I am excited to be collaborating with Wisconsin Cranberries to bring you this fabulous holiday beverage!
This cranberry orange mocktail features the best holiday flavors: tart cranberries, fresh orange juice and sparkling soda for that bit of fizz.
It’s all garnished with fresh thyme or rosemary for a bit of herbiness.
Make a few batches for your next holiday gathering or make a single beverage to enjoy next to your holiday tree. You’re going to love it!
How to make a cranberry orange mocktail
Featured Ingredients
- Cranberry juice: Grab a bottle of 100% cranberry juice (not cranberry juice cocktail) and enjoy its beautiful color and antioxidants in this mocktail!
- Orange juice: Grab a fresh, juicy orange, cut it in half and squeeze away! If you’re feeling up to it, zest it as well and add the zest to your mocktail for a more concentrated orange flavor
- If you don’t have a fresh orange on hand, use your favorite bottled OJ.
- Fizzy water or soda: Any carbonated beverage will taste fantastic and give this mocktail a bit of fizz.
- Cranberries: These are just for garnish.
- You can use fresh or frozen, and for a little extra sparkle, soak them in sugar water for a few hours, then roll them in turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) to make beautiful, sugared cranberries. (P.S. if you have some extra sugared cranberries, make this salad!)
- Fresh herbs: Thyme or rosemary are perfect for this cocktail, or a sprig of fresh mint!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Fill a tall cocktail glass or 2 short cocktail glasses with ice and fresh cranberries.
- Pour the cranberry juice, orange juice and sparkling water into the glass(es).
- Garnish the glass(es) with sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme. Serve immediately.
Recipe Substitutions and Alterations
- Orange juice: Try this recipe with bottle orange juice if you don’t have a fresh orange. It would also be delicious with grapefruit or pineapple juice!
- Fizzy water or soda: You can use seltzer or soda water, club soda, lemon lime soda or grapefruit soda.
- Add ginger: To give your mocktail a little ZING, add a bit of fresh ginger.
- Sweeten it: If you use seltzer or soda water or club soda and you want your mocktail to be a bit sweeter, add a splash or simple syrup to make it a bit sweeter.
- Muddle it: You can muddle the herbs and cranberries to bring out their flavor before adding the ice and liquids.
- Make it boozy: Add an ounce of your favorite liquor, like vodka or white rum (a flavored option like orange or grapefruit would be delicious!).
- Make flavored ice cubes: Rather than using standard ice cubes, freeze some cranberry or orange juice in an ice cube tray so your mocktail doesn’t get watered down.
Nutrition Considerations
- To make this gluten free: This recipe is naturally gluten free! Be sure all packaged ingredients are gluten free.
- To make this dairy free: This recipe is naturally dairy free!
- To make this vegan: This recipe is naturally vegan!
- To make this nut free: This recipe is naturally nut free! Be sure all packaged ingredients are nut free.
Why we love cranberries
- Wisconsin grows more than half the world’s cranberries!
- Cranberries are a versatile fruit and can be consumed year-round, not just during the holidays (try them fresh, frozen, dried or in juice form in various recipes!).
- Cranberries are filled with fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, so you know this dietitian loves them for their health benefits!
Our favorite cranberry recipes:
- Apple Cranberry Bread Pudding
- Cranberry and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pears
- Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce
- Brussels Sprouts Cranberry Salad
- Cranberry Ginger Muffins
- Beef Tenderloin with Cranberry Balsamic Compote
- Cranberry Maple French Toast Cups
- Cranberry Pecan Pie Bars
Cranberry Orange Mocktail
This cranberry orange mocktail features tart cranberries, fresh, juicy orange and sparkling soda for that bit of fizz, garnished with fresh thyme or rosemary.
- Prep Time: 5-10 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 5-10 mins
- Yield: Serves 1-2 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1-2 cups ice cubes
- 2 tablespoons fresh cranberries, for garnish
- ½ cup 100% cranberry juice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup sparkling or seltzer water, club soda or lemon lime soda
- Sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a tall cocktail glass or 2 short cocktail glasses with ice and fresh cranberries.
- Pour the cranberry juice, orange juice and sparkling water into the glass(es).
- Garnish the glass(es) with sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme. Serve immediately.
Notes
Serving Tip: Makes 1 tall mocktail or 2 short mocktails.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mocktail
- Calories: 98
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 20mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
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