5 Easy & Delicious Cortisol Cocktail Recipes

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Feeling tired, stressed, or low on energy? Cortisol cocktails are a simple, delicious way to support your adrenals and restore balance. Here are 5 easy and delicious cortisol cocktail recipes that are packed with minerals, take just minutes to make, and actually taste amazing.

A person holding a glass of juice.

I love cortisol cocktails. I have been drinking them for years. When I first started drinking them, they were more commonly referred to as adrenal cocktails.

Over the past few years, many have begun to refer to them as cortisol cocktails, likely because of the drink’s ability to support healthy cortisol levels.

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What is a Cortisol Cocktail?

A cortisol cocktail, also known as an adrenal cocktail, is a natural drink designed to support your adrenal glands and help regulate cortisol levels, especially in times of stress, fatigue, or burnout.

Although the name includes the word cocktail, it doesn’t contain any alcohol whatsoever and is actually more like a mocktail.

Science Behind the Cortisol Cocktail

The cortisol cocktail is designed to nourish your adrenal glands with vitamins and minerals to support adrenal function and help maintain balanced cortisol levels, especially during periods of stress or fatigue.

The cortisol cocktail is rich in vitamin C, which is important because the adrenal glands require vitamin C to produce adrenal hormones. 

It also contains a significant amount of sodium and potassium. When you are under stress, you burn through these minerals very quickly.

Most people experiencing symptoms of adrenal fatigue have very low potassium and sodium levels.

Potassium and sodium are essential for your overall health, not just the health of your adrenals.

You can click here to learn more about the benefits of potassium, and you can click here to learn more about the benefits of salt.

When you are under stress, you lose sodium from your cells, which causes the cells to release potassium, and water follows.

This results in sodium-deficient, dehydrated cells, creating mineral imbalances that can lead to adrenal dysfunction.

The cortisol cocktail helps replenish and balance your sodium and potassium levels, increasing electrolytes throughout your body.

If you don’t replenish vitamin C, sodium, and potassium, you will become less resilient to stress and have difficulty adapting to stressful situations.

If you are currently under stress or have experienced some type of chronic stress in the past, or if you’re experiencing symptoms of adrenal fatigue—you need to try a cortisol cocktail!

Cortisol Cocktail Benefits

The cortisol cocktail helps to replenish your electrolytes, restore adrenal function, and support your natural cortisol rhythm.

Consistent consumption of the cortisol cocktail can help you become more adaptable to stress, restore your energy levels, improve your sleep, and enhance your overall well-being.

However, with all of that being said, cortisol cocktails are not a long-term solution to lowering cortisol levels—they are more like a band-aid.

They can be extremely beneficial during times of unavoidable stress, but truly balancing cortisol levels requires significant lifestyle changes.

You can read this article, How to Lower Cortisol Levels Naturally, to learn more.

Cortisol Cocktail Basics

Cortisol cocktails are really easy to make and are customizable. All you need is a source of vitamin C, a source of potassium, and a source of sodium/salt.

Below are different options for each ingredient.

Vitamin C: orange juice, pineapple juice, guava juice, lemon juice, lime juice, cranberry juice, guava juice, cherry juice, blueberry juice

Potassium: coconut water, aloe vera gel juice, cream of tartar

Sodium/Salt: sea salt or pink Himalayan salt

Optional Add-ins: magnesium powder, vitamin C powder, collagen powder, trace mineral drops

To create your own cortisol cocktail, select one or two sources of vitamin C, one source of potassium, and one source of sodium.

You can also add one or two of the optional add-ins. However, they are optional, and a true adrenal/cortisol cocktail does not require any of these extra ingredients.

The OG Cortisol Cocktail

An adrenal cocktail on the kitchen counter next to an orange.

The original adrenal/cortisol cocktail was created by Susan Blackard, NP, ND, Ph.D. It includes OJ, cream of tartar, and salt. You can click here to check it out.

The original adrenal cocktail is delicious and easy to make, but it can get a little boring when you drink it every single day.

I’ve been experimenting with various cortisol cocktail recipes, and I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

5 Easy & Delicious Cortisol Cocktail Recipes

The cortisol cocktail recipes below are intentionally simple. When I’m stressed out, the last thing I want is a recipe with 10+ ingredients—so I kept things easy on purpose.

When choosing juice for your cortisol cocktails, I recommend fresh-squeezed or pure, not from concentrate, bottled juice.

The recipes below can be easily customized to your liking. You can put them in the blender with some ice to make a delicious slushy-type drink, or you can add seltzer water to create a refreshing, carbonated beverage.

You can also add ice or not add ice—it’s totally up to you!

You can also substitute coconut water for aloe vera gel juice or vice versa in any of the recipes below.

If you decide to use aloe vera gel juice, ensure it contains a sufficient amount of potassium.

I’ve noticed that many brands don’t list potassium on their nutritional labels. This is the only aloe vera gel juice I use because it contains over 900mg of potassium in one serving!

Tropical Balance Elixer

An orange pineapple cortisol cocktail in a wine glass on the kitchen counter.

Ingredients you’ll need:

How to make:

  1. Add ½ cup of pineapple juice to a glass
  2. Add ½ cup of orange juice
  3. Add ½ cup of coconut water
  4. Add a pinch or two of sea salt
  5. Stir well
  6. Add ice (optional)

This is one of my absolute favorite cortisol cocktail recipes. It has been my go-to almost every day lately. It is similar to the classic adrenal cocktail, but the added pineapple juice makes it extra delicious.

With the addition of pineapple juice, you’re also getting a dose of bromelain, a powerful enzyme known for supporting digestion and reducing inflammation.

Adrenal Bloom Tonic

A yummy cortisol cocktail recipe on the kitchen counter.

Ingredients you’ll need:

How to make:

  1. Add ¾ cup of blueberry juice to a glass
  2. Add a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice
  3. Add ¾ cup of aloe vera gel juice
  4. Add a pinch or two of sea salt
  5. Stir well
  6. Add ice (optional)

I love this cortisol cocktail recipe. It’s incredibly refreshing and so easy to make. I chose to use blueberry juice because it not only contains vitamin C but also antioxidants, including anthocyanins, which have been linked to various health benefits. 

Chill Citrus Tonic

A lemon-lime cortisol cocktail on the kitchen counter.

Ingredients you’ll need:

How to make:

  1. Add a few fresh mint leaves to a glass (optional)
  2. Gently muddle the mint (optional)
  3. Add ¼ cup of lime juice
  4. Add ½ cup of lemon juice
  5. Add ½ cup of coconut water
  6. Add a pinch or two of sea salt
  7. Stir well
  8. Add ice (optional)

This cortisol cocktail is very citrusy—and I think it’s super yummy. I personally love adding a splash of seltzer water—it gives it a fizzy twist that reminds me of a mojito.

With that said, it might be a bit too citrusy for some. If you prefer your cortisol cocktails a bit sweeter, you can add a natural sweetener, such as monk fruit or stevia.

Adrenal Melon Cooler

A watermelon-lime cortisol cocktail on the kitchen counter.

Ingredients you’ll need:

How to make:

  1. Add ½ cup of fresh watermelon to a blender
  2. Add ¼ cup of lime juice
  3. Add ½ cup of coconut water
  4. Add a pinch or two of sea salt
  5. Add ice (optional)
  6. Blend well
  7. Pour into a glass

If you decide to make this one, it’s essential to select a watermelon with a rich flavor. The more flavor the watermelon has, the more flavor this cortisol cocktail will have.

Watermelon is rich in vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium, and the antioxidant lycopene—making it a perfect addition to this cortisol cocktail.

Lavender Lemonade Restore

A lavender lemonade cortisol cocktail on the kitchen counter.

Ingredients you’ll need:

How to make:

  1. Add ¼ cup of lavender syrup to a glass
  2. Add ½ cup of lemon juice
  3. Add ½ cup of aloe vera gel juice
  4. Add a pinch or two of sea salt
  5. Stir well
  6. Add ice (optional)

This cortisol cocktail is quite different than any other cortisol cocktail I have ever made before. I used lavender from my garden to create a lavender syrup. This is the recipe I used.

You can also use premade lavender syrup.

The lavender is rich in vitamin C and magnesium. It has also been shown to help lower cortisol levels and reduce the effects of stress.

I wasn’t sure how this cortisol cocktail was going to turn out, but it is absolutely delicious, super refreshing, and gorgeous too! I already know it’s going to be one of my go-to cortisol cocktails this summer.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoy these simple cortisol cocktail recipes!

Cortisol cocktails might be trendy right now, but they’re popular for a reason—they’re effective and can genuinely support your health.

I’ve been drinking them for years, and I will continue to consume them because they’re an easy, delicious way to support adrenal function and help maintain balanced cortisol levels.

As I previously mentioned, they are not a cure-all. To truly bring cortisol levels into balance, significant lifestyle changes are required. However, they can be highly beneficial during times of unavoidable stress.

If you try any of these cortisol cocktail recipes, I’d love to hear what you think—leave a comment below!

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Candice

Candice is the creator and the sole author of Happy Home Happy Heart. She is a wellness researcher, natural living advocate, and Root Cause Protocol consultant. Candice started Happy Home Happy Heart in 2018 to share her passion for holistic homemaking and the healing arts.

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