Cup of Oj: Holiday Low Carb Cocktails

This year we wanted to work together with incredible creators in the Online Diabetes Space and were lucky to partner with cup of oj’s Ariana Frayer to create some fun holiday inspired cocktail/mocktails for you! Ariana is a graphic designer, content creator and a person living with diabetes for 16 years! She is also one of our favorite people to follow on instagram. Check out her page and these recipes for more fun! Happy Holiday Consumption!

From festive garnishes meant to wow, to nostalgic flavors that may remind you of your childhood, there’s nothing better than a holiday cocktail to sip on this time of year. I’ve created three festive cocktails using low carb ingredients to enjoy — with little to no insulin required!

Sugared Cranberry Mimosas

I used a 50/50 ratio of prosecco to the cranberry juice, but feel free to use more or less depending on what you’re looking for in a cocktail!

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 4oz prosecco

• 4oz low sugar or low calorie cranberry juice (I used Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry Juice)

• 1oz fresh-squeezed orange juice (from the fruit directly)

For Garnish:

• fresh cranberries

• a sprig of rosemary

• Stevia

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour prosecco, cranberry juice, and orange juice into a chilled champagne flute or coupe glass.

2. For garnish, dip your rosemary sprigs in any remaining orange juice, and roll into a plate of Stevia. Drop some fresh cranberries into your glass and lay your sugared rosemary sprig on top. Enjoy!

Make it a mocktail by replacing the prosecco with sparkling water!

Santa’s Holiday Nog

I made this Santa Holiday Nog recipe with Almond Nog from Trader Joe's which has fewer carbohydrates (9g for 1/2 cup) than its egg toting counterpart (which using packs around 17g for 1/2 cup).

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 1 oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur (Carbohydrates: 13 g)

• 1.5 oz of vodka

• 1/4 cup of almond nog (Trader Joe’s carbohydrates: 4.5 g)

• 1/4 cup of almond milk

• Lemon slice (or melted chocolate) for glass rim

• Candy canes for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take a lemon slice and line the top of a rocks glass with lemon juice.

2. Empty your crushed peppermint onto a plate and press the top of the glass into the peppermint pile.

3. Combine Kahlua, vodka, almond nog, and almond milk in a cocktail shaker with ice + shake it up.

4. Strain into your rocks glass over ice.

5. Garnish with a mini candy cane and enjoy!

6. Optional: Instead of a lemon slice, dip your glass into melted chocolate and then dip into the crushed peppermint right away.

Make it a mocktail by swapping the vodka and Kahlua with iced coffee!

Cozy Maple Orange Bourbon

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz of Bourbon

• Juice of ½ an orange

• A dash of orange bitters

• ½ oz of sugar-free brown sugar cinnamon syrup

• ½ oz of zero sugar maple flavored syrup

• Sparkling water

• Sprig of rosemary

• 1-2 cinnamon sticks

• Optional: Dehydrated orange

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine Bourbon, juice of an orange, bitters, and both syrups to a cocktail shaker and shake over ice.

2. Pour into a rocks glass with ice and top with sparkling water.

3. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a cinnamon stick.

4. Optional: Slice a few oranges very thin and place on a baking sheet on parchment paper. Place in the oven at 200°F for 2-4 hours, flipping every 30 minutes to make sure the orange slices don't burn. As a bonus, it will make your home smell lovely!

Make it a mocktail by replacing the bourbon with more sparkling water!

I hope you enjoy these festive cocktails to enjoy all season long! Find more low carb cocktails on cupofoj.com and on my instagram page: @arianafrayer.

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