The flavors of carrot cake inspire this refreshing carrot juice cocktail. With maple, ginger, and coconut, it's a refreshing beverage to enjoy in the spring sun.
As a fan of carrot cake, I started thinking about how that might work in the form of a cocktail. I love the ginger and maple flavors I include in my carrot cake, but I also wanted to add the creaminess you get from the cream cheese frosting. Rather than adding a scoop of cream cheese, I opted for coconut cream, which lends creaminess and a hint of complimentary coconut.
The result is not too sweet or heavy. It has some earthiness from the fresh carrot juice and brightness thanks to a garnish of orange and ginger. If you like a little bite, a piece of candied ginger makes a great addition to the top of the glass.
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This cocktail would fit right in at a spring or summer brunch. Why not plan a brunch menu with a few of my other recipes:
- Banana Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries
- Rhubarb Crumble Breakfast Cake
- Beet and Feta Tartlets
- Cheese and Chive Scones
🥕Ingredients
Carrot juice - Fresh carrot juice will give you the freshest-tasting cocktail possible. If you want to make your own juice, you'll need 3-4 carrots for two cocktails. But if you don't have a juicer or the time to bother, look for fresh bottled juice in the produce area of your grocery store. There may also be options in the bottled juice section. If you can only find a carrot juice blend, that'll do.
Coconut cream - Not to be confused with cream of coconut, which, even though it is for cocktails, is too sweet, in my opinion. Also, not to be confused with coconut milk, which isn't thick or creamy enough. Rather, coconut cream is thick and unsweetened. You should be able to find it in stores with cans of coconut milk. If you can only find coconut milk, it is still possible to use that to make coconut cream. Here's some more info on how to do that.
Maple syrup - I like a touch of sweetness in this cocktail, and maple syrup is a great choice. It pairs perfectly with carrots and coconut.
Ginger - Fresh minced ginger adds a touch of spice. You can either grate a piece of fresh ginger root, or do as I do, and use Ginger People's minced ginger. I always keep a jar in the fridge and the quality is always excellent.
Vodka - Use what you have and whatever variety you prefer. I chose vodka for its neutral, clean flavor.
Triple sec - Adds a bit of orange flavor, which also goes well with carrots.
An orange - For garnish. You can make a fancy orange garnish or just use slices.
Candied ginger - Offers a nice punch of extra ginger flavor as a garnish, though it's not essential if you don't have it or can't easily find some.
🍋Substitutions and Variations
Non-alcoholic version - To make this cocktail alcohol-free, replace the vodka with water and add a splash of orange juice instead of triple sec. Alternatively, try a non-alcoholic spirit.
Lemon instead of orange - A slice of lemon would be a fine substitute for the orange if you don't have one on hand.
Dairy cream - You can substitute heavy cream or half and half for the coconut cream, however, you'll miss out on the coconut flavor.
Gin cocktail - I haven't tried it, but I think the botanical notes of gin would work well with the carrot juice in this cocktail if you wanted to try that out in place of the vodka.
Vanilla - A touch of vanilla would make this cocktail taste even more like carrot cake. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the recipe below or ½ teaspoon per cocktail.
📋Instructions
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice.
Pour in the carrot juice.
Add the coconut cream.
Then add the maple syrup, grated ginger, vodka, and trip sec.
Shake your cocktail for 15 seconds.
Strain into a glass filled halfway with ice.
Add a piece of candied ginger, a slice of orange, and a straw to the glass.
Top off with extra ice and enjoy.
🧊Top Tip
This carrot juice cocktail is best when served ice cold. Be sure to use plenty of ice in your cocktail shaker and glass. After straining the cocktail, top it off with more ice if you have room in the glass and serve immediately.
💭FAQ
If you can juice your own carrots to make this cocktail, that's great. If not, check out the fresh juice options in your grocery store. Small bottles of carrot juice can often be found in produce departments. If you can't find fresh juice, check the jarred juice section.
It takes about three carrots to make about 8 ounces of carrot juice, which is enough for at least two cocktails. Of course, the size of your carrots will affect the amount of juice they produce.
There is some sugar in carrot juice. However, it is much less than fruit juices like orange, cranberry, and apple juice. If you're buying carrot juice in the store, look for an option without added sugar.
🍸More Cocktail Recipes
A few other refreshing cocktails to try after this one.
📖 Recipe
Carrot Juice Cocktail
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cocktails 1x
Description
The flavors of carrot cake inspire this refreshing carrot juice cocktail. With maple, ginger, and coconut, it's a refreshing beverage for enjoying in the sun.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces carrot juice
- 3 ounces of your favorite vodka
- 2 ounces coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1-ounce maple syrup
- 2 ounces triple sec
- 2 orange slices
- 2 pieces candied ginger (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a large shaker and two glasses halfway with ice. Add all but the orange and candied ginger to the shaker.
- Shake for 15 seconds, then strain evenly between the glasses. Garnish with the orange slices and ginger. Top off with extra ice, if needed, and serve.
Notes
Customize this drink to your liking by adding in more ginger, maple, or cream.
It's easy to double or triple this recipe to make a large batch of servings in advance. Just keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
No triple sec? Substitute orange juice instead.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Shaking
- Cuisine: American
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