Holiday Cranberry Mocktail
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This cranberry mocktail is the perfect Christmas drink for your holiday celebration. You can make this bubbly Christmas punch with just 3 ingredients! With no alcohol, it’s a family-friendly drink to celebrate the flavors and color of the season!
There’s something about holding a fancy drink in your hands that makes any holiday party or Christmas celebration feel extra special.
But when kids and other guests who don’t drink alcohol attend, mocktails are a great alternative. So, this year, make a pitcher or two of this three ingredient cranberry mocktail. It’s a delicious, festive, and alcohol-free drink recipe for kids and grown ups alike!
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my tips for making the best cranberry mocktails! I’ve made this recipe countless times, and it’s always a hit.
- Chill the juices ahead of time! Not only will this save you time on the day of your party, but you’ll use less ice. This means the mocktail won’t be watered down, so it will have a brighter flavor.
- Splurge on garnishes – they really do add a festive touch!
- Use crushed ice rather than cubes. It will keep your drinks colder for longer.
- Taste for sweetness. Cranberry juice is quite tart and needs a little sweetening. The apple juice sweetens it enough, but taste and decide if you’d like to add a bit more apple juice. Remember you’ll be adding ice and seltzer as well!
Having an adults-only party? Offer the mocktail to those abstaining from booze and make Christmas sangria for everyone else.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The ingredients in this cranberry mocktail are super simple! You just need:
- cranberry juice: I use 100% juice, with no sugar added, but use any variety you like.
- apple juice: The sweetness of apples balances the tart cranberry flavor in this punch.
- seltzer water: Bubbles are the signature of a great Christmas punch like this!
- crushed ice
How to Make the Cranberry Mocktails
Honestly, this is the easiest holiday drink recipe you’ll ever make. It comes together in just a few minutes, and it will definitely impress your guests!
- Combine the cranberry juice and apple juice together in a large pitcher. Keep it in the fridge, without ice.
- Add crushed ice to each glass, then pour in enough juice to fill the glass 1/3rd of the way.
- Fill the rest of the glass with seltzer water. Be sure to leave some room for bubbles, though!
- Garnish each glass with fresh rosemary and cranberries, if desired.
Garnish Ideas and Pairing Suggestions
Optionally, you can garnish each cranberry mocktail with rosemary sprigs and fresh cranberries. I recommend doing this. The fresh garnishes give the drink a festive holiday feel!
Another garnish idea is to rim each glass with sugar crystals. If you can find green sugar crystals, it would look even more festive! To get the sugar to stick, just rub a lemon around the rim of each glass, then dip the rim into a plate full of sugar.
To make a fun ice-cream drink, add a scoop of no-churn peppermint ice cream to each glass!
If you want to serve some snacks or appetizers with your mocktails, I recommend this Christmas snack board. Something salty, like prosciutto wrapped dates or air fryer pork belly bites would be delicious, too!
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Festive Cranberry Mocktail
Ingredients
Mocktail
- 2 cups 100% cranberry juice chilled
- 1½ cups 100% apple juice chilled
- 16 ounces unflavored seltzer
- ice
Garnishes
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup fresh cranberries optional
Video
Instructions
- Mix the cranberry and apple juices together in a pitcher. Keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the mocktails.
- Optional Step: Sugar rim the glasses by running a sliver of lemon around the rim, then dipping it into sugar.
- Fill four glasses halfway with ice and pour the juice until each glass is about 1/3 of the way filled. Top off the last 2/3 of each glass with seltzer. Leave a little room at the top for bubbles!
- Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a few cranberries.
Notes
- Chill the juices ahead of time! Not only will this save you time on the day of your party, but you’ll use less ice. This means the mocktail won’t be watered down, so it will have a brighter flavor.
- Taste for sweetness before adding the ice and seltzer. Cranberry juice is quite tart, but the sweet apple juice does offset the tartness. Keep in mind that you will be adding seltzer, which will mute the flavor of the juices.
- Splurge on garnishes – they really do add a festive touch!
- Use crushed ice rather than cubes. It will keep your drinks colder for longer.
Nutrition
Other Holiday Mocktails
2025 Update: This recipe has been updated to simplify the instructions and includes additional tips for our readers. We hope you love it as much as we do!
- Paloma Mocktail – a sparkling grapefruit drink that tastes like a Paloma cocktail
- Watermelon Mocktail – this one is perfect for summer parties!
- Peaches and Cream Mocktail
