Prickly Pear Mojito Recipe

Sparkling water is poured from a glass bottle into a highball glass filled Prickly Pear Mojitos that's garnished with a slice of prickly pear fruit and fresh mint.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Cuban, Hispanic, Puerto Rican/Hispanic

Keyword: cocktail, cocktails, mojito, rum

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 10

Servings: 10-ounce servings

Calories: 277kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Homemade Prickly Pear Syrup makes all the difference in this refreshingly crisp classic cocktail.

Please enjoy alcoholic beverages responsibly. This recipe is intended for adults of legal drinking age. Never drink and drive, and always consume alcohol in moderation.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

cocktail shaker
highball (or Collins) glasses
muddler

Ingredients

2 teaspoons raw sugar
8 mint leaves plus more for garnish
2 medium limes juiced (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup prickly pear syrup
4 ounces white rum
ice
sparkling water to float

Instructions

Start by placing the mint leaves and raw sugar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the fresh lime juice to the shaker with the mint leaves.
Gently press the leaves with a muddler, or the end of a wooden spoon, just until fragrant. Try to avoid shredding the mint, since it can make your mojito taste bitter.
Pour the prickly pear syrup and white rum into the shaker along with a generous handful of ice. Cap the shaker and shake vigorously until it frosts over and your hand feels like it's freezing.
Slap a stem of mint between your palms to wake up the oils in the leaves. Place it in the glass, then add crushed or cubed ice until the glass is nearly full. Strain your prickly pear-rum mixture into the glass.
Top the rum mixture with club soda or sparkling water and gently stir to combine. Garnish your prickly pear mojito with another fresh mint sprig, lime wheel, and, if you have one, a slice of fresh or dried prickly pear.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions

Use granulated sugar if you don't have raw sugar. You can also omit the sugar completely.
I recommend Bacardí Superior, Don Q Cristal, or Flor de Caña 4-Year Extra Seco white rums.
Swap the soda water for lemon-lime soda (preferably Sprite®) for Puerto Rican mojitos.
You can use bottled prickly pear syrup to make this mojito recipe if that’s all you have access to.

Tips and Techniques

If you don't have a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint and combine everything except the sparkling water and ice together in a small pitcher or bowl.
Try to use peppermint or pineapple mint. Avoid rather than to chocolate mint or spearmint.
Avoid using bottled lime juice if at all possible since it lacks the bright acidity that fresh lime juice offers.
Make sure to use chilled prickly pear syrup and lime juice so your mojito stays colder longer.
Crushed ice is traditional, but cubes are fine.

Variations

Pitcher Prickly Pear Mojitos:
1. Use the buttons in the recipe card to increase the serving size.
2. Muddle the mint with the raw sugar, then combine the prickly pear syrup, rum, and lime juice.
3. Strain it into a pitcher several hours ahead of serving and store it in the fridge.
4. Add the ice and sparkling water just before serving.
Prickly Pear Mojito Mocktails: Replace the rum with additional sparkling water, lemon-lime soda, or a non-alcoholic white rum alternative.
Prickly Pear Gin Spritzer: swap the rum for a contemporary gin like Hendrick's, Aviation, or Roku.
Spicy Prickly Pear Mojitos: muddle one or two slices of jalapeño with the mint.
Frozen Prickly Pear Mojitos: add the prickly pear syrup, half* of the mint leaves, sugar, rum, lime juice, and ice to a blender and blend until smooth, then garnish with fresh mint. *Adding the full amount of mint leaves makes the cocktail murky.

Nutrition