This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
My all-time favorite mojito recipe, naturally sweetened with honey (instead of sugar) and SO fresh and delicious. Plus, tips for how to make a pitcher of mojitos for a crowd.
In honor of swimming pools opening everywhere, backyard grills firing up in full force, and all things warm and summery kicking off this weekend, I thought we could celebrate with a week of summer cocktail recipes here on the blog!
Beginning with the ultimate refreshing summery cocktail…
…the mighty, mighty mojito.♡
Especially with fall of the fresh mint abounding in gardens and farmers markets everywhere this time of year, mojitos are the perfect summer cocktail to whip up for after-work happy hours, afternoons by the pool, weekend grill-outs, you name it. They’re quick and easy to make, so vibrant and lovely, and also easy to whip up in a pitcher if you happen to be serving a crowd. I’m also a big believer that the best mojito recipe is sweetened naturally with just a bit of honey (instead of loads of sugar), which really allows those bright, fresh, tart flavors shine through. But the joy in making homemade mojitos, of course, is that you can add as much sweetener, mint, lime, or rum to taste.
So if you’re looking for a solid mojito recipe this summer, bookmark this one and have fun crafting your own. Cheers, friends!
How To Make A Mojito | 1-Minute Video
Mojito Ingredients:
Alright, so what’s in a mojito? Traditionally, a classic mojito cocktail is made with:
Rum: White rum is traditional.
Lime juice: Freshly-squeezed, please! Avoid the bottled stuff.
Fresh mint: Any variety of fresh mint will do. And be sure to use some extra as a garnish.
Club soda: We’ll add just a splash in at the very end.
Sweetener: Super-fine sugar is traditional in mojito recipes. But I prefer to use honey simple syrup, which can be whipped up in the microwave in just a minute or so. (See instructions below.) That said, feel free to use whatever kind of sweetener you prefer.
Ice: I use ice both to shake the cocktail, and for serving.
So let’s talk about how to make mojitos! For a single serving, simply:
Muddle your mint. Combine your mint, rum, lime juice, and sweetener in a cocktail shaker. Then use a cocktail muddler to gently muddle the mint a bit so that those fresh minty flavors get released. (But try to avoid muddling the mint so much that it breaks up into million pieces.)
Shake with ice. Add ice to the cocktail shaker, then cover and give it a good vigorous shake for about 15 seconds until chilled.
Strain then top with club soda. Strain the mixture into a tall glass filled with ice, being sure that an inch or so is left at the top of the glass. Top off with club soda.
And serve! Garnished with lots of extra fresh mint and lime, if desired.
That said, while making a mint mojito in a cocktail shaker is standard, I often take a shortcut and just muddle and mix everything together directly in the serving glass (skipping step 2), which is just as delicious. ;)
How To Make A Pitcher Of Mojitos:
If you happen to be making a round of mojitos for a group, feel free to try out the mojito pitcher recipe below instead! To make a pitcher of mojitos, simply…
Muddle your mint. Combine your mint, rum, lime juice, and sweetener in a large pitcher. Then use a cocktail muddler to gently muddle the mint a bit so that those fresh minty flavors get released. (But try to avoid muddling the mint so much that it breaks up into million pieces.)
Fill pitcher with ice. Leaving about 2 free inches or so at the top of the pitcher.
Top with club soda and stir. Top the pitcher with a good splash of club soda, and give the pitcher a stir.
Then serve! Ideally right away, so that the ice does not melt too much. Serve into glasses filled with ice, then top with your desired garnishes.
Mojito Variations:
If you would like to vary things up from the classic mint mojito recipe, feel free to experiment with any of these other ideas:
Fruity Mojitos: Muddle in some fresh fruit for extra sweetness (pineapple, berries, orange, mango and watermelon are always delicious)
Cucumber Mojitos: Muddle in some fresh cucumber slices for an extra bit of refreshment.
Coconut Mojitos: Add in a splash of coconut milk or coconut water.
Spicy Mojitos: Muddle in some fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper slices for a bit of a kick.
Frozen Mojitos: Blend ingredients together in a blender for a mojito slushie.
Mojito Pie: Or if you feel like having a drink and dessert, this mojito pie recipe is always a hit. ;)
My all-time favorite mojito recipe, naturally sweetened with honey (instead of simple syrup) and SO fresh and delicious. Plus, see instructions below as well for how to make a pitcher of mojitos for a crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
Single Serving:
10 fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
2 ounces(4 tablespoons) white rum
1 ounce(2 tablespoons) fresh lime juice
2–3 teaspoons honey simple syrup (see below), to taste
ice
club soda
Pitcher For A Crowd (8 Servings):
80 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
2 cups white rum
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup honey simple syrup (or more/less to taste)
ice
club soda
Instructions
For A Single Serving: Add the mint leaves, rum, lime juice and honey simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Muddle the mint (using a cocktail muddler or a wooden spoon) to release its flavors. Add 1 cup of ice. Then cover the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds, until chilled. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with club soda, as well as extra mint or lime wedges for garnish, if desired.
For A Pitcher: Add the mint leaves, rum, lime juice and honey simple syrup to a large pitcher. Muddle the mint (using a cocktail muddler or a wooden spoon) to release its flavors. Fill the pitcher most of the way full with ice. Top with club soda. Serve in tall glasses filled with ice, then garnish with extra mint or lime wedges, if desired.
How To Make Honey Simple Syrup: Combine equal parts honey and water in a saucepan. Then heat until the mixture nearly reaches a simmer, then whisk together until the honey melts into the water. You can refrigerate the mixture in a sealed container for up to 3 days. (Pro tip: feel free to also make a small batch in the microwave, it’s even faster!)
Ali, your timing with sending this recipe is amazing. We were just discussing our recent visit to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we had the experience of making part of our lunch at a restaurant (we were making Mofongo), and part of the lunch was a mojito. So I check my email, and there is your recipe. When I make the mojitos, I will use the dark rum we have, which we bought in Puerto Rico – we don’t drink enough to it worth having a wide selection of liquor, plus we don’t have any place to put a significant amount of liquor. So I’m sure that even though the drink won’t look as pretty, it will still taste wonderful.
I would disagree that “any mint will do”. Just wanted to let folks know that there are many varieties of mint. The best for this recipe would be a SPEARMINT. Pineapple spearmint is awesome if you can find it and would be delicious used in this recipe. Don’t use PEPPERMINT, tastes too much like toothpaste and candy canes!
Mojitos are by far my favorite drink! I’ve never actually considered using honey in mojitos (or even simple syrup, didn’t even realize you could make a honey simple syrup). I feel like agave would be cool to try with it as well. Ha, I’m feeling the creative juices pumping!
Nicolette
Thank you so much for the recipe. I appreciate the level of detail. So thanks! I’ll use it right away.
According to Ayurveda, the honey becomes toxic when heated. In India the honey is eaten at room temperature at all times.
It truly is the best Mojito recipe. I usually by a mix, and tried a homemade recipe once that I didn’t like. When I’m at the farm, the mixes are hard to find. Walmart only carries one that has high fructose corn syrup, so I certainly can’t buy that! It was so good, I made two of them. Thanks. BTW, I did make the honey simple syrup.
I have a bounty of aero garden mint. I reviewed mojito recipes for two weeks. I used this one (regular simple syrup) and it was at least as good as the mojitos I’ve had in the best local (salt Lake City) restaurants.
Thanks!!!
Fine recipe but I will have to disagree about white rum being traditional. I have twice been to Cuba, and I have sat in the Hotel Nacional and was given lessons on making a mojito from the hotel’s chief bartender. They use both clear and a splash of dark rum in their recipe.
I wanted to make a cocktail for myself that wasn’t complicated. I’ve never had a mojito and I wanted something different and this was it. It was easy to make though I didn’t have the muddler nor the shaker. I muddled the first few ingredients with a wooden spoon, made a simple syrup with sugar and water. I didn’t have a shaker so added ice to a cup and stirred the mixture and poured over ice with the club soda. This recipe is a keeper because it’s tasty and easy. Thanks for sharing.
Ali, your timing with sending this recipe is amazing. We were just discussing our recent visit to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we had the experience of making part of our lunch at a restaurant (we were making Mofongo), and part of the lunch was a mojito. So I check my email, and there is your recipe. When I make the mojitos, I will use the dark rum we have, which we bought in Puerto Rico – we don’t drink enough to it worth having a wide selection of liquor, plus we don’t have any place to put a significant amount of liquor. So I’m sure that even though the drink won’t look as pretty, it will still taste wonderful.
it must be tried… thanks for recipe
I would disagree that “any mint will do”. Just wanted to let folks know that there are many varieties of mint. The best for this recipe would be a SPEARMINT. Pineapple spearmint is awesome if you can find it and would be delicious used in this recipe. Don’t use PEPPERMINT, tastes too much like toothpaste and candy canes!
I love how approachable these are to make yourself at home!
Mojitos are by far my favorite drink! I’ve never actually considered using honey in mojitos (or even simple syrup, didn’t even realize you could make a honey simple syrup). I feel like agave would be cool to try with it as well. Ha, I’m feeling the creative juices pumping!
Nicolette
Thank you so much for the recipe. I appreciate the level of detail. So thanks! I’ll use it right away.
According to Ayurveda, the honey becomes toxic when heated. In India the honey is eaten at room temperature at all times.
Thank you for sharing this recipe for mojitos.
It truly is the best Mojito recipe. I usually by a mix, and tried a homemade recipe once that I didn’t like. When I’m at the farm, the mixes are hard to find. Walmart only carries one that has high fructose corn syrup, so I certainly can’t buy that! It was so good, I made two of them. Thanks. BTW, I did make the honey simple syrup.
I have a bounty of aero garden mint. I reviewed mojito recipes for two weeks. I used this one (regular simple syrup) and it was at least as good as the mojitos I’ve had in the best local (salt Lake City) restaurants.
Thanks!!!
Absolutely love this recipe, perfect for those hot Florida days
Great recipe. I used a little more simple syrup and I doubled the rum for my own taste. Delicious.
Fine recipe but I will have to disagree about white rum being traditional. I have twice been to Cuba, and I have sat in the Hotel Nacional and was given lessons on making a mojito from the hotel’s chief bartender. They use both clear and a splash of dark rum in their recipe.
Never one to leave comments, but this was perfect (with the honey).
Yum! This was a great recipe. We used regular homemade simple syrup But otherwise no mods. Thank you!
LOVED this. Made a pitcher when a neighbor gave me a bouquet of mint. Made the honey simp,e syrup as well. Just perfect.
Love this, love you!
Excellent, easy recipe!
Thanks for the easy to follow recipe! Super recipe and a great use for my home grown mint. I used light agave syrup instead of the honey simple syrup.
I wanted to make a cocktail for myself that wasn’t complicated. I’ve never had a mojito and I wanted something different and this was it. It was easy to make though I didn’t have the muddler nor the shaker. I muddled the first few ingredients with a wooden spoon, made a simple syrup with sugar and water. I didn’t have a shaker so added ice to a cup and stirred the mixture and poured over ice with the club soda. This recipe is a keeper because it’s tasty and easy. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds really delicious
Nice