Lactose Free Cranberry Orange Agua Fresca
Tart cranberries, bright citrus, and a touch of maple syrup come together in this refreshing agua fresca that feels festive enough for a holiday table but easy enough for a Tuesday afternoon. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of dairy, so there's no swapping, substituting, or label-reading required — just real fruit and a blender. The straining step is what makes it feel truly polished, giving you a silky, jewel-toned drink instead of a chunky smoothie. A squeeze of fresh lime lifts the whole thing and keeps the sweetness from tipping into cloying territory. Maple syrup does double duty as a natural sweetener that blends seamlessly into cold liquid, which simple syrup would normally require cooking to achieve. Serve it over a tall glass of ice with an orange slice on the rim and it looks like something you'd order at a nice brunch spot — for a fraction of the effort.
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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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