plus functional mocktail recipes that not only take out the alcohol but add in a bunch of wonderful health benefits. In the case of this healthy frozen mocktail, the Cherry Amaretto Swirl, you can look forward to a delicious, easy mocktail recipe that’s perfect for the sunnier months.
In this recipe, you’re blending the entire orange, which provides a lovely balanced bitterness similar to that which you’d get with good alcohol, to the base (and the peel has SO many benefits for your skin, cell repair, and more!). then you’re swirling in a gorgeous almond-y cherry layer, which very much mimics the vibe of amaretto. this one is so fancy feeling and SO easy to make. Before we get into the recipe, I’d love to share a little story on why I have switched from drinking alcohol to mocktails almost exclusively.
Why I stopped drinking alcohol
I used to drink alcohol to feel less anxious in social situations and to relieve stress at the end of a long day. And then I found out that drinking alcohol literally impacts the GABA signaling in our brains to make us feel more anxious, generally. You’re actually making yourself worse by trying to make yourself feel better.
Realizing that alcohol was actually NEGATIVELY impacting everything I was using it for (my friendships, my social anxiety, my stress levels) was huge for me—and figuring out REAL ways, not band aids, to address those things has changed my life.
How to have more fun while drinking less
We had a whole podcast episode about solving all of the social issues that come with not drinking: it’s called “How to Drink Less Without Feeling Boring, Judged, or Stressed.” In the episode, I interview Amanda E. White, a therapist, author, and podcaster, and together we’re answering questions that all of you sent in about challenges you’ve run into with drinking less. Amanda is the author of the amazing book Not Drinking Tonight: A Guide to Creating a Sober Life You Love, which I highly recommend. She has hundreds of thousands of followers on her amazing Instagram account @therapyforwomen and she’s a licensed therapist and I can’t think of anyone better to answer your questions about sobriety and even just being more intentional with alcohol.
On the episode, we get into:
- what to do with friends instead of going to bars
- how to turn off your brain or chill out after work without booze
- what to do when others think you’re judging them for continuing to drink
- how to still have a ton of fun without alcohol + what to do if you miss feeling drunk
- how to deal with people’s questions about drinking, including the dreaded “are you pregnant?”
- the best recommendations for non-alcoholic drinks (+ how to order at bars!)
- how to address money issues around not drinking, including splitting tabs
- an exact script for what to say when people ask why you’re not drinking
- what to do if your partner or other loved ones drink
- how to get over the self-conscious feeling of going out or talking to strangers sober
- tips for dating while sober (+ one thing you should NEVER do)
- and so much more!
What’s in this cherry amaretto healthy frozen mocktail?
- Coconut milk
- A whole orange
- Honey
- Salt
- Frozen cherries
- Honey
- Almond extract
- Vanilla extract
How to make this easy mocktail recipe
- Make the orange layer. Cut off the ends of orange and blend the entire thing with coconut milk, honey, and salt until very smooth, then pour into glass and set aside.
- Make the frozen cherry layer. Rinse out the blender and blend cherries, honey, almond extract, vanilla extract, salt, and water until smooth. Use more water, a splash at a time, if needed to blend but mixture should be THICK and barely pourable.
- Swirl them together by pouring the orange mixture into the serving glasses until about half way full. Then, add a little cherry mixture, then the rest of orange mixture, then the rest of cherry mixture. Use the end of a spoon to swirl very gently, drawing patterns in the side of cup. Enjoy!
I hope you love this cherry amaretto swirl healthy frozen mocktail as much as Zack and I do! Enjoy, and tag me if you make it on Instagram (@lizmoody)—I can’t wait to see!
PrintCherry Amaretto Swirl Frozen Mocktail
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
ORANGE LAYER
- 1 can lite coconut milk
- 1 whole orange, ideally organic since you’re blending the whole thing!
- 1 tbsp honey
- pinch salt
CHERRY AMARETTO LAYER
- 2 cups frozen cherries
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup water
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Cut off the ends of the orange and blend the entire orange with coconut milk, honey, and salt until very smooth, then pour into glass and set aside.
- Rinse out blender and blend cherries, honey, almond extract, vanilla extract, salt, and water until smooth. use more water, a splash at a time, if needed to blend but mixture should be THICK and barely pourable.
- Pour orange mixture in 2 cups until about 1/2 way full. add a little cherry mixture, then the rest of orange mixture, then the rest of cherry mixture. use the end of a spoon to swirl very gently, drawing patterns in the side of cup.
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