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For a festive and delicious holiday drink, you’ll love this Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail. It’s made with fresh cranberries, so this sparkler is naturally sweet, bright, and colorful. And all those bubbles make it one of the best Christmas mocktail recipes you’ll ever try!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: No-cook
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Christmas Mocktail
The most wonderful moments in my family are when we are gathered around the table, sharing food and drinks. So every year as Christmas approaches, I look forward to sharing these family meals and spending this time with those that I love. I urge you to do the same.
For me, food is love, and this sparkling cranberry orange mocktail recipe is perfect to toast as we celebrate our loved ones and cherish every moment that we have together.
I saw the idea for a homemade cranberry juice from Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish. It sounded so tasty, the color was gorgeous, and I thought with a bit of orange and a bit of fizz, it would make a totally fun holiday beverage for those that don’t imbibe. Here’s why it’ll become part of your holiday festivities…
- Fruity but sophisticated. It’s made with fresh cranberries, and naturally sweetened with orange juice and real maple syrup. So the vibrant flavors come from real ingredients, not artificial ones.
- Ready for toasting. The vibrant red color makes it perfect for serving at holiday parties. It’s truly a festive, sparkly non-alcoholic beverage to enjoy at celebrations with family and friends.
- Allergy-friendly. The simple ingredients means that it’s free from gluten, dairy, and other major allergens. It’s a Christmas mocktail recipe that everyone can enjoy!
Recipe Ingredients
A few fresh ingredients make this festive drink delicious. Here is a quick list of what you’ll need, and you can get the full amounts in the recipe card.
- Fresh cranberries – rinse them and remove any that look bad.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice – I highly recommend squeezing the oranges for the best flavor.
- Water
- Maple syrup – you can also substitute honey or agave nectar. Simple syrup is fine too, but I prefer to natural sweeteners and the flavor they add.
- Sparkling water or club soda
How to Make a Cranberry Mocktail
This Christmas mocktail is so simple to make. Let’s see what to do. Again, the details are down below in the recipe card.
- Make the cranberry juice. Place the cranberries, orange juice, water, and maple syrup in a blender, and puree thoroughly, then strain the mixture. Return the juice to the blender and puree and strain once more.
- Add the bubbles. When ready to serve, pour about 1/4 cup of juice into each flute glass, and top with sparkling water or club soda.
Tips for Success
- Use a good blender. You really want to break down those cranberries, so make sure to use a Blendtec or Ninja blender.
- Strain well. This is not a drink where you want little bits floating in it, so you’ll need a fine mesh sieve or some cheesecloth to strain the juice.
- Make it pretty. Any glass will do, but the bubbles look especially pretty in flutes.
- Prep ahead. You can prepare the fizzy mocktail an hour or so before serving and it will be just fine. But much longer than that, and it’ll lose all of its bubbles. If you do need to do some advance preparation, you can make the cranberry juice and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to add the sparkling water. It will keep for 2 or 3 days.
Make it a Celebration
Make a few more drinks like the ones I share below and add this Christmas mocktail to your parties and celebrations during the holiday season. Here are some party themes and menu ideas for you…
- Holiday open house. Serve a variety of appetizers to guests, including a platter of crackers and melty Caramelized Apple Pecan Baked Brie, a sweet and savory Pineapple Ham Cheese Ball. Don’t forget the finger foods, like Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese or savory Feta Spinach Pinwheels.
- Cookie exchange. Let everyone nibble on sweets like Christmas Fudge and Candied Spiced Nuts while packing containers of Flourless Oatmeal Cookies and Gluten Free Rainbow Cookies.
- Christmas dinner. A lovely Bottom Round Roast with sides of Corn Pudding Casserole, mouthwatering Honey Roasted Carrots, and creamy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes and Apples makes a fabulous feast.
More Mocktail Recipes
Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or to taste (see Note). You can also substitute honey or agave nectar
- Sparkling water or club soda (see Note)
- Frozen cranberries to serve as ice cubes if desired
Instructions
- Place the cranberries, orange juice, water, and maple syrup in a blender, and puree thoroughly.
- Strain through a mesh strainer.
- Return the juice to the blender and puree once more. Strain again.
- Keep juice in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, pour about 1/4 c juice in each champagne flute, and add about an equal amount of sparkling water or club soda.
- Garnish with frozen cranberries, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this?
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This looks great. How many cocktails does this make?
Carolyn, the recipe as written makes 2 mocktails.