Strawberry Daiquiri Mocktail Recipe

Picture this: it’s a hot day, you’ve got exactly zero interest in doing anything complicated, and someone suggests a round of strawberry daiquiris. Yes. Absolutely yes. But here’s the twist — we’re making them mocktail-style. All the sweet, tangy, frosty bliss of the classic, minus the rum, minus the headache, and minus the questionable decisions that follow.

Whether you’re pregnant, sober-curious, driving, hosting kids, or simply choosing to skip the alcohol tonight — you deserve a drink that tastes like a celebration. Not a sad “virgin” version of something. Not a juice with a fancy glass. A real, proper, sip-it-slowly mocktail that makes everyone at the table a little jealous.

This strawberry daiquiri mocktail is blended until perfectly slushy, hits every note of the original — sweet, tart, fruity, cold — and takes about 5 minutes to make. Grab your blender. Let’s go.

What Makes This Recipe Awesome

A lot of mocktails are secretly just juice in a nice glass. This is not that. Here’s why this one actually earns its place at the party:

• Genuinely tastes like the real thing. The lime juice gives it that signature daiquiri tartness. The frozen strawberries deliver natural sweetness and that gorgeous blush colour. It’s the full experience, no rum required.
• Ready in 5 minutes flat. Measure, blend, pour. That’s the entire process. Even if you’ve never made a mocktail before, you literally cannot mess this up.
• Kid-friendly AND adult-approved. This is the rare recipe that works at a children’s birthday party and a garden cocktail hour simultaneously. Peak versatility.
• Stunning to look at. That deep pink-red colour in a nice glass with a strawberry on the rim? It photographs beautifully and looks incredibly fancy for approximately zero effort.
• Naturally sweetened options available. Use honey or maple syrup instead of simple syrup to make it feel a little more wholesome. Still delicious, less processed.
• No special skills or equipment needed. A blender. That’s it. You have one. Use it.
• Completely customizable. Adjust sweetness, tartness, and thickness to exactly your preference. This recipe flexes gladly.

IMO, this mocktail is proof that you don’t need alcohol to make a drink worth getting excited about.

Shopping List — Ingredients

Short list. Big flavour. Here’s everything you need for two generous servings:

• Frozen strawberries — 2 cups. Frozen is genuinely better than fresh here. They make the drink thick, slushy, and cold without watering it down with too much ice. No need to hull or prep anything — just scoop straight from the bag.
• Fresh lime juice — 3 tablespoons (about 2 limes). Please use fresh. The bottled stuff is fine for emergencies, but fresh lime juice has a brightness that bottled simply cannot match. Squeeze those limes.
• Simple syrup — 2 to 3 tablespoons. Equal parts sugar and water, dissolved together. Sweetens without adding graininess. Adjust to taste — start with two tablespoons and go from there.
• Lime sherbet or sorbet — 2 scoops (optional but magical). This is the secret weapon. It adds a creamy-tart dimension that makes the mocktail taste more complex and indulgent. Highly recommended for dinner parties or when you want to impress someone.
• Ice — 1 cup. Regular ice cubes work perfectly. The frozen strawberries do most of the heavy lifting, so you don’t need a mountain of ice.
• Sparkling water or lemon-lime soda — splash to finish (optional). For a fizzy version, top each glass with a small pour after blending. Adds a fun texture and lightens up the drink.
• Fresh strawberries and lime slices — for garnish. Because you made something beautiful and it deserves to look the part. Slice a small notch in a strawberry and slide it onto the rim of the glass. Effortless elegance.
• Simple syrup (homemade version): Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring, until sugar dissolves completely — about 2 minutes. Cool before using. Keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Pro tip: Freeze extra strawberries in advance so you always have them on hand. Ripe summer strawberries frozen at home taste better than store-bought frozen ones, full stop.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Five minutes. Zero stress. Here’s exactly how to build this:

1. Make the simple syrup if needed. Combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves — about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely before using. Warm syrup will melt your frozen ingredients and ruin the slushy texture. You can use store-bought simple syrup or skip ahead if you already have some ready.
2. Add everything to the blender. Add the frozen strawberries, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, ice, and lime sherbet (if using) to your blender. Add them in this order — liquids and softer ingredients first, frozen items on top — so the blender works efficiently and doesn’t strain.
3. Blend until completely smooth. Start on low to break up the frozen strawberries, then increase to high and blend for 45 to 60 seconds until you get a thick, smooth, evenly blended mixture. Stop and scrape down the sides if anything gets stuck. Blend again for 15 seconds.
4. Taste and adjust. This is your moment. Dip a clean spoon in and taste. Too tart? Add another tablespoon of simple syrup. Too sweet? A squeeze more lime. Needs more body? Add a handful more frozen strawberries and blend again. Own it.
5. Pour and garnish. Pour into chilled glasses — run them under cold water or pop them in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand for extra frostiness. Garnish with a fresh strawberry on the rim and a lime wheel. Fancy? Absolutely. Easy? Also absolutely.
6. Add bubbles if using (optional). For the sparkling version, give the blended daiquiri a brief stir, then top each glass with a small pour of sparkling water or lemon-lime soda. Don’t blend the soda in — add it after. Stir gently. Drink immediately.

Batch-making tip: This recipe doubles and triples beautifully. Blend in batches and keep the finished mix in the freezer for up to an hour. Stir before pouring — it firms up slightly but loosens when stirred.

Health Benefits

A fruity blended mocktail that’s actually good for you? More likely than you think. Let’s break down what’s happening nutritionally in this glass:

Strawberries: These are genuinely one of the most nutrient-dense fruits you can eat. Strawberries are exceptionally high in vitamin C — one cup delivers more than your entire daily recommended intake. They also contain powerful antioxidants like anthocyanins and ellagic acid, which are linked to reduced inflammation, improved heart health, and better blood sugar regulation. Plus, they’re high in fibre and naturally low in calories.

Fresh Lime Juice: Lime juice brings a meaningful dose of vitamin C and citric acid. Citric acid supports kidney health by inhibiting kidney stone formation and may also enhance the absorption of minerals from other foods in your meal. The antioxidants in lime juice also support immune function and skin health.

No Alcohol: This one deserves its own mention. Removing alcohol entirely means zero impact on liver function, no disruption to sleep quality, no next-day fatigue, and significantly lower caloric content compared to the original rum-based cocktail. For anyone reducing alcohol intake, a mocktail this flavourful makes the choice genuinely easy.

Natural Fruit Sugars vs. Added Sugar: The majority of the sweetness in this drink comes from the strawberries themselves — natural fructose that comes packaged with fibre, which slows absorption and prevents the sharp blood sugar spike you’d get from pure added sugar. Using honey or maple syrup in place of simple syrup adds trace minerals and antioxidants to the mix as well.

Hydration: Strawberries are about 91% water, which means this drink actively contributes to your daily hydration — especially useful in summer heat when you need fluids most. Serving it with a splash of sparkling water boosts that hydration factor even further.

Avoid These Mistakes

Five-minute recipes don’t have many ways to go wrong — but when they do, it’s usually one of these:

• Using fresh strawberries instead of frozen. Fresh strawberries make a delicious smoothie. They do not make a slushy, thick daiquiri. Frozen strawberries are the non-negotiable key to that proper frosty texture. If you only have fresh, freeze them for at least 2 hours before blending.
• Adding too much ice. Ice dilutes the flavour as it melts. The frozen strawberries already provide the cold and the body — you only need a cup of ice to help blend. Over-icing creates a watery, flavourless slush. Less is genuinely more here.
• Using bottled lime juice when fresh limes are available. Bottled lime juice is fine in a pinch, but fresh limes deliver a brightness and complexity that makes a real difference in something as simple as this. Two limes. Two minutes. Worth it every single time.
• Not tasting before serving. Strawberries vary in sweetness depending on the season and brand. Always taste your daiquiri before pouring and adjust lime and syrup to balance it properly. A daiquiri that’s either too sweet or too sour is a fixable problem — as long as you catch it before it’s in someone’s hand.
• Blending with warm simple syrup. Warm syrup will partially melt the frozen ingredients and destroy the slushy texture you’re working so hard to achieve. Always let your simple syrup cool completely before adding it to the blender. Make it ahead and keep it in the fridge — problem solved.
• Serving in a warm glass. A frozen drink in a room-temperature glass starts melting the second you pour it. Chill your glasses in the freezer for a few minutes before serving. It takes zero effort and keeps your drink properly frosty for longer.
• Adding the sparkling water to the blender. Blending carbonated liquid destroys the bubbles completely and can cause the blender to overflow. Always add sparkling water after blending, directly into the glass. Stir gently, pour carefully, enjoy responsibly.

Variations You Can Try

Once you’ve nailed the base recipe, here are some directions that are absolutely worth exploring:

• Mango Strawberry Daiquiri Mocktail: Replace half the frozen strawberries with frozen mango chunks. The mango adds a tropical, buttery sweetness that takes the whole drink somewhere sunny and exciting. Personal favourite for summer entertaining.
• Coconut Strawberry Daiquiri: Swap the simple syrup for coconut cream and add a splash of coconut water. Creamy, tropical, and outrageously good. Serve with a toasted coconut rim on the glass for maximum effect.
• Strawberry Basil Mocktail: Add 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves to the blender before blending. It sounds unusual but the herbal, slightly peppery note of basil against sweet strawberry and tart lime is genuinely sophisticated. Great for garden parties.
• Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Version: Swap the lime juice for fresh lemon juice and reduce the simple syrup slightly (lemon is less tart than lime at the same volume). A different flavour profile but equally refreshing — and a crowd favourite for kids.
• Sparkling Strawberry Daiquiri Float: Blend without ice for a thicker base, pour into glasses, and top with a scoop of strawberry sorbet and sparkling water. It looks spectacular and tastes even better. Perfect for a fancy brunch.
• Spicy Strawberry Daiquiri: Add a thin slice of fresh jalapeño or a small pinch of cayenne to the blender. The heat plays beautifully against the sweet-tart strawberry. Not for the faint-hearted — but absolutely for the adventurous.
• Strawberry Mint Smash: Blend in a small handful of fresh mint leaves for a cool, herby twist. Garnish with a mint sprig. It’s bright, refreshing, and honestly feels like something you’d pay twelve dollars for at a rooftop bar.

FYI — the coconut version is legitimately exceptional. Make it once and it’ll become your signature summer drink. You’ve been warned.

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this without a blender?

Technically… it’s complicated. The frozen strawberries really do require a blender for that smooth, slushy texture. If you’re truly blender-less, let frozen strawberries thaw slightly, mash them very well with a fork, then stir in the lime juice, syrup, and lots of crushed ice. It won’t be the same smooth texture, but it’ll still taste great. Really though — get a blender. Even a basic one works perfectly for this.

Can I use fresh strawberries if I don’t have frozen?

You can, but you’ll need to compensate for the lost texture. Use fresh strawberries plus at least 2 cups of crushed ice to get close to the right consistency. The result won’t be quite as thick or slushy, but it’ll still be delicious. For best results, freeze your fresh strawberries for at least 2 hours before making this — even a partial freeze helps significantly.

How do I make this for a crowd?

Simply scale up the recipe — it multiplies easily. Blend in batches and pour into a large pitcher or punch bowl. Keep it in the freezer and stir before serving, as it will firm up slightly over time. Plan for about one cup of blended daiquiri per person and you won’t run short. The garnishes — strawberries and lime wheels — can be prepped well ahead.

What can I use instead of simple syrup?

Several things work well here. Honey blends smoothly and adds a floral depth. Maple syrup is slightly more complex and works beautifully with strawberry. Agave nectar dissolves easily even in cold ingredients and has a neutral sweetness. Even a few pitted Medjool dates blended in work as a natural sweetener. All are interchangeable at roughly the same quantity — start with less and adjust up.

Can I make this ahead and store it in the freezer?

Yes — blend it, pour into a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 hours. It’ll firm up into more of a granita texture. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and stir well to loosen it back to a slushy consistency. Don’t freeze overnight — it’ll freeze solid and you’ll need to re-blend it, which changes the texture.

How do I make the garnish look professional?

Honestly it’s easier than it looks. For a strawberry rim garnish: take a whole strawberry, make a small notch in the bottom with a sharp knife, and slide it onto the rim of the glass. For a lime wheel: slice a lime crosswise into thin rounds and make one cut from the centre to the edge, then twist slightly and hang it on the glass rim. Salt or sugar the rim by running a lime wedge around the edge, then dipping the glass into a plate of your chosen coating. All of this takes under two minutes and makes the whole thing look like it came from an actual cocktail bar.

Final Thoughts

Here’s what this mocktail proves: you don’t need alcohol to make a drink that feels special. You just need good ingredients, a blender, and about five minutes of your time. That’s it. That’s the whole secret.

This strawberry daiquiri mocktail is the drink you’ll make for summer parties and Sunday afternoons and random Tuesday evenings when you just want something cold and a little celebratory. It’s the drink you’ll serve to friends who don’t drink and watch their faces light up because this isn’t a compromise — it’s genuinely, properly, deliciously good.

Make a batch. Garnish it beautifully. Sip it slowly. Maybe put on something summery in the background. And definitely share the recipe when people inevitably ask — because they will.