Virgin Strawberry Basil Vanilla Daquiri Recipe With Homemade Nonalcoholic Rum Substitute

When I was a kid, strawberries were my favorite. But d’you know what I hated?

Artificial strawberry flavor.

I can remember adults buying me strawberry candy and puzzling over why I wouldn’t eat it.

Friends, there is NOTHING like a real strawberry.

And when you combine frozen strawberry with basil, vanilla, and my rum-free flavor boosters, you have a PERFECT drink for an unseasonably hot spring day.

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Why You’ll Love This Alcohol-Free Strawberry Daquiri Mocktail

The heat can get anyone down.

And sometimes, combining booze and alcohol can make you feel extra sluggish and gross.

This cooling and nourishing nonalcoholic cocktail keeps the party going and keeps the calories down.

You’ll love it because:

• You can make it with pantry items.
• It comes together quickly.
• It’s inexpensive.
• It’s so pretty!

It won’t leave you feeling bloated, tired, and gross (like a traditional, alcoholic cocktail will, especially if you’re drinking in the middle of the day).

Let’s Talk About My Nonalcoholic Rum Flavor Substitute Ingredients

I love nonalcoholic rum.

There are some really great options out there to choose from! Here are just a few.

• RITUAL ZERO PROOF rum alternative
• Lyre’s White Cane Sprit rum alternative
• Clean Co rum alternative

But for today, I didn’t want to use a premade rum alternative, in part because nonalcoholic beverages can be expensive, and I didn’t want to “waste” it on my kiddos.

I prefer to use #NA rum in drinks when the rum itself has to stand out on its own.

So I did some research on how to bring a bit of rum flavor into my virgin strawberry basil vanilla daiquiri without necessarily purchasing bottle rum alternatives.

This article from America’s Test Kitchen was really helpful.

Their recipe for nonalcoholic rum aims to create a sweet, layered, woodsy beverage that imparts some of the flavors of traditional rum.

Their recipe suggests using butter in the drink. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. So I decided to use a smidge of coconut oil instead.

Also, the ATK rum requires too much preparation time. You’ll have to make their rum alternative in advance.

As an overbooked and overscheduled mompreneur, I can rarely plan my mocktails with that much forethought.

So I’ve adapted their rum flavors to create an easy, low-prep alternative.

By simply adding raisins, vanilla, molasses, and iced tea to my blender, I still get all the lovely flavors of Cook’s Illustrated rum alternative without all the prep work.

Click this Slider For Some Nonalcoholic Eye Candy

Menu Planning: What To Drink With This Virgin Daiquiri

Strawberry and basil are so versatile when put together. Although you can drink this strawberry basil vanilla daiquiri with nearly anything, we’ll actually be drinking it as a stand-alone treat in my house (for a summer’s day).

You can also pair it with pizza, appetizers, or dessert.

This is a drink that wants to be the star of the show, though. Whatever food you pair it with will have to be as awesome as the drink itself!

Want More Strawberry Basil Drink Recipes?

Here are a few more recipes if you’re in a strawberry-basil groove (I basically always am!).

• Strawberry Basil Smoothie (with almond milk and honey). For breakfast or a healthy snack.
• Strawberry Basil simple syrup. This would be great to have on hand for those anytime mocktail moments!
• Strawberry basil mojito. Classic for a reason.
• My “lazy” version of a Strawberry basil mojito (for when you don’t have fresh strawberries).

What nonalcoholic cocktail would you like me to post next?

Thanks for reading!

Lee