Passion Fruit Mojito

This passion fruit mojito recipe is an even more tropical twist on the classic mojito. It uses fresh, homemade passion fruit syrup and flavorful passion fruit juice to make a vacation-worthy cocktail!

Getting creative with flavor combinations comes with the territory of crafting beverages at home, especially when you’ve been at it for over 10 years! I love the tropical flavors that tend to come along with rum-based drinks.

This recipe was inspired by my love of mojitos (check out my kiwi mojito recipe here) and the fact that I have a few very bountiful passion vines in my backyard. After whipping up a batch of this passion fruit syrup for drinks, I knew a refreshing passion fruit mojito was in my immediate future. 😛

💕 why you’ll love this passion fruit mojito recipe…

🌴 tropical. The mojito is basically the perfect summer drink made even more tropical with this variation. The best part is that passion fruit is easier to find nowadays at your local grocery store!

🥳 party perfect. Mojitos are also great batch cocktails. You can make a bunch in advance, serve them in a whole pitcher, and you’re ready to party.

🤩 impressive & inventive. Many folks have had mojitos at parties, but this is a truly impressive conversation starter of a cocktail! If you’re looking to wow your party guests, this tropical mojito is a great way to do so.

🛒 ingredients

For the cocktail:

• passion fruit simple syrup – take the time to make this homemade fruit-infused syrup, trust me. The flavor is so much more vibrant and tropical than anything store-bought!
  
• passion fruit juice – as with the syrup, the flavor of your mojitos will be much more impactful if you use fresh juice. Inside each fruit are small juice-filled sacs that also house black seeds. Once you crush the fresh passion fruit pulp, the pureé is released and you can cut it with water to make juice! Of course, you may also use store-bought juice or passion fruit puree instead of making your own juice.
  
• white rum – white rum (also called silver rum or clear rum) allows the flavors of the fruit and mint to be the center of attention in this cocktail.
  
• soda water – mojitos are traditionally topped with soda water or sparkling water to give them a bit of bubbly effervescence. I like to use plain unflavored sparkling water, but you can use a flavored water if you prefer.
  
• demerara sugar cubes – demerara sugar is similar in taste to brown sugar or turbinado sugar. Using a combination of passion fruit simple syrup and demerara sugar gives this drink a deeper flavor than only simple syrup on its own can.
  
• mint leaves – fresh mint leaves are a non-negotiable part of any classic mojito recipe!
  
• limes – you’ll need plenty of fresh limes to both flavor and garnish the cocktail.
  
• ice – you’ll need plenty of ice for your mojitos, so be sure to have lots on hand if you plan to make more than one drink. Crushed ice works well, but you can also use ice cubes if you prefer.
  

For the garnish:

• dehydrated lime wheels – you can make your own or purchase some ready-made for garnishing.

• whole passion fruits – these will be used for the garnish of the cocktails. You’ll need one fruit for every two passion fruit mojitos you make, as one-half of a fruit will be the garnish. Passion fruit is available nearly year-round, depending on where you live, but you can also order them online. If you don’t want to spend a ton on the sometimes pricey fruit, just grab a handful to use for the garnish.

See the recipe card for quantities.

🍳 instructions

The formula for a mojito involves muddling together basic ingredients like lime, sugar, and mint and then mixing in the remaining ingredients.

Step 1: Combine the lime wedges, sugar, and mint in a cocktail mixing glass and muddle the ingredients together.

Step 2: Add the passion fruit syrup to the lime, sugar, and mint mix, and give the mixture another muddle.

Step 3: Next, add in the rum to the the cocktail mixing glass, and give the drink a good stir.

Step 4: Fill each cocktail glass with ice and pour in enough of the mojito base to come up 2/3rds of the way. Top with sparkling water, then garnish and serve immediately.

Hint: Fill the glasses up 2/3 full, leaving room for topping with soda water. Many people use a lemon-lime soda pop, like Sprite or 7-Up when making mojitos, but the extra sugars throw off the balace achieved with the recipe. 😅

💡 tips and tricks for getting it right

🍽️ serving tips

How and when to serve your passionfruit mojitos:

• This is the perfect refreshing drink on hot summer days or as a signature cocktail for a special occasion!
• This cocktail could be an elevated welcome drink for guests at a happy hour or other theme party!
• This flavorful fun cocktail is also perfect to make as a large batch cocktail in a pitcher.

Choose your glass

• Traditionally, mojitos are served in a highball glass or other tall glass with at least a 12-ounce capacity.
• You can serve your mojitos in any glass that has a 12 to 16-ounce capacity. Keep in mind that a larger glass will mean you’ll need to add more soda water.

Garnish

Garnishes serve as a beautiful touch, sure, but they’re also my favorite way to give your guests a little “flavor clue.” For a truly showstopping presentation, try using a combination of the following garnish ideas!

• limes – you can use fresh lime wheels or dehydrated lime wheels to garnish this tropical libation, in addition to any of the ingredients below.
• mint – the easiest way to garnish a mojito is with a fresh mint sprig! All you need is a stem of mint that has several leaves on it, and you’re good to go!
• fresh passionfruit – If you have access to fresh passionfruit, you can serve this drink with half of a sliced ripe passion fruit as a garnish.

ℹ️ troubleshooting tips

This tropical cocktail is pretty simple and straightforward to make, but things can go wrong. Using fresh fruit like citrus can be tricky because it’s hard to tell what a lime tastes like before you buy it. Try these troubleshooting tips if your mojitos don’t taste quite right.

• too strong – if your passionfruit mojito is too strong, you can add in more soda water to dilute it a bit more.
• too bitter or acidic – if your passion fruits or limes are very acidic, you may want to add in a few drops of a homemade saline solution.

⚖️ scaling tips

You can easily scale the recipe to make a pitcher for a larger gathering. Simply multiply the ingredients by as many servings as you need to ensure a consistent ratio of flavors. Avoid preparing it more than 48 hours in advance though, because the lime juice can become bitter the longer it sits in the fridge.

♻️ substitutions & variations

♻️ substitutions

Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!

• white sugar cubes – if you can’t get your hands on demerara sugar cubes, you may use white sugar cubes instead. The sweetness factor is the same, but the flavor of the demerara sugar is a bit deeper and more caramelized.
• dark rum – you can use a dark rum to make a mojito if you don’t have light rum. The flavor will be deeper and more pronounced, and the color may not be as vivid either.
• passion fruit syrup only – if you don’t want to use sugar cubes and passion fruit simple syrup, you can use the simple syrup only, and skip muddling the sugar too.
• club soda – you can substitute club soda for sparkling water, just be sure to check the ingredient label. Some brands of club soda add minerals and even salt to their soda.

🎛️ variations

Try these variations, or comment below with your own!

• infused rum – infuse your own rum with passion fruit for an even deeper passion fruit flavor in these mojitos! You can also experiment with other infused rums, like pineapple or mango.
• mocktails – Omit the rum altogether to make what I call “faux-jitos” 🤣 top your beverage with extra soda water instead of adding rum!

🧰 equipment needed & storage tips

While a cocktail mixing glass or shaker will improve your final product, it’s not necessary for making this passion fruit mojito. You can also opt to make these in a larger batch using a pitcher!

• Cocktail Mixing glass or Cocktail shaker – I love using my cocktail mixing glass from Crate & Barrel. As for cocktail shakers, I love my Elevated Craft shaker. It’s insulated, so your hands won’t get frozen to the shaker’s body while mixing up your cocktail.
  
• Muddler – if you enjoy having cocktails at home, I’d definitely say it’s worth investing in and storing a muddler. The stainless steel muddler by OXO is sure to stand by your side during years of cocktail making. If you’re not ready to take the leap just yet, you can use the back end of a wooden spoon with a little creativity and force. 😜
  
• Cocktail glasses – Mojitos are traditionally served in highball glasses, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

🫙 storage

You can prepare this cocktail in advance and top with soda water just before serving. I’d avoid storing it for longer than 24 hours, though. The rind from the whole limes will turn the drink bitter with time.