If margaritas are on your menu for this weekend’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations – or just for any occasion, you’ll want to check out these margarita makeovers that have just a fraction of the carbs and calories of traditional margaritas!  We’re getting the Skinny with Molly on 3 delicious recipes, all for 150 calories or less!

(Recipes developed by Alyssa Wronkowski, Dietetic Intern, Tulane University)

Watermelon Basil Margarita

Per drink: 150 calories, 14 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams sugar

2 cups watermelon, seedless

2 teaspoons Swerve Sweetener

1 ounce lime juice

1.5 ounces tequila

3 leaves basil, and sprigs for garnish

Place watermelon, sweetener and lime juice in a blender and puree. Strain mixture into a separate container.

In a cocktail shaker muddle basil with tequila. Fill shaker with ice and add watermelon mixture. Shake and pour over ice. Garnish with basil sprig.

Serving suggestion:  Freeze extra watermelon to use as decorative ice cubes.

Ginger Margarita

Per drink: 110 calories, 2 grams carbohydrates, 0 sugar

1 lime wedge

Sea salt

2 ounces ginger Swerve simple syrup

1 ounce lime juice

1.5    ounces tequila

Using a wedge of fresh lime, rim the edge of margarita glass and dip into salt. Fill the glass with ice. In a shaker filled with ice, mix ginger simple syrup, lime juice and tequila. Strain into glass.

Ginger Swerve Simple Syrup:

1 large hand of ginger, cut into coins

¾ cups Swerve Sweetener

1½ cups water

Heat Swerve and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat, add cut ginger to the warm liquid, and steep for approximately 30 minutes. Steep longer for stronger ginger flavor. Place liquid and ginger in a blender and puree, strain and set aside.

Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita

Per drink: 110 calories, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram sugar

1 lime wedge

Salt

1.5 ounces tequila

1 ounce Trop 50 Orange Juice

1.5 ounces Swerve Simple Syrup (recipe below)

4 cucumber slices

1 jalapeno, halved

Using a wedge of fresh lime, rim the edge of margarita glass and dip into salt. Fill the glass with ice.

In a shaker filled with ice, mix tequila, orange juice, simple syrup, cucumber slices and jalapeno in a container. Place in the refrigerator and let steep for at least one hour. You can steep it longer for stronger flavor.

Swerve Simple Syrup:

½ cup Swerve Sweetener

½ cup water

Heat Swerve and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until dissolved.