This Halloween Margarita brews up a naturally green glow thanks to kiwano fruit—no potions or food dye required. It’s tart, a little mysterious, and perfect for casting a spell during cocktail hour.

You live a sheltered life if you exclusively buy your fruits and vegetables from chain store supermarkets.And even if you don’t, you can easily get bored with the usual apples, oranges and bananas that you habitually purchase every week.
But there’s a world of unusual treats out there for you to choose from and experiment with in the kitchen.
The fruit I want to share with you today, is the Kiwano. That strange looking spiky orange melon thingie. I didn’t know what to expect to find inside when I cut it open for the first time.
It has membranes like an orange, with bright green pulp inside. But there are seeds, like a cucumber, inside each green sacks of juice. The flavor is mildly sweet, and yet mildly sour like a kiwi.
Jump to:
Ingredients needed
- Kiwana fruit:
- Tequila: You can use white or gold tequila.
- Grand Marnier: You can also use Triple Sec.
- Lime: I added a little squeeze of lime for another sour flavor.
Step by step directions
- Remove flesh. Cut Kiwana in half and squeeze out all of the pulp-seeds into a blender.
- Blend. Add tequila, Grand Marnier and lime juice to the blender as well. Pulse until well blended.
- Strain. The kiwano seeds are edible, but you can pass the drink through a fine mesh strainer if you prefer. Using the back of a spoon, press the green liquid, through the strainer into your serving glass.
- Serve. Pour into a glass with or without ice.
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Expert tips and recipe FAQs
Kiwano should not be refrigerated and can be eaten right out of the spiky shell or scooped out and juiced. I thought the green juice would make a great halloween cocktail, so I made a Kiwano Margarita. I like salt with my margaritas, so that’s charcoal salt on the rim.
Because it is October and because of its gorgeous color, I spooked up the name a little. What kind of creepy treats do you enjoy for Halloween?
And if you want another dye-free halloween cocktail, try my Purplicious Potion! For some spooky eats to go with your drinks, check out my list of Halloween Potluck Recipes.
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Halloween Margarita
Ingredients
- 1 Kiwana fruit
- 1 oz tequila
- ½ oz Grand Marnier
- ½ lime juiced
Instructions
- Cut Kiwana in half and squeeze out all of the pulp-seeds into a blender. Add tequila, Grand Marnier and lime juice to the blender as well.
- Pulse until well blended.
- The kiwano seeds are edible, but you can pass the drink through a fine mesh strainer if you prefer.
- Using the back of a spoon, press the green liquid, through the strainer into your serving glass.
- Serve with or without ice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
I grew up feasting on rambutans. The rest are so unfamiliar — perfect for Halloween. Cheers 😀
LOVE this! I have never seen a Kiwano before, but I am going to be on the lookout for sure! Hope you get your water turned on back soon!!!!!
Ohh, I’m so jealous I didn’t do this post. Very clever. GREG
Coming from the cocktail guru himself?! I’m honored! Thanks, Greg!
I want THAT cocktail!
Wow – what a cool fruit! I’ve never seen one before, but I may have to hunt one down and make these for our Halloween block party. Nicely done!
How fascinating and how spooky are those fruits! I have never heard of the kiwano.
This is the PERFECT drink for Halloween!!
Oddly enough, the only place I see Freida’s Produce is in chain stores! Of course that’s where most buyers are, so it makes sense. Anyway, I don’t know kiwano – I’ll have to go looking for it. Great drink! Thanks so much.
Wow!
Kiwano is new to me. Toxic sludge is perfect for Halloween.