The leaves have started falling, and the air is getting colder which can only mean one thing - Halloween is around the corner! In addition to costumes and haunted houses, Halloween is known for candy and other sweets, which can be bad news for your blood sugar. However, the worst blood sugar culprit this time of year may not be that chocolate bar.
Sugar-sweetened cocktails can not only be taxing on your liver, but they can also send your blood sugar soaring. If you choose to skip alcohol for whatever reason, it doesn’t mean you must skip out on the fun at your next Halloween party. Check out the family-friendly mocktails below to get you in the spooky season spirit.
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The Benefits of Cutting Back On Alcohol
While nearly two-thirds of US adults report drinking alcohol, October is a popular month to abstain.1 Sober October is a popular wellness challenge where participants refrain from drinking for the entire month. October may be a good time to forgo alcohol for many, as it’s just before the start of the holiday season (when we tend to overindulge the most). Whether you plan on not drinking for the night, month, or indefinitely, you’ll do your body a favor by skipping the alcohol.
A 2020 study found that drinking can increase your risk of many cancers, including esophageal, liver, colon, and breast cancer.2 Heavy drinking is associated with elevated blood glucose levels, which can increase the risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders.3
If you’re looking for seasonal beverages sans alcohol, you’re in luck. We’ve compiled our favorite mocktail recipes that the whole family will enjoy.
Best 13 Non-Alcoholic Drinks For Halloween
Below are 13 delicious drink recipes that you can enjoy this spooky season. Add rum, vodka, or any other spirit to turn these Halloween mocktails into Halloween cocktails. These easy recipes can be made for groups by placing them into a large punch bowl.
Rosemary Pear Punch
Rosemary and pear make the perfect pair in this fall drink! Pears are in season through October (which means this is when they are most nutrient-dense), and rosemary provides an extra antioxidant boost.
Ingredients
- ½ pear, cored and diced
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice (or lemon-lime soda)
- 3 ounces sparkling water
- 1 ounce rosemary syrup (4 rosemary sprigs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water)
Spiced Apple Mocktail
This recipe combines cinnamon's blood sugar-lowering benefits with the seasonal favorite apple cider.
Ingredients
- ½ cup cinnamon tea
- ½ cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Sparkling water
- Thinly sliced apples
Pumpkin Pie Mocktail
Craving something rich and creamy? This may be the perfect drink for you! Using pumpkin puree gives you the added bonus of vitamin A.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon condensed milk
- ⅛ tablespoon pumpkin puree
- Crushed graham cracker crumbs
Blood Red Pomegranate Punch
Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants and have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on the body.4 This Halloween punch has the added benefit of vitamin C from orange juice.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces 100% pomegranate juice
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ ounce lime juice
- 2 ounces sparkling water
Witches Brew
Brew something tasty and healthy this Halloween with this blood-red Halloween punch recipe (just forgo the rum). Spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves are great antioxidants that will keep you warm while trick-or-treating.
Ingredients
- 3 cups chilled sparkling apple juice
- 4 cups cranberry juice
- 4 cups sparkling water or club soda
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 cloves, whole
- 3 tablespoons chopped ginger
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- Candy eyeballs for garnish
Glowing Green Juice
A green juice for all your little goblins! Mint and cucumber combine to provide a refreshing kick, as well as vitamin A and an array of minerals
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup water
- 2 limes, juiced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons agave
- 1 cup sparkling water
- Add gummy worms or gummy candies to make this drink kid-friendly
Halloween Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is always a crowd-pleaser, and you can make it even more nutrient-dense by using cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. Cacao is less processed and has high amounts of phytonutrients and minerals. Try out this spooky drink that is a crowd-pleaser for all ages.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Optional - mini marshmallows for garnish
Pear Pumpkin & Ginger Juice
This drink provides vitamin A, vitamin C, and a whole lot of fall fun.
Ingredients
- 50 grams of pumpkin or pumpkin puree
- 250 ml orange juice
- 1 ripe pear
- 1 tick slice ginger
- Ice cubes
- Black food coloring for decorating the glasses
Mummy Mimosa Mocktail
This mocktail is a Halloween twist on a brunch favorite. Just use cheesecloth to decorate your glasses and swap champagne for sparkling water.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup no pulp orange juice
- ⅔ cup sparkling water
- Cheesecloth
- Plastic eyeballs for decoration
Autumn Ginger Juice
Made with warm spices and pumpkin puree, this juice is full of antioxidants, which will help you feel your best this Halloween season.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 4 tablespoons apple cider
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-inch piece of peeled ginger
- 1-2 cans of apricot-flavored sparkling water
Pumpkin Spice Eggnog
This creamy drink has all the flavors of the season. Healthy fats from coconut milk and eggnog will cause your body to digest it more slowly, which will help prevent a blood sugar spike.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces eggnog
- 3 ounces coconut milk
- 1 ½ tablespoon pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin butter
- Pumpkin pie spice
Apple Ginger Fizz
This fall drink offers a refreshing kick with tangy lime, cool mint, and fizzy bubbles. Try swapping ginger ale for sparkling water + ginger to make it even more blood sugar friendly.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces still apple cider
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 ounces ginger ale (or sparkling water + sliced ginger)
Hocus Pocus Punch
This non-alcoholic punch is packed with polyphenols, which act as antioxidants in the body and have been shown to help optimize cholesterol and blood sugar.5
Ingredients
- 6 cups apple cider
- 2 cups cranberry juice
- 2 cans orange sparkling water
- ¼ cup cherry juice
- 2 oranges, sliced
- 2 apples, sliced
- ⅓ cup ginger ale or ginger beer
- Blackberries or cherries for garnish
Stay Festive and Manage your Blood Sugar Levels this Season with Signos
Signos incorporates cutting-edge research and the proven power of continuous glucose monitoring to help you lose weight and reach your health goals. Not sure if Signos is right for you? Take this quiz to find out! Interested in learning more about nutrition and healthy eating habits? Check out more articles on our blog.
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References
- Brenan, B. M. (2023, August 14). More than six in 10 Americans drink alcohol. Gallup.com. https://news.gallup.com/poll/509501/six-americans-drink-alcohol.aspx
- Rumgay, H., Shield, K. D., Charvat, H., Ferrari, P., Sornpaisarn, B., Obot, I., Islami, F., Lemmens, V., Rehm, J., & Soerjomataram, I. (2021). Global burden of cancer in 2020 attributable to alcohol consumption: a population-based study. Lancet Oncology, 22(8), 1071–1080. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1470-2045(21)00279-5
- Leggio, L., Ray, L. A., Kenna, G. A., & Swift, R. M. (2009). Blood glucose level, alcohol heavy drinking, and alcohol craving during treatment for alcohol dependence: results from the Combined Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol Dependence (COMBINE) Study. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 33(9), 1539–1544. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.00982.x
- Zarfeshany, A., Asgary, S., & Javanmard, S. H. (2014). Potent health effects of pomegranate. Advanced biomedical research, 3, 100. https://doi.org/10.4103/2277-9175.129371
- Blumberg, J. B., Camesano, T. A., Cassidy, A., Kris-Etherton, P., Howell, A., Manach, C., Ostertag, L. M., Sies, H., Skulas-Ray, A., & Vita, J. A. (2013). Cranberries and their bioactive constituents in human health. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 4(6), 618–632. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.113.004473