GapSauce: DIY Electrolyte Mix Recipe

Let’s get one thing straight—GapSauce is not an actual sauce. But our signature red water bottles aren’t just for show; they’re filled with our go-to DIY electrolyte mix that we concocted after realizing we were spending an embarrassing amount of money on pre-made hydration packets, powders and mixes.

Why we went DIY:

1. Cost: At $1 per packet, with three riders in the house, I was having a small panic attack every time someone dumped out their bottle instead of finishing it.
2. Hydration “just right”  . We love Liquid I.V.’s taste but wanted less sugar. And LMNT? A little too much “ocean” for our liking.  
3. Customization: We wanted control over the ingredients and the flavor of what we were drinking—Some days we feel a little more salty, and other days we want to be sweeter. 

The Solution: After some internet sleuthing and a little kitchen chemistry, we found a recipe we liked but that was… uh… aggressively salty. So, we tweaked the sodium levels down a notch, threw in some lemon and lime powder for flavor, and then added something new – powdered honey.

At just 1g of sugar per teaspoon, powdered honey is a fantastic way to add a touch of sweetness without the sticky mess. Sure, it’s not raw, straight-from-the-hive honey, but it’s way better than some of the other artificial sweeteners out there. And let’s not forget—sugar is fuel!  However, you are free to use any sugar or sugar substitute that works for you. We keep ours separate from the mix and then add after to allow full custom flavor. 

The Ingredients:

• Electrolytes – Bought in bulk because we are now amateur chemists.
• Powdered fruit flavors – We use lemon and lime, but I have my eye on a brand for next time called Jungle Powders.  Flavors like mango, strawberry, and wild blueberry sourced from Europe with organic options.
• Sugar/Sweetener – pick what works for you.

Everything was purchased on Amazon, but next time, I’ll make a heroic attempt to support a local health food store instead. (I say “next time” because I now have enough electrolyte mix to last through an apocalypse.)

The Cost Breakdown: Before DIY-ing, we were spending about $90/month on hydration packets. This new setup cost us $75 total and has lasted six months (and counting). ****update 9/2025: Current price for ingredients is a bit higher, between $130-150 for everything but this mix has lasted for over a YEAR! (we have resupplied the honey once and the flavoring once). Math isn’t my strength. But I’m WAY ahead on the $90/mo from before.

The Mix: For each 20 oz bottle, we mix:

• 1 tsp DIY electrolyte mix
• 1 tsp powdered honey

For this basic recipe, I have included amounts to make a much bigger batch then the original recipe.  By the time you mess around with tiny teaspoons of powder you may as well make enough for the month right?  We mix the 20X amount which mostly fills the plastic container you see in the photo.  The small round container is the powdered honey. 

	Original Recipe	4X	10X	20X
Salt (table or sea)	½ tsp	2 tsp	5 tsp	10 tsp
Potassium chloride	½ tsp	2 tsp	5 tsp	10 tsp
Magnesium citrate powder	¼ tsp	1 tsp	2 ½ tsp	5 tsp
Sugar or sweetener(we leave ours out until the end and sweeten to taste when mixing)	½ Tbsp	2 Tbsp	5 Tbsp	10 Tbsp
Citric Acid	1 tsp	3 tsp	2 ½ Tbsp	5 Tbsp
*Optional – fruit powder of choice for flavor.	½ tsp	2 tsp	5 tsp	10 tsp

Shake it up, sip, and enjoy the sweet taste of financial and electrolyte independence.

Stay hydrated, stay salty (but not too salty), and may your water bottles always be full!