10 low-sugar margaritas to make at home because we all deserve a cocktail right now

Margaritas and May go together like avocado and toast; it’s a classic pairing virtually everyone loves. May is the month when the weather *finally* starts getting warm enough across the country where it’s actually bearable to spend a prolonged amount of time outside. Enjoying an icy cocktail in the sunshine is pure living.

Sure, spring looks a little different this year. You can’t enjoy a pitcher of margaritas with your friends in your backyard or at your favorite cocktail bar. But that doesn’t mean your marg game can’t still be strong. (Bonus to drinking your cocktail solo: you don’t need to share that side of chips and guac.)

Rounded up here are 10 low-sugar margaritas to make at home, including two that are alcohol-free. Get out your cocktail shaker and throw on some tie-dye. It’s time for happy hour.

Keep reading for 10 healthy, low-sugar margaritas to try:

1. Avocado margarita

If you’re making margaritas, there’s basically a 90 percent chance you’re getting chips, salsa, and avocados out for happy hour too, right? Save a quarter of one of your avocados to incorporate into this mezcal-based margarita, which will give it a smoothie-like texture.

 2. Grapefruit margarita

Hot tip: citrus helps balance out the bite in tequila perfectly. The grapefruit used in these slushy, low-sugar margaritas adds a bright sweetness on its own, so there’s no need for any sugar at all. (A touch of honey helps, too.)

3. Watermelon margarita

Watermelon is another fruit that can naturally sweeten up your low-sugar margaritas while perfectly complementing tequila. Close your eyes, take a sip of this cocktail, and you *just* might be mentally transported to a sunny day by the pool. Your vacation may be postponed, but summer vibes are definitely not canceled.

4. Matcha margarita

When wellness goes out for drinks, you get this delicious matcha margarita. Besides tequila (and matcha), it also includes cashew cream, water, and agave. No refined sugar, here!

5. Spicy margarita 

One way to cut down on sugar in your cocktail: go spicy instead of sweet. This marg is definitely for the bold. With jalapeno, chili powder, paprika, and cilantro it has quite the kick—more like a donkey kick!

6. Sparkling blood orange margarita

This is not your basic marg. First, it calls for sparkling water, not still. And it also incorporates blood orange, grapefruit, tangerine, and orange juice—that’s a lot of vitamin C! All the citrus (and a little agave) take the place of any sugar whatsoever.

7. Maple margarita

When it comes to low-sugar margaritas, it doesn’t get easier than this. Got tequila, maple syrup, lime juice, and ice? Then you, my friend, are ready for happy hour. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add orange liquor, but it will still taste good without it, too.

8. Spicy jalapeno margarita

This marg definitely has some spice to it, but besides jalapeno, it also includes a little monk fruit (an alternative sweetener) and orange juice, so the bite is definitely toned down. It also has one wildcard ingredient: egg whites. That’s right, this cocktail is so fancy you should pay yourself $16 after shaking it up.

9. Sparkling lime alcohol-free margarita

Want to sip on a marg but your WFH day isn’t quite done yet? Girl, we got you. All you need is sparkling water, lime juice, and a little orange juice to enjoy the taste of a margarita without the tequila. The carbonation in this concoction makes is super refreshing, too.

10. Non-alcoholic strawberry margarita

We’re right on the cusp of strawberry season and this virgin marg is a perfect way to incorporate the fruit outside of smoothies and pies. (Frozen strawberries work just as well too, if that’s easier for you to find.) Simply blend them with seltzer, lime juice, ice, and a touch of maple syrup. It’s like the perfect summer slushie.