If you’re on the espresso martini bandwagon but cutting down your alcohol intake, this healthy espresso martini mocktail deserves a spot in your nightlife. Delicious and healthy ingredients like white tea and coffee promote longevity, glucose regulation, mood improvement, and more. This healthy non-alcohol espresso martini is perfect for a date night at home or a game night in with friends.
The Espresso Martini, a classic cocktail known for its bold blend of coffee and spirits, has been a go-to bev for those who appreciate the rich flavors of both espresso and vodka, though nowadays espresso martinis with tequila are all the rage. But what if you want to enjoy the same delightful taste without the alcohol? Enter this Espresso Martini Mocktail, or the Espresso Mocktini as I aptly call it. It’s a caffeine-infused and alcohol-free alternative that’s just as satisfying and also adds in a bunch of health benefits by using strong, steeped tea as a base! However, if you’d like to skip the caffeine you’re more than welcome to. But you might be surprised to know that caffeine has some surprising health benefits. On this episode of the Liz Moody Podcast, I interviewed Dr. William Li on the best and worst foods for longevity, brain health, inflammation, diabetes, cancer, and more, and I almost couldn’t keep track of the amount of times he recommended coffee. He said that research shows how drinking water-processed decaf coffee actually gives you all of the health benefits without the caffeine! He assured me that as long as it says “water-processed” on the bag, the coffee beans will maintain the chlorogenic acid that gives coffee its therapeutic properties and can even lower the risk of dementia.
Why non-alcoholic espresso martinis aren’t just iced coffee
Making an espresso mocktini taste as delicious as an espresso martini takes more than iced coffee and a fancy glass. Alcohol brings a biting complexity to the flavor that’s really hard to achieve without it. Plus, alcohol adds body which can be hard to emulate without it. Luckily, I have just the healthy ingredients in the pantry to add that complexity, body, and richness that you can’t quite put your finger on.
First, we use steeped white tea for that biting complexity. Then, we use aquafaba, the juice from canned chickpeas, to help achieve the full body and foam top. We also added the teensiest bit of cacao and cinnamon—not enough so that you can identifiably taste them, but enough to add that complexity and richness that you can’t quite put your finger on. It also offers that alcohol flavor that’s usually hard to achieve without liquor.
What makes this a healthy espresso martini?
First of all, by getting rid of the alcohol, you’re already adding health benefits. I go into way more depth about this in my new book, 100 Ways to Change Your Life, but alcohol is linked to cancer, stem cell damage, acid reflux, heart disease, poor sleep, anxiety, and so much more. Simply drinking less (I share in the book how to overcome all of the challenges around doing so!) is HUGELY beneficial for our health. Beyond that though, this espresso martini mocktail is a chlorogenic acid powerhouse—it’s in both the coffee AND the white tea, and it’s one of the most health-promoting foods around, with benefits for longevity, glucose regulation, mood improvement, and more which we learn all about on this longevity episode of the Liz Moody Podcast. Basically, you can have your cake and eat it, too.
Ingredients in this virgin espresso martini
Now that you’re briefed on why a non-alcoholic espresso martini is the move, you’ll need the following ingredients to make it.
- White tea bags
- Strongly brewed coffee
- Aquafaba (liquid in a can of chickpeas)
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla
- Ground cinnamon
- Cacao powder
How to make this espresso martini mocktail
To make this healthy espresso martini mocktail, you’ll just need to follow these simple steps.
- Steep tea bags in water for 1 minute; remove. add coffee. Transfer it to the freezer until it’s at least room temperature.
- Meanwhile, add aquafaba, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and cacao to a large jar with a lid. Add the coffee and tea mixture. First, you’re going to shake this WITHOUT the ice (it’s called a dry shake which helps produce more body) and then add ice and shake again.
- Strain the liquid into two martini glasses and top with any remaining foam and 3 coffee beans, if desired.
More healthy mocktail recipes to make:
Lavender Haze Digestive Mocktail
Spiced Orange Chai Digestive Mocktail
Cranberry Rosemary Digestive Mocktail
Print
Non-Alcoholic Espresso Martini (healthy!)
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 2 white tea bags
- 3/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
- 2 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cacao powder
Instructions
- Steep tea bags in water for 1 minute. Remove the bags and add coffee to the tea. Transfer to the freezer until at least room temperature.
- Meanwhile, add the aquafaba, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and cacao to a large jar with a lid. Add the coffee and tea mixture.
- First, shake this WITHOUT the ice (it’s called a dry shake which helps produce more body) and then add ice and shake again. Strain into 2 martini glasses and top with any remaining foam and 3 coffee beans, if desired. Enjoy!
