Skip the booze but not the flavor with a Gingerbread Mocktail made with non-alcoholic ginger beer, chai concentrate, and molasses. It's a fun and bubbly beverage that tastes almost exactly like a gingerbread cookie.
The holidays are the perfect time to indulge in a festive beverage. But not wanting to drink alcohol doesn't mean you should miss the fun. This mocktail offers the same enjoyable experience and is guaranteed to bring some holiday cheer to your next get-together or evening at home.
😍 Why you'll love this recipe
- It tastes just like a gingerbread cookie. The ginger is prominent, and the touch of molasses adds a key depth of flavor.
- It's light, bubbly, and refreshing, unlike many other gingerbread mocktail recipes, which include heavy cream.
- It's fun and festive, especially when you include the cookie crumb rim and the gingerbread garnish. Because it's without alcohol, it's a great drink for kids, too.
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🫚 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make a gingerbread mocktail:
- Chai concentrate - A strongly brewed black tea with spices and often some sweetener. Typically, you dilute this with milk to make a chai latte. There are many varieties of chai concentrate these days, and you can find them in the tea section of your grocery store.
- Molasses - A little molasses adds that classic gingerbread flavor.
- Ginger beer - Although it's called beer, there are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. Of course, for a mocktail you want the non-alcoholic variety. My favorite is Reed's, and I particularly like the Extra, which is made with twice the amount of ginger. Reed's is made with real ginger, spices, fruit juice, and honey.
- Gingerbread or gingersnap cookies - If you feel inclined, you can add a fun cookie crumb rim to your mocktail glass. Of course, this is optional. Even though it is a gingerbread drink, a ginger snap cookie works well, too. Feeling ambitious? Make my gingersnap cookies and use one of them.
- Maple syrup - To coat the rim of the glass and help the optional cookie crumbs to stick. Omit if you're not making the rim.
- Gingerbread garnish - such as a Peep's gingerbread or a gingerbread cookie
- Ice
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
🫖 Substitutions & Variations
- Make your own chai concentrate instead of using store-bought. When you make it yourself you can adjust the spices and sweetener to your liking. Here's a good recipe for how to make your own.
- Take it from mocktail to cocktail by using alcoholic ginger beer. I love Halyard Brewing's ginger beers, brewed here in Vermont. The extra ginger variety is my favorite.
- Add some cream to hop on the dirty soda trend. The cream may separate a bit in the glass after a few minutes, but just swirl your glass a bit and it'll come back together.
🫗 Instructions
How to make a gingerbread mocktail.
- Step 1: Pour maple syrup onto a plate. Crush up cookies on another plate.
- Step 2: Coat the edge of your glass with the maple syrup and then the cookie crumbs, pressing the crumbs onto the glass with your hand, if needed.
- Step 3: Add ice to a shaker or jar and pour in the chai.
- Step 4: Then add the molasses.
- Step 5: Shake well to combine.
- Step 6: Strain the chai mixture into your glass.
- Step 7: Top off with ginger beer.
- Step 8: Garnish and serve.
🫧 Top Tip
Watch the bubbles! The ginger beer may foam up as you pour it into the glass, so pour slowly and top off with more as needed.
🍹 Equipment
Cocktail shaker - Handy if you have one; if not, you can just use a jar with a lid.
🤔 FAQ
It depends on the type. Some do and some do not. Check the label carefully to ensure you're buying the one you want.
Coffee, chocolate, orange, maple, vanilla, and cranberry are all good complements to gingerbread.
You can make your own ginger beer and then use it to make this gingerbread mocktail. Here's a good recipe for ginger beer.
Of course! There's no alcohol. If they like the taste of gingerbread and like bubbles, this is a great mocktail for kids to enjoy.
🍰 Pairing
These recipes would pair nicely with this mocktail:
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Mocktail
Description
Skip the booze but not the flavor with a Gingerbread Mocktail made with non-alcoholic ginger beer, chai concentrate, and molasses. It's a fun and bubbly beverage that tastes almost exactly like a gingerbread cookie.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (for optional cookie rim)
- 1-2 gingersnap or gingerbread cookies (for optional cookie rim)
- 1 tablespoon / ½ ounce molasses
- 4 ounces of chai concentrate
- ice cubes
- 8 - 12 ounces ginger beer
- a gingerbread peep or gingerbread cookies for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- If making the cookie rim (otherwise, skip to step 2). Pour the maple syrup onto a plate. Crush 1-2 cookies and place the crumbs on a second plate. Coat the edge of your glass in the maple syrup, then the cookie crumbs. You may need to press the crumbs on to get them to stick.
- Shake the drink. Fill a cocktail shaker or mason jar halfway with ice. Pour in the molasses and chai concentrate. Put the top on and shake well to combine.
- Strain and finish. Add a handful of ice cubes to your glass. Strain in the chai mixture. Top off with ginger beer—the amount will vary depending on the size of the glass and the amount of ice.
- Garnish. Top off with the garnish of your choice, such as a Peeps gingerbread man, a cookie, or cinnamon stick. Serve.
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Steve says
Bubbly, gingery, and not too sweet, this is a fun mocktail for the holidays.