Recipes | Beverages | Cotton Candy Mocktail Recipe

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Cotton Candy Mocktail Recipe

September 14, 2022March 24, 2025

It is so much fun coming up with fun mocktails for kids’ parties, and this Cotton Candy Mocktail is a great option for Valentine’s Day, whimsical, Circus-themed, or summer fair-themed party.

pretty pink cotton candy mocktails for children

Oh, but if you’re throwing a party, you’re definitely going to need to check out these 20+ Mocktail Recipes kids will LOVE! I’m also a big fan of this Hawaiian Blue Mocktail!

But back to this amazing treat that is just screaming to be made again and again.

If you can’t tell, this Cotton Candy Mocktail is all about presentation. Garnishing the glass with a sugar rim, adding a straw with a bit of cotton candy wound around it, or just using some cute cups and cocktail napkins makes this mocktail the star of the menu and the most fun drink ever.

For a bit of theatrics, we added tufts of cotton candy to the drinks just before serving. They dissolve into the drinks so fast that I was barely able to get a picture of it! The kids swore that the cotton candy added extra flavor to the mocktails, but I personally couldn’t detect a difference.

This is the perfect party punch recipe for a baby shower or just a fun New Years’ Eve party.

Whatever you choose to make these drink recipes for, fill a punch bowl with some Cotton Candy kid-friendly mocktail and enjoy!

This would be a great recipe to serve at a gender neutral baby shower! I love having simple easy recipes to make!

Table of Contents

What are Mocktail Drinks?

According to Wikipedia:

Alcohol free, or non-alcoholic beverages, are non-alcoholic versions of typically alcoholic beverages.

These may take the form of a non-alcoholic mixed drink (a “virgin drink”), non-alcoholic beer (“near beer”) and “mocktails”, and are widely available where alcoholic beverages are sold.

Mocktails are a smooth blend of only non-alcoholic beverages, which could be fresh fruit juices, syrups, cream, herbs and spices

. Mocktails are designed specifically for those who do not take alcoholic beverages or need to refrain from them, which means these blends can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

In other words, mocktails are just plain fun!

Honestly, mocktails are part of a trend that has been growing since the “party times” of the 80s and have hit an all-time high in popularity.

Parents now “do up” fancy kid parties and serve these beautiful drinks–and they’re perfect for baby showers so the mom-to-be doesn’t have to miss out on the fun drinks.

non alcoholic cotton candy drink for teenage parties

How to Sugar Rim a Glass

To add a sugar rim to your Cotton Candy Mocktail glasses, fill a small dish with 1/2″ of water and a second small dish with sugar crystals. A soup bowl that can fit your glass inside of it is perfect.

Dip the glass straight into the bowl of water, and then dip it into the sugar crystals’ bowl. The crystals will likely not cover the complete rim at first and you will need to “roll the rib” carefully in the crystals, at a slight angle.

Some people like to use corn syrup to attach the sugar crystals, but that can be tricky and if left on your glasses can be a real pain to remove – so water it is for this mom!

And, frankly, there’s enough of a mess to deal with–and this cotton candy punch is such a super fun treat anyway, adding that corn syrup to the glass is really unnecessary.

Not that making this kid-friendly mocktail is mess. There are only a handful of ingredients and then it’s done. I love it so much, I always make one for myself, too. Because why shouldn’t mom have some fun, too?!

And that’s one of the best parts about this drink: it’s not just enjoyable for the kids, but also for adults too.

So, if you’re ready, let’s get your glasses ready and get mixin’!

Can I use different flavors?

Absolutely! You absolutely can if you want to use your favorite flavors instead of Pink Lemonade. Just remember that using your favorite things instead will change the flavor of these fun cotton candy mocktails.

Cranberry juice will be a darker red and less sweet.
Pineapple juice will be more yellow and could be great for a tropical party – especially if you can find a yellow cotton candy color.
If you prefer a blue mocktail, you could use blue raspberry drink and blue cotton candy
Grape juice would give you a deep purple non-alcoholic drink that could be fun at a unicorn party

What are fun ways to serve fun drinks?

This pink cotton candy mocktail would be super fun to serve in plastic champagne flutes or plastic champagne glasses. Fun recipes like this leave so much flexibility to add cuteness and fun!

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If you are making this for a holiday party, festive drinks like this will really wow your guests! While many will think it’s an adult drink, make sure that all know it’s for the kids, too!

You can even add some candy skewers with extra cotton candy on them to put inside this great drink! And if you have some edible glitter, sprinkle that on top of the drink, too!

You can choose any fun way to serve this cotton candy mocktail drink. That’s the fun part of it!

Specialty Ingredients:

The following ingredients are affiliate links on Amazon because they may be a bit hard to find in your normal store. I wanted you to be able to see exactly which things we are using in this delicious recipe.

Pink Sugar Crystals
a piece of Cotton Candy
Sparkling Pink Lemonade (Strawberry Soda or Ginger Ale in a pinch, but Strawberry Soda is better)

Reminder, not all ingredients in the Cotton Candy Mocktail Recipe are linked above, just the ones that may be a bit difficult to find or that you might be unsure of what to look for

Must Have Resources:

When making a Candy Floss Mocktail at home, you really need to have the following Amazon affiliate tools on hand.

Shop My Kitchen:

The following items can be found in my kitchen here at Miller Manor. Simply click the image that interests you – yes, they do contain affiliate links.

A collection of black cookware, including pots, pans, and lids, is artfully arranged on a wooden surface in the kitchen. Some lids are glass. The set features a grill pan with a few Brussels sprouts nestled nearby. A gray bottle completes this stylish culinary shop display.

A weathered sign leaning against a tree reads Farmers Market with a cow illustration. Below, it lists Cheeses, Fresh Eggs, Pies, Antiques & Collectibles for your kitchen needs. Grass and a few small yellow flowers surround the sign, inviting you to shop local treasures.

A farmhouse decor arrangement features a framed silhouette of a cow, pig, and chicken stacked; a bearded figure with a patterned hat; a farmhouse sign in cursive; and a felt ball garland in shades of white, gray, and green.

Three kitchen towels with crochet tops are displayed. The towels feature farm-themed designs: one with a cow and text Farm Fresh Milk, another with a rooster and cow, and the third with a rooster and Farm Fresh inside a wreath.

Make it a Meal:

Main Dish: Chicken and Sausage Sheet Pan

Starch Side: Scalloped Potatoes

Don’t forget Dessert: S’mores Pretzel Cups

Best Mocktail Recipes:

Once you make this Cotton Candy Drink Recipe, you are going to make even more non-alcoholic fun cocktail recipes for your guests. They are just such a great way to level up any party and impress any number of guests!

Be sure to make this Toxic Waste Mocktail Recipe as well!

Shop My Printables

These printables are great for meal planning and organizing! Simply click the image to check out my shop products!

A collage of colorful school lunch planning sheets featuring a Cajun Chicken & Rice Soup recipe. Includes lunch menu ideas with fruits, veggies, and treats, a days-of-the-week planner, and inspirational notes for lunch boxes. Bold text reads Back to School lunch planner & ideas!.

A fitness planner with several pages, like body measurements and a workout tracker, also features meal ideas such as a Cajun Chicken & Rice Soup recipe. Includes a monthly water intake log, weekly workout schedule, meal planner, body review section. Cover reads My Fitness Planner.

More Cotton Candy Recipes:

I’m all about perfectly timed cotton candy, to be honest. 😉

So, I’ve brought together some of the best resources you’ll ever find for delicious cotton candy-flavored recipes and recipes that use cotton candy!