19 Low-Calorie Brunch Drinks for Hosting That Actually Taste Like a Party

Skinny Brut Mimosa

The classic gets a sensible makeover. Use a dry brut sparkling wine — labeled as “brut” or “extra brut” — and top it with just a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice instead of a full pour. The natural sweetness of the orange still comes through, but you’re nowhere near the 220-calorie version most brunch spots serve. Garnish with a thin orange wheel and a twist of zest for that look-how-put-together-I-am energy.

The key here is the wine selection. A dry brut bottle runs around 90 calories per 5oz glass on its own, so keeping the juice to a 2:1 ratio keeps the whole thing under 70 calories. Your guests will never know you ran the numbers.

Berry Basil Bubbly

Sparkling wine, a few muddled fresh basil leaves, and a small handful of raspberries or blackberries dropped into the glass. That’s it. The basil adds a herbal brightness that makes this feel infinitely more sophisticated than a regular mimosa, and the berries dissolve just enough color into the bubbles to make it look stunning. Basil also brings a small dose of vitamin K to the party — not that anyone’s taking supplements at brunch, but still.

If sparkling wine isn’t your crowd’s thing, this works beautifully with a dry sparkling water. Same garnish, zero alcohol, around 10 calories. The table won’t know the difference from across the room.

Grapefruit Rosé Spritzer

A wine spritzer might sound like something your aunt orders, but hear me out. Three ounces of dry rosé with four ounces of unflavored club soda and a squeeze of grapefruit juice brings this down to roughly 75 calories while tasting genuinely refreshing. The grapefruit cuts through any sweetness in the rosé and gives the whole thing a slightly bitter, grown-up edge that goes beautifully with eggs or avocado toast.

Use a large wine glass with plenty of ice so the presentation looks generous, not sparse. A large-format wine glass set makes these look absolutely beautiful on a table and the size gives the bubbles room to breathe without going flat instantly.

Oat Milk Iced Latte

Two shots of espresso over ice, topped with oat milk and a tiny drizzle of maple syrup if needed. The oat milk brings creaminess that whole milk can’t match for texture, and it comes in around 30–40 fewer calories per cup. Froth the oat milk first if you want that foam layer — a handheld milk frother costs almost nothing and makes every single coffee drink you’ll ever serve at home look like it came from a specialty cafe. Worth every cent.

You can build a whole DIY coffee bar around this concept. For the full rundown on cafe-quality lattes at home, these cafe-style latte recipes give you everything you need to set one up without a machine. Get Full Recipe

Cinnamon Almond Cold Brew

Cold brew is naturally smoother and less acidic than hot brewed coffee, which means it needs less sweetener to taste balanced. Combine it with unsweetened almond milk and a dusting of cinnamon — cinnamon has a mild sweetness of its own and adds a warmth that makes this drink feel way more indulgent than 60 calories has any right to feel. This is the one guests always ask about first.

Making your own cold brew concentrate is easier than it sounds and cuts the per-drink cost to almost nothing. These DIY cold brew concentrates walk through the process step by step if you want to prep a big batch the night before hosting. Get Full Recipe

Coconut Milk Cinnamon Dolce Latte

Inspired by the coffeehouse version that clocks in at well over 300 calories, this homemade swap uses coconut milk and a small amount of coconut sugar to bring the sweetness without the calorie hit. The result is a warm, almost dessert-like latte that your guests will assume cost them significantly more nutritionally than it did. Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular white sugar, meaning it creates less of a blood sugar spike — which matters if you’re serving a long, leisurely brunch where people are grazing for two hours.

Black Coffee Upgrade with Cardamom

If you’re into black coffee, the upgrade isn’t sweetener — it’s spice. Add a pinch of ground cardamom and a tiny pinch of nutmeg to the grounds before brewing. The resulting cup is aromatic, complex, and tastes like something a Scandinavian barista would charge nine dollars for. Zero added sugar, minimal calories, and genuinely impressive. IMO, this is the most underrated drink on this entire list.

For more ideas on elevating black coffee without any additions, this guide on coffee spice recipes with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg is well worth a read before your next hosting session.

Iced Matcha Almond Milk Latte

One teaspoon of ceremonial grade matcha whisked into a small amount of warm water until smooth, then poured over ice and topped with unsweetened almond milk. A thin drizzle of honey (a single teaspoon) is optional and adds about 20 calories. The visual alone — that deep green against the pale milk with ice floating around — earns this drink every single time. Serve it in a tall clear glass so guests can see the layers.

A matcha bamboo whisk and ceramic bowl set makes the whole preparation feel ceremonial and keeps any lumps out of the final drink. It’s a tiny upgrade that makes a visible difference.

Mint Green Tea with Cucumber Water

Brew a light green tea, let it cool, and combine with sliced cucumber and fresh mint in a large glass pitcher. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors infuse. This is one of those drinks that looks wildly elegant in a clear pitcher on a brunch table, costs practically nothing to make, and requires essentially zero effort once assembled. Great for guests who don’t do caffeine at all.

Hibiscus Ginger Iced Tea

Hibiscus tea is tart, deeply colored, and beautiful in a glass. Brew it strong, add a few slices of fresh ginger while it’s still hot, sweeten very lightly with a touch of honey, and chill. The result is a deep crimson drink that tastes almost cocktail-like without a drop of alcohol. Ginger brings a mild digestive benefit too, which is genuinely useful if you’re serving a heavy brunch menu.

Peach White Tea Lemonade

White tea is delicate enough to let fresh peach flavor shine through. Brew a light white tea, cool it completely, blend one ripe peach until smooth, and combine with a generous squeeze of lemon. The texture is slightly silky from the peach, the color is this warm golden-peach, and it genuinely looks like something you’d pay twelve dollars for at a hotel brunch. Use stevia or monk fruit sweetener if the peach isn’t quite sweet enough on its own — neither adds any meaningful calories.

Virgin Bloody Mary

Tomato juice, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, and a rim of Old Bay or black pepper. This version holds everything that makes a Bloody Mary worth drinking — the umami, the heat, the savory edge — and removes only the vodka. According to nutrition experts cited on Healthline, tomato juice is inherently low-calorie and has an appetite-curbing effect, making this the rare brunch drink that might actually help you eat less. Garnish generously with celery, a pickle spear, olives, and a lemon wedge. Make it theatrical.

Cucumber Lime Spritz

Muddle six or seven thin cucumber slices with fresh lime juice and a few mint leaves. Add sparkling water and a light touch of agave. Serve over ice in a ribbed glass with a lime wheel on the rim. This drink looks like it belongs in a spa menu, it’s the most refreshing thing you’ll serve all morning, and it costs roughly nothing to make for a crowd. A cocktail muddler and bar spoon set is one of those purchases that sounds fancy but genuinely changes how your drinks taste when fresh ingredients are involved.

Sparkling Non-Alcoholic Sangria

Combine cranberry juice (unsweetened), sparkling water, sliced orange, sliced apple, and a few frozen grapes in a large pitcher. Let it chill for an hour so the fruit flavors meld. The frozen grapes double as ice that never dilutes the drink, which is a genuinely smart hosting move. This one looks breathtaking on a table and serves a crowd without any effort once assembled. The natural fruit sweetness means you need zero added sugar.

Banana Almond Protein Smoothie

Half a frozen banana, one tablespoon of almond butter, unsweetened almond milk, a tiny pinch of cinnamon. Blend until smooth. The banana brings the sweetness and creaminess while the almond butter adds enough protein to keep guests satisfied longer — which matters at a brunch that runs three hours. This is on the higher end of the calorie range in this list, but the nutritional density justifies every single one of those calories. For more creamy coffee smoothie ideas that work in a similar format, this list of coffee smoothies for breakfast has some genuinely great options. Get Full Recipe

Beet Berry Ginger Shot

Blended beet, frozen mixed berries, a small knob of fresh ginger, and a squeeze of lemon. Serve it in a small 4oz glass as a “wellness shot” rather than a full drink. The color is stunning — that deep magenta-crimson — and guests love the novelty of it. Pair it alongside one of the sparkling options for a visual table moment that doubles as a genuinely healthy start to the morning.

Mango Turmeric Lassi (Lightened)

Traditional lassi uses full-fat yogurt, which is delicious but calorie-heavy. This version uses low-fat Greek yogurt — which actually increases the protein content, making it more satiating — with frozen mango, a generous pinch of turmeric, and a tiny amount of honey. Turmeric has well-documented anti-inflammatory properties, which is a nice bonus for a Sunday morning after whatever Saturday was. Blend it smooth, pour into small glasses, and dust the top with a pinch of turmeric for visual effect.

A high-speed personal blender makes batching these for a crowd incredibly fast — you can cycle through six individual servings in under three minutes, which is exactly what you want when you’re hosting and also trying to keep the conversation going.

Spiced Chai with Oat Milk

Brew a strong chai tea with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black pepper. Steam or froth oat milk — that countertop milk frother with a temperature setting is genuinely worth having for events like this — and combine. A single teaspoon of coconut sugar for sweetness keeps it light. The spice profile here is warming enough that this drink tastes rich and indulgent at a fraction of the calorie cost of a coffeehouse chai latte. Compared to an almond-based chai, oat milk produces a creamier, slightly sweeter result that most guests prefer.

Vanilla Rooibos Latte

Rooibos is naturally sweet, caffeine-free, and has a warm reddish-brown color that looks beautiful in a clear glass mug. Brew it strong, add a tiny drop of pure vanilla extract, and top with frothed oat or almond milk. This is the drink for guests who don’t do caffeine — it’s warm, it’s comforting, and it tastes complex enough that nobody feels like they’re drinking something compromised. For more herbal drink options that prioritize calm over caffeine, this collection of herbal teas for rest and relaxation has some beautiful brunch-adjacent options.