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    Home » Recipes » Drinks

    Cranberry Margaritas and Mocktails

    Published: Nov 20, 2017 · Updated: Dec 29, 2023 · Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Don't let your leftover cranberry sauce go to waste; turn your favorite Thanksgiving condiment into a festive margarita or mocktail that's a fun drink for the holidays. This super easy recipe can even be made from frozen cranberry sauce for a Christmas cocktail.

    Cranberry Margarita and Cocktails from Living Well Kitchen

    Wasting leftovers is a crime in my book, but sometimes I am at a loss for what to do with certain things.

    Take cranberry sauce for example. What do you do with the leftovers?

    Let's be honest, I didn't really even start liking cranberry sauce until a few years ago, so I have only had a few years to experiment with leftover cranberry sauce.

    Cranberry Margarita and Cocktails from Living Well Kitchen

    Usually it's used to top my pancakes, but this year I wanted to come up with something more creative.

    Cranberry Margarita and Cocktails from Living Well Kitchen

    I found a recipe for a cranberry margarita using leftover cranberry sauce from Delish that seemed like a fabulous idea.

    I ended up forgetting what ingredients they used and based my recipe on how I typically make margaritas with tequila and orange liqueur or triple sec.

    I also had some oranges from making the cranberry sauce, so I used that as my citrus instead of limes.

    Cranberry Margarita and Cocktails from Living Well Kitchen

    Since my niece was helping me film the video, we decided to also make a mocktail version.

    And that's it. You can make these for Thanksgiving dinner, post-Thanksgiving, or anytime over the holidays. Or go rogue and make them whenever you see cranberries in the store.

    Your cranberry sauce won't go to waste because I have another leftover cranberry sauce idea coming your way soon!

    Cranberry Margarita and Cocktails from Living Well Kitchen

    Cranberry Margarita

    Don't let your leftover cranberry sauce go to waste; turn them into a festive margarita.
    4.95 from 17 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup orange juice
    • ¼ cup cranberry sauce
    • 2 ounces tequila
    • 1 ounce orange liqueur or triple sec
    • 1-2 cups ice plus more for serving

    Instructions

    • Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. 
    • Strain into a glass filled with ice.
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo
    Cranberry Margarita and Cocktails from Living Well Kitchen

    Cranberry Mocktail

    Don't let your leftover cranberry sauce go to waste; turn your favorite Thanksgiving condiment into a festive mocktail that's a fun option for the holidays.
    5 from 17 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup orange juice
    • ¼ cup cranberry sauce
    • 1 cup ice
    • 8 ounces sparkling water or club soda

    Instructions

    • Stir together orange juice and cranberry sauce. Add in ice. Top with sparkling water.
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    Meme

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Natalie

      November 16, 2018 at 2:12 pm

      5 stars
      I always have leftover cranberry sauce and don't know what to do with it. Fantastic solution!

      Reply
    2. Lindsey

      November 16, 2018 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      This preggo thanks you for the mocktail version! So pretty, festive, and tasty!

      Reply
    3. Holly Pelton

      November 17, 2018 at 8:19 pm

      5 stars
      Because sadly Im not 21 yet I had the mock tail version and ... IT WAS SO DELICOUS!!

      Reply
    4. Liz Shaw

      November 17, 2018 at 11:48 pm

      5 stars
      I'll be honest- I'm not sure if there will ever be leftover cranberry sauce at our thanksgiving- I'll have to sneak some away and try this delicious recipe!

      Reply
    5. Lorie

      November 18, 2018 at 9:44 pm

      5 stars
      Well this is just genius. These will be showing up at our Turkey Day festivities!

      Reply
    6. Tawnie Kroll

      November 19, 2018 at 10:14 am

      5 stars
      Genius!! Pinning to make this for Thanksgiving!

      Reply
    7. Emily Kyle

      November 23, 2018 at 10:25 pm

      5 stars
      How perfect is it to find this recipe the day after Thanksgiving!? I know what I will be making tonight, cheers!

      Reply
    8. Boyd Kobe

      January 01, 2019 at 10:08 pm

      5 stars
      That sounds like a delicious drink! Definitely, want to give this a try.

      Reply
    4.95 from 17 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Meme holding Watson at a restaurant in san diego.

    Hi, I'm Meme!

    A thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist here to help you enjoy food, make eating easier, and live free of diets & shame.

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