Need recipes for DIY Christmas gifts? This homemade cranberry orange infused vodka is great for a holiday gift or to make festive cocktails or a signature party drink.
About Cranberry Orange Vodka
Do you make homemade gifts for Christmas? If so, you will love this cranberry orange-infused vodka recipe!
This infused vodka Christmas gift (or holiday gift for yourself) is super simple. If you can make homemade cranberry sauce, you can make this.
It's basically vodka infused with cranberry sauce and orange peels, and it's delightful.
Plus, it's a great homemade gift that doesn't have to be eaten immediately. Infused vodka can be enjoyed whenever your recipient is ready (even after the holidays are long gone).
Another bonus is that this is a reasonably priced gift. Cranberries and oranges are on sale this time of year. And you can usually find vodka on sale during the holidays.
But make sure that you use vodka that you'd actually want to drink, so this doesn't taste like rubbing alcohol.
Something to know about this cranberry-infused vodka is that you need to give this a few days to infuse. I did it for a week and thought it was perfect.
I kept a few jars with the orange peels and cranberries in them because I like the texture the cranberries give and want it to keep on infusing.
For gifting: Feel free to pour the infused & strained vodka into cute jars or bottles, but I felt lazy and think it's perfectly nice in a regular old mason jar. Totally up to you though.
Ingredients
Cranberries: You'll use fresh cranberries for this cranberry-infused vodka recipe. Frozen whole cranberries will also work well. You don't want to use dried cranberries.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is what was used to make this cranberry-infused vodka. I do not recommend using a sugar substitute.
Water: Nothing special here. You simply need water to cook the cranberries in.
Oranges: To give this a nice orange flavor, which works so well with the cranberries, you'll need orange peels from fresh oranges.
Vodka: For the vodka, you want a vodka that is acceptable on its own but doesn't break the bank. The cranberry flavor will be very pronounced so there's no need to buy fancy vodka since you won't really be able to appreciate it. However, you don't want a cheap vodka that is going to this infused vodka recipe an unpleasant taste.
Cost of Recipe
- Water 1 cup: $0
- Cranberries 12 ounces: $2.49
- Sugar ½ cup: $0.12
- Oranges 2 medium: $0.98
- Vodka 750mL: $16.99
TOTAL COST: $20.58 or $0.82/serving (Based on San Diego Sprouts 2021)
Note this is not the recipe; it's simply to show the cost breakdown of ingredients. Be sure to scroll down to the full recipe to see the specific ingredients and directions.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Vodka
Time needed: 55 minutes
It's pretty easy to make this cranberry orange vodka. First, boil the cranberries with water and sugar. Then let it cool and stir together with orange peels and vodka. Then let it work its magic. In a week or so, you'll have delicious flavored vodka that costs much less than store-bought.
- Add the water, cranberries, and sugar to a saucepan and cook.
- Meanwhile, pour vodka into a jar and add orange peels.
If using a cinnamon stick, add it to the vodka here too.
- Once the cranberries have popped and turned into a sauce, remove the saucepan from heat and let cool.
- Stir the cranberry mixture into the vodka, and refrigerate.
All the mixture to infuse at least 5 days. Then serve about 1 ounce of the cranberry-infused vodka with about 6 ounces of sparkling water.
Cranberry Infused Vodka Recipe Tips
*This keeps in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks, but try to keep the cranberries and oranges covered mostly in vodka.
*You can continue to add vodka for up to 6 weeks. It helps to let it infuse for a few days.
*Add a cinnamon stick with the orange peels if you want a little warm, spicy, sweet cinnamon flavor.
Variations
Ingredient Options
Cranberries: This is made with fresh whole cranberries, but frozen whole cranberries are a perfect alternative.
Cinnamon: If you like the flavor combo of cinnamon and cranberries, I highly recommend adding a cinnamon stick.
Flavor Substitutions
Orange: If you do not want to use orange in this cranberry infused vodka, you can skip it or use the peels from 2 lemons or limes in place of the orange peels.
Alternative Prep & Cooking
Leftover cranberry sauce: If you have leftover cranberry sauce, you can simply use it in place of the cranberry, sugar, and water mixture.
To make Cranberry Orange-Infused Vodka with leftover cranberry sauce, skip the step to cook the cranberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Add the orange peels to vodka and stir in cooked cranberry sauce.
You will use 12 ounces of vodka + one orange peel for every cup of cranberry sauce.
How to Make Allergy Friendly
This cranberry-infused vodka recipe is already gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free. Plus, it's vegetarian and vegan.
How to Fix a Mistake
Too much liquid to the cranberries: simmer for a little longer until the sauce cooks down.
Too much vodka: If you add too much vodka, simply let the mixture infuse for longer.
Not enough sugar: Add honey, simple syrup, or maple syrup. Or you can add sugar or simple syrup when making your cocktail with this cranberry-infused vodka.
Forgot the oranges: Use lemon or lime peels. Or skip. Or add a cinnamon stick.
Make Ahead Ideas
You have to make this cranberry infused vodka recipe ahead of time, so the cranberries have time to flavor the vodka. It's best made a week in advance.
However, you can enjoy this about 4 days after you make the infused vodka.
Storage Suggestions
Keep this tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange is my go-to for anything with cranberries, so I recommend adding orange peels when infusing vodka with cranberries. Other options include lemon or lime. You can also add cinnamon sticks. And a combo of these would also be tasty.
Yes, you can! Use 12 ounces of vodka plus one orange peel for every cup of cranberry sauce.
No, you can either omit them entirely or use lemon or lime peels in place of the orange peels.
Cranberry orange infused vodka can be used with many different mixers. First, it elevates a boring vodka and soda. Another option is to mix it with water. Or you can add it to unsweetened apple cider, apple juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, or cranberry juice. If you mix it with a juice, I recommend using half juice-half water. Otherwise, the drink might be too sweet since the cranberry infused vodka is sweetened.
Nutrition Benefits
Vodka isn't full of nutrition benefits, but cranberries do have some nutritious qualities. Cranberries possess antibacterial properties that can help prevent UTIs. They also have antioxidants that fight diseases in the body.
What to Serve with Cranberry Orange Infused Vodka
To make this into a Cranberry Orange Vodka Cocktail: Use about 1-ounce Cranberry Orange Vodka to 6-ounces club soda or sparkling water. Add an orange or lemon slice to the glass too if you have it.
Unsweetened cranberry, orange, or tangerine sparkling water will all work well in the cranberry orange vodka cocktail.
Since I recommend eating something when you are drinking alcohol, some of my favorite festive options include cream cheese stuffed peppers, turkey quinoa soup, or baked brie with pecans and honey.
Final thoughts:
You really can't go wrong with vodka Christmas gifts, and this orange cranberry infused vodka is delicious.
It livens up regular vodka to make fun and festive cranberry orange cocktails all season long.
Not only is this Cranberry Orange Vodka great for a homemade holiday gift, it's also nice to have in the fridge just in case people stop by your house over the holidays and you want a seasonal vodka drink to offer.
MORE HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS GIFT RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:
- Gingerbread Coffee
- Cranberry Orange Kombucha
- Cookie Dough
- Ginger Cookies without Molasses
- Beef and Vegetable Soup
Cranberry Orange Vodka
Ingredients
- 12 ounce cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 orange peels from 2 oranges
- 750 mL bottle vodka
Instructions
- Bring cranberries, sugar, and water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Stir occasionally and cook until the cranberries have popped (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
- Meanwhile, put orange peels from two oranges into a glass jar. Pour vodka over orange peels. [If using cinnamon stick, add to the jar of vodka and orange peels]
- Stir cooled cranberry mixture into the vodka. Tightly cover and refrigerate for at least 4 days, preferably one week or more.
- Optional: If desired, strain the mixture and transfer to glass containers. Keep refrigerated.
- To serve: stir together 1-2 ounces Cranberry Orange Vodka and 6-8 ounces of club soda. Serve over ice with an orange, lemon, or lime slice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Skip the step to cook the cranberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan.
- Add the orange peels to vodka and stir in cooked cranberry sauce.
- Use 12 ounces of vodka + one orange peel for every cup of cranberry sauce.
What to Use in This Recipe
Meme
This post was originally published on December 11, 2013. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.
Cranberry Orange Vodka Nutrition Facts
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