If you know us well, you know that we’re big fans of a good margarita. Typically, I’ll go for the standard lime margarita, like this Best Margarita. Recently, however, on a day trip to the quaint Texas town of Wimberly, my husband ordered a Prickly Pear Margarita. After trying it, I had to invent my own version. It’s a beautiful, vibrant color and has a hint of sweetness to it, and combined with lime, tequila, Cointreau, simple syrup, and a touch of lemon… It’s delicious. This Prickly Pear Margarita is definitely worth adding to the rotation of cocktails!
The Prickly Pear Ingredients
By way of good cocktail research (making and drinking of course!), I learned that prickly pear puree is the best way to make these drinks, but buying prickly pear puree seems to be a pricey way to do it. I found the jar of puree that the restaurant was using costs around $140! Living in Texas, I figured prickly pear can’t be too hard to buy. Come to find out, my local store carries a small quantity of them for 98¢ each.
At my local liquor store, the best I could find was a prickly pear syrup, or “desert fruit” syrup. You can use this syrup instead of making the puree; however, it has added sweetener as well as artificial dyes to make the color even brighter. I have tried this one too, but hands down, using a fresh prickly pear is the best way to make this drink. It’s much simpler than you might think!
***If you decide to buy the desert fruit or prickly pear syrup from the liquor store, then skip adding the simple syrup to the drink. Amounts will vary with the product you buy, so you will have to experiment with amounts.
This recipe will make 2 cocktails. Depending on the size of the prickly pear, you may have puree to make more drinks beyond the 2. If you are making for a group, consider buying several of them and making the puree ahead of time.
The short list of ingredients is: silver tequila, simple syrup, prickly pear puree (from the fruit), lemon, limes, and Cointreau. Garnish recommendations include a citrus fruit wheel, fresh or dehydrated.
How to Make this Delicious Margarita
Start by rinsing 2 limes, 1 lemon, and the prickly pear. Then, cut the limes and lemon in half, and set aside.
For the prickly pear, cut off each end as shown in the picture below.
Using a sharp knife, cut one thin slice through the top layer of the skin of the fruit from one end to the other.
Now, you should be able to peel the skin off the outside of the fruit.
Toss out the skin and the two ends.
Place the prickly pear fruit into a blender and blend. The juice will look smooth, but will have dark seeds inside. Strain these seeds out of the purée, using a mesh strainer.
Notes about the Prickly Pear Fruit: The prickly pear seeds are pretty tough little suckers, and it’s best if these are strained out. I have read that the seeds can be difficult to digest and can cause stomach issues if ingested. The fruit itself is said to have health benefits such as….high in fiber, vitamins (A, C, E), minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium, and antioxidants. And since we know you are drinking margaritas to get your vitamins, why not pack it with some good stuff, haha!
Next, rim 2 glasses with tahine or salt by first sliding a lime around the outside of the glass and dipping the edge of the glass in the salt or tahine.
Use a citrus press to squeeze the lemon and lime halves, adding the juices to a cocktail shaker. Add all remaining ingredients next, fill with ice, and shake until the shaker is ice-cold. Pour over ice between two glasses, and garnish with a citrus wheel or wedge, fresh or dehydrated.
Prickly Pear Margarita Tips and Serving Suggestions
- Having a party? Try using one of these salt rimmers from Amazon to make the rim choices easily available.
- We love using these Dehydrated Blood Orange Wheels for garnishes on our favorite festive drinks.
- These Prickly Pear Margaritas would look so cute in these Handblown Margarita Glasses or these Vintage Low Ball glasses.
Prickly Pear Margarita
- Total Time: 10
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
This prickly pear margarita has all of the refreshing citrus flavor of a traditional margarita, with a touch of sweetness and a unique flair.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Silver Tequila
- 1 ounce prickly pear purée (from 1 prickly pear fruit)
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces Cointreau
- Juice from 2 limes
- Juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Start by rinsing 2 limes, 1 lemon, and the prickly pear.
- Then, cut the limes and lemon in half, and set aside.
- For the prickly pear, cut off each end. Using a sharp knife, cut one thin slice through the top layer of the skin of the fruit from one end to the other. Now, you should be able to peel the skin off the outside of the fruit. Toss out the skin and the two ends.
- Place the prickly pear fruit into a blender and blend. The juice will look smooth, but will have dark seeds inside. Strain these seeds out of the purée, using a mesh strainer.
- Next, rim 2 glasses with tahine or salt by first sliding a lime around the outside of the glass and dipping the edge of the glass in the salt or tahine.
- Use a citrus press to squeeze the lemon and lime halves, adding the juices to a cocktail shaker.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, and shake until the shaker is ice-cold.
- Pour over ice between two glasses, and garnish with a citrus wheel or wedge, fresh or dehydrated.
Notes
- Having a party? Try using one of these salt rimmers from Amazon to make the rim choices easily available.
- We love using these Dehydrated Blood Orange Wheels for garnishes on our favorite festive drinks.
- These Prickly Pear Margaritas would look so cute in these Handblown Margarita Glasses or these Vintage Low Ball glasses.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: cocktails
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One glass
- Calories: 357
- Sugar: 26.8 g
- Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.3 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
