Gelatin Free Cranberry Orange Agua Fresca
Bright, tangy, and refreshingly fruity, this cranberry orange agua fresca is the kind of drink that looks stunning on a table and tastes even better than it looks. Fresh cranberries and real orange juice get blended together with a splash of lime and a touch of maple syrup, creating a flavor that's bold and citrusy without being overly sweet. Many store-bought fruit drinks and punches sneak in gelatin-based clarifying agents or thickeners, so making your own from scratch is the cleanest way to know exactly what's in your glass. The straining step is key — it pulls out all the pulp and leaves you with a silky, jewel-toned liquid that's naturally smooth without any additives. Maple syrup does the sweetening here, which means you can dial it up or down to suit your taste. Serve it over ice with a few orange slices floating on top and it's honestly impressive enough for a party, but easy enough to make on a random Tuesday afternoon.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup fresh orange juice (from about 2 medium oranges)
- 3 cups cold water, divided
- 4 tbsp maple syrup, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ tsp fine salt
For serving
- ice cubes, for serving
- orange slices or fresh cranberries, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, lime juice, salt, and 1 cup of the cold water in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 45 seconds.
- 2
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large pitcher. Pour the blended mixture through the strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon until only dry pulp remains. Discard the solids.
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