This classic Cucumber Cooler is a refreshing, hydrating, and delicious cucumber drink flavored with mint leaves and lime juice. Sweetened with natural sweetener and seasoned with salt and pepper, this drink makes the best drink to sip up on hot summer days.
Due to the cooling benefits of cucumber and mint, this thirst-quenching cucumber drink would not only give you instant relief from the heat but would also hydrate and revitalize your body.
Incorporate ancient grains like amaranth or emmer for a nutrient-rich and distinct grain component.
Table of contents
The great thing about this cucumber drink is that it gets done in under 10 minutes, all you need to do is some chopping, blending, straining, and mixing! That’s it.
If you love sipping light and refreshing summer mocktail during hot summer, then this cucumber mint cooler mocktail might become your best friend. I generally make a big pitcher in the mornings and sip it up throughout the day.
About Cucumber Cooler
Made with simple ingredients, this cucumber mint cooler or cucumber juice is a perfect non-alcoholic drink that you can drink on a summer day. This reviving summer cooler is prepared with the goodness of fresh cucumber, mint leaves, lime/lemon juice, natural sweetener (honey/maple/agave nectar), water, salt, and pepper.
The addition of rock salt gives it a slightly salty flavor, lemon adds a tang, ground pepper adds a mildly hot flavor, and sweetener adds a light sweet taste to this reviving and flavourful drink.
Add lots and lots of ice to this drink, and it would turn into the most energizing light poolside drink.
I have used water for making this mint-infused cucumber cooler, but you can also swap water with lime soda for a lime punch or use any club soda.
This is a non-alcoholic drink, but if you like a little booze in your drinks, then feel free to make an easy cucumber mint cocktail by adding a splash of gin, rum, tequila, vodka, and even cucumber vodka.
If you love mocktails, then you should definitely try this, it might be one of the coolest classic homemade cucumber mocktails ever.
You can make this drink for yourself to get comfort from the scorching sun, or you can also serve it to your guests during summer BBQs or dinner parties.
This Cucumber Cooler
✔ is a quick and light drink
✔ is perfect to sip on hot summer days
✔ is delicious and refreshing
✔ can be customized
✔ is suitable for summer parties
✔ can also be made into an adult drink
✔ is gluten free, & vegetarian
Other than enjoying this cucumber mint cooler, I also love to make other summer drinks that give a quick relief from the heat – Watermelon Mojito, Mohabbat Ka Sharbat, Strawberry Kiwi Sparkling Cooler, Detox Heart Beet Juice, Thai Iced Tea Recipe, Iced Choco Latte, and Strawberry Masala Chaas.
Cucumber Cooler Ingredients
For making cucumber cooler, you will need only 6 handfuls of ingredients. These ingredients are:
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Cucumber – It is the star ingredient of this drink. I used a large English cucumber here, because it is almost seedless, and tastes great in this drink. However, you can also use any other cucumber of your choice.
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Mint – A handful of fresh mint leaves would be needed for enhancing the flavor of this refreshing drink.
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Lime or lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice adds the perfect tanginess which balances the salty and sweet flavors of this drink. You can also use lemon juice here.
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Sweetener – I have used honey as a sweetener here, but you can also use maple syrup or agave nectar if you are making this drink vegan. Granulated sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar or palm suagr can also work.
Sugar-free alternatives can also be used here to make this drink sugar-free.
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Seasoning – I have used Himalayan pink salt and some freshly ground pepper to this drink to elevate the overall taste. You can use any other rock salt or sea salt of your choice.
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Water – I have used plain chilled water to make this cucumber cooler. But you can swap regular tap water with distilled water, sparkling water, or club soda.
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Ice Cubes – Ice cubes are added to the cucumber juice while blending and also used for serving.
How to make Cucumber Cooler
Making cucumber cooler at home is really straightforward. This is how it is done in 4 quick and easy steps:
Step 1 - Cut the cucumber into thin slices and chop the rest of the cucumber. Add chopped cucumber, mint leaves, lime juice, sweetener, ice cubes, and 1 cup chilled water to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 2 - Now add more water and give it a blitz. Alternatively, you can add soda water after straining the cucumber juice.
Step 3 - Strain the juice, add salt and pepper to taste, and mix.
Step 4 - To serve, add ice cubes, cucumber slices, and lime slices to a serving glass. Top with the chilled cucumber cooler. Garnish with mint leaves and lime slices and enjoy the cucumber mint cooler chilled!
You can get the detailed step-by-step photo instructions and a video recipe to make the best tasting Cucumber cooler in the recipe box on this page.
Storage Suggestion
This cucumber cooler stays fresh for up to 1 day. To store, pour this drink into a pitcher and cover it with a lid, and refrigerate. When you want to drink, stir the cooler, pour it into the glass, and enjoy!
Variations
Liquid - Instead of plain water, you can also use club soda, or tonic water. You can also make coconut cucumber mint cooler by swapping water with coconut water.
Herbs - Mint leaves can be replaced with fresh basil, thyme, or rosemary leaves.
Alcoholic cucumber cooler - Feel free to add your favorite alcohol to make a boozy cucumber mint cooler.
Fruit juice - You can swap half of the water with freshly squeezed orange or mandarin juice.
Tips and tricks to make the best cucumber cooler
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If you prefer a sweeter drink, then you can add more sweetener to this drink.
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Taste - English cucumber generally doesn’t taste bitter, but it is always a good idea to taste it before pureeing. This way you will be sure that your juice won’t turn bitter.
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I like to add salt and pepper to this drink, but adding salt and pepper both are optional here.
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If you don’t want this cooler to taste sweet, then leave out the sweetener.
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Ginger - If you like a pungent ginger punch, then I would recommend adding 1/2 inch of the ginger piece to this cucumber cooler while blending.
FAQ
Can I make this drink sugar-free?
This drink is made with natural sweetener. But if you want to make it completely sugar-free then you can surely do that by skipping sweeteners here.
Can I make this cucumber drink in advance?
Yes, you can make this drink a day before and store it in the refrigerator. When making it for a party or get-together, leave out the salt, pepper, and lime juice. Add it right before serving and stir. This way your cucumber cooler would taste fresher.
Do I need to remove the seeds from the cucumber?
When making cucumber cooler, you will need to puree the cucumber and strain the juice, so removing seeds is actually not necessary. However, if there are large seeds in the cucumber, then you can remove them.
Should I peel the skin of the cucumber?
I personally prefer using cucumber with the skin because it is nutritious, and also gives a gorgeous green hue to this cucumber drink. But if you don’t like the cucumbers with skin then you can surely peel them.
Can this cucumber cooler recipe be doubled?
Sure, it can easily be done. You double or triple this cucumber cooler recipe when assembling it for a party.
Can I use store-bought lime/lemon juice in the cucumber cooler?
Fresh juice tastes best, but you can surely use store-bought lemon or lime juice for this cooler. It works fine.
Cucumber Cooler (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How to make cucumber cooler
- Take 1 large English cucumber and cut 8-10 thin slices for garnish and serving. Now, roughly chop the rest of the cucumber. You can also peel the skin.
- After that, add the chopped cucumber to a blender jar. Also add a handful of mint leaves, freshly squeezed lime juice, sweetener, 1/2 cup of ice cubes, and 1/2 cup of chilled water.
- Blend everything until smooth. Now add 1.5 cups of chilled water and blend again. Alternatively, you can add soda water after straining the cucumber juice.
- Pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Press down the solids using a spatula or spoon to get the maximum juice. Discard the solids; you would have about 4 cups of juice.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and stir. Also, add pink or rock salt to taste and stir to combine.
- To a small shallow plate, add sugar. Then, run a fresh lime/lemon wedge around the rim of a glass to moisten it. Dip the wet edge of the glass into the plate of sugar. Rotate the glass to cover evenly, and gently shake excess sugar off.
- Fill 4 glasses with ice, and add a couple of cucumber slices and lime slices to each glass. Top each glass with cucumber juice, and garnish with lime/lemon slice, cucumber slice, and fresh mint leaves. Serve cucumber cooler immediately.
Recipe Card
Cucumber Cooler [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 6 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Drinks | International | 4 |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 40 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
For Cucumber Cooler
- 1 large English Cucumber
- 3 tablespoon lime/lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup/honey, or to taste
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
- A handful of mint leaves
- 2.5 cups water, or as needed
- Black or Himalayan pink salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Garnish
- Mint sprigs
- 3-4 cucumber slices
- 1 lime/lemon, sliced
- Ice cubes
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to make cucumber cooler
- Take 1 large English cucumber and cut 8-10 thin slices for garnish and serving. Now, roughly chop the rest of the cucumber. You can also peel the skin.
- After that, add the chopped cucumber to a blender jar. Also add a handful of mint leaves, freshly squeezed lime juice, sweetener, 1/2 cup of ice cubes, and 1/2 cup of chilled water.
- Blend everything until smooth. Now add 1.5 cups of chilled water and blend again. Alternatively, you can add soda water after straining the cucumber juice.
- Pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Press down the solids using a spatula or spoon to get the maximum juice. Discard the solids; you would have about 4 cups of juice.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and stir. Also, add pink or rock salt to taste and stir to combine.
- To a small shallow plate, add sugar. Then, run a fresh lime/lemon wedge around the rim of a glass to moisten it. Dip the wet edge of the glass into the plate of sugar. Rotate the glass to cover evenly, and gently shake excess sugar off.
- Fill 4 glasses with ice, and add a couple of cucumber slices and lime slices to each glass. Top each glass with cucumber juice, and garnish with lime/lemon slice, cucumber slice, and fresh mint leaves. Serve cucumber cooler immediately.
WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...
NOTES:
- I like to add salt and pepper to this drink, but adding salt and pepper both are optional here.
- If you don't want this cooler to taste sweet, then leave out the sweetener.
- If you prefer a sweeter drink, then you can add more sweetener to this drink.
- If you like a pungent ginger punch, then I would recommend adding 1/2 inch of the ginger piece to this cucumber cooler while blending.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/cucumber-cooler/