75+ Healthy Cold Drink Recipes (No Refined Sugar or Junky Ingredients)

These homemade cold drink recipes are the perfect addition to your summer routine. Bonus: they’re all made with healthy ingredients and no refined sugar!

iced coffee with swirling cream in a glass, on a table with blurred background

There’s just something about a homemade cold drink that feels both industrious and indulgent, right? Squeezing my own lemons obviously gives down-to-earth, casual home chef kind of vibes, and the flavors of real, fresh ingredients give a hallelujah and amen in the tastebud department. *praise hands*.

Yup – when it’s a hot summer day and I’m sweating before 10am, a pitcher of something ice-cold and delicious in the fridge is the highlight of my day.

As I type this my husband is downstairs grinding coffee to make a batch of iced coffee for later and I think I just fell in love with him all over again.

Whether it’s Homemade Honey-Sweetened Lemonade, some Hibiscus-Green Iced Tea, an Iced Chai Latte, or a tall glass of Cherry Vanilla Italian Soda – my best summer days are defined by what’s in my mason jar cup that day.

Since I’m a huge fan of “fancy”* cold drinks AND nourishing my body with healthy ingredients, I curated the ultimate healthy cold drink recipe list!

*In my world, fancy = anything other than plain water. ?

This list has plenty of cold drink recipes to choose from. The one thing they all share in common is that they’re healthy*! No refined sugar or processed, junky ingredients to be found – thank goodness. In our sugar-obsessed, artificial-everything world, this in and of itself is a feat.

(Check out my Honey-Sweetened Lemonade post for a more detailed explanation for why I avoid refined sugar.)

*Of course – most of these drinks aren’t the most nutrient-dense thing you can find. They aren’t the cornerstone of your healthy diet, but they are an excellent choice when you want a treat without compromising your real food standards.

Browse the list by category, and let me know which one you plan to try first! (But first, check out a few of my favorite kitchen tools that come in handy when making homemade cold drink recipes!)

Frequently Used Tools

While you definitely don’t need everything on this list to make most cold drink recipes, here are my recommendations for some tools that can make your cold drink recipe-making easier and more enjoyable!

I use this style of manual citrus juicer, and have no complaints! I love being able to twist the fruit around to get out every last drop.

This style of manual citrus juicer also comes highly recommended.

The Vitamix blender can handle anything you throw at it, and lasts for years! It’s a must-have for any serious home cook.

If you don’t want to invest in a Vitamix, a high-quality immersion hand blender like this one can be quite useful and versatile. (I actually have both, and use them each at different times.)

This borosilicate glass pitcher is extra-durable and even handle boiling water, and I love the stainless steel filter at the top to keep fruit or ice cubes in when you pour.

This glass drink dispenser with stainless steel lid and spigot would be perfect for entertaining, or for encouraging your daily hydration quota with refreshing infused waters.

Flexible silicone ice cube trays. For regular ice, and for iced coffee cubes – perfect to chill your iced coffee (or other drinks!) without watering it down.

This small-sized fine mesh strainer is a lifesaver when trying to strain out loose tea leaves, fruit pieces, and more from your drink.

This airtight cold brew iced coffee maker and tea infuser with spout looks amazing! Sometimes, it’s totally worth splurging on high-quality items for our favorite rituals.

A serving tray is super helpful for carrying those delish homemade drinks to the patio with style! I adore this gorgeous bamboo serving tray.

Coffee-Based Cold Drink Recipes

Coffee-lovers everywhere, rejoice! This is a lovely collection of more ways to drink coffee in the summer heat. Or, as my toddler calls it: foffee. (Yeesh, the cuteness.) Kicking off the list is R&H’s own floral-infused coffee, which is a unique and fun idea when you want to try something new!

Floral-Infused Iced Coffee Recipe (Two Variations) | Red & Honey (right here!)

Golden Milk Iced Latte | Robust Kitchen

Coconut Water Iced Coffee | Gimme Some Oven

milk pouring into a glass of iced coffee with a container of ice behind it

Skinny Iced Caramel Macchiato Recipe | Wicked Spatula

Homemade Dairy-Free Blended Ice Coffee Recipe | The Humbled Homemaker

Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate | Jen Around the World

Homemade Caramel Vanilla Iced Coffee | Food Faith Fitness

Healthy Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino | The Lemon Bowl

Healthy Coffee Frappe with Banana | Make the Best of Everything

Tea-Based Cold Drink Recipes

Not everyone is a coffee lover. (I’m a fan of both tea and coffee, but actually only acquired a taste for coffee in my late twenties.) Tea is a wonderful addition to your drinks repertoire – there are seriously a ton of types out there, and surely something for everyone. From chai to rooibos, and orange pekoe to herbal – the possible flavours are diverse and lovely.

Iced Chai Latte (just 3 ingredients!) | Red & Honey (right here!)

Berry Iced Tea with Ginger and Mint | Veggie Desserts

Healthy Sweet Tea Recipe (Honey Iced Tea) | Sustainable Cooks

glass of iced tea with vibrant red berry color, and blueberries in and around for decoration, on a wooden surface

Iced Matcha Green Tea | Oh, How Civilized

Iced Matcha Latte | Tasteaholics

Herbal Tea Italian Sodas | Homespun Seasonal Living

Hibiscus-Green Iced Tea | Red & Honey (right here!)

Iced Mango Green Tea | Natural Fertility and Wellness

Paleo Thai Tea | The Coconut Mama

Instant Pot Iced Tea {Pineapple Flavor} | My Dainty Soul Curry

Blackberry Mint Iced Tea | Sweet Pea Chef

Jasmine Green Iced Tea | Jessica Gavin

two glasses of green iced tea with sprigs of mint to garnish cups

Lemonade-Based Cold Drink Recipes

Technically, lemonade is a fruit-based drink (see fruit-based category below), but I found so many amazing-sounding lemonade-based recipes that I decided it deserved its own category! Lemonade is one of my all-time fave cold drinks, so I’m kicking this category off with my own easy classic honey-sweetened lemonade recipe that I’ve been using and loving for years!

Homemade Lemonade Sweetened with Honey (Paleo, Keto-Friendly) | Red & Honey (right here!)

DIY Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade | Red & Honey on Keeper of the Home

Green Tea Lemonade Recipe, Keto and Traditional | Mom Foodie

Watermelon Mint Lemonade | Everyday Delicious

Pineapple Lemonade | Lathi’s Kitchen

Rhubarb Lemonade with Orange and Cardamom | Everyday Delicious

Blueberry Lemonade | Celebrating Sweets

Mango Lemonade | Lathi’s Kitchen

Strawberry Basil Lemonade | Yummy Healthy Easy

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade | A Clean Bake

Strawberry Lemonade Kombucha | Don’t Waste the Crumbs

Homemade Peach Lemonade | Natural Fertility and Wellness

Honey-Sweetened Frozen Lemonade | Healthy, Delicious

Frosted Strawberry Lemonade | All Day I Dream About Food

Fruit-Based Cold Drink Recipes

When you want something a little different from your standard iced coffee/tea and cold lemonade rotation (I find myself in that rut often and I don’t hate it, but hey – branching out is good too!), here are some fun fruit-based cold drinks you can try!

Egyptian Mint Limeade Recipe | Venture1105

Cherry Vanilla Italian Soda Recipe | Red & Honey (right here!)

Strawberry Kiwi Juice | Masala Herb

small glass of homemade lemonade with lemon garnish and lemons on a plate

Watermelon Lime Refresher | Wicked Spatula

Rose Hip and Hibiscus Kombucha | Don’t Waste the Crumbs

Hydrating Homemade Pink Drink (Starbucks Copycat) | A Clean Bake

Passion Fruit Juice | Attainable Sustainable

Cocktail & Mocktail Drink Recipes

Strawberry Kombucha Mojito Mocktail | Krolls Korner

Watermelon Cooler | Everyday Maven *(Alcoholic with a mocktail option)

Virgin Sangria Mocktail Recipe | The Spruce Eats

Sparkling Raspberry Limade Mocktail | Low Carb Yum

Peach Moscow Mule (Moscow Mule Mocktail) | Sustainable Cooks

glass of blood orange mocktail on a marble surface with sliced oranges

Sparkling Blood Orange Mocktail | Marisa Moore

Low-Carb Margaritas | All Day I Dream About Food

White Wine Sangria, Mojito, and Pina Colada | Health Nut Nutrition

Green Margarita | Food Network

Kale Mary | Food Network

Flavored Water Cold Drink Recipes

Sometimes keeping it simple with a tall glass of water is what you want, but a little extra zip in your glass makes it just right. These water flavoring ideas make getting your daily water quota a sheer delight. Make a big batch each day for your drink dispenser (linked above) and enjoy the benefits of staying easily hydrated.

DIY Hydrating Electrolyte Drink | Red & Honey (right here!)

Homemade Flavored Waters | The Humbled Homemaker

Lemon Cucumber Mint Water | Masala Herb

two glasses of cucumber mint water on a bamboo placemat on a wooden surface

Infused Water with Fresh Fruit | Cook, Clean, then, Repeat

Secret Ingredient Lemon Water Recipe! | Cook, Clean, then, Repeat

Berry Agua Fresca Recipe | Celebrating Sweets

Infused Water (Agua Fresca) | Never Enough Thyme

Switchel | Natural Green Mom

Lavender Blueberry Switchel {probiotics! Paleo, GAPS, AIP} | Eat Beautiful

Strawberry Basil Switchel | Eat Beautiful

Mint Lime Drink | That Girl Cooks Healthy

Pineapple Infused Water | That Girl Cooks Healthy

Agua Fresca | Little Sunny Kitchen

Smoothies and Slushies

Need something a little more hearty? Try a smoothie! If you want to really amp it up, throw some collagen in there for natural protein, and some MCT oil, and you have yourself a satiating and nourishing snack or occasional meal replacement. (Psst! Find the best collagen and MCT oil here, and use REDHONEY10 for an extra 10% off.)

Happy Adrenal Power Smoothie | Red & Honey (right here!)

Watermelon Agave Mint Refresher | Spoonful of Flavor

Blueberry Cheesecake Protein Smoothie | Red & Honey (right here!)

Strawberry Melon Mint Kombucha Smoothie | Recipe Runner

Cranberry-Orange Detox Smoothie | Red & Honey (right here!)

Strawberry-Beet Kvass {Paleo, AIP, GAPS, probiotics!} | Eat Beautiful