You don’t need a ton of ingredients to make this candy cane mocktail! Grab these key ingredients to make this easy festive drink, along with a few others, and you’ll be ready to go!
Cranberry Juice: This juice pairs perfectly with the strawberry syrup, and brings an all-natural festive color to the drink.
Strawberry Simple Syrup: This recipe shows you how to make this absolutely delicious and super easy syrup! You’ll want to use this in many other mocktails, too. It would be delicious in our virgin strawberry margarita or our Cinderella mocktail!
Cranberry Sprite: We love using this fun ingredient in Christmas and New Year’s mocktails! Swap with regular Sprite if you can’t find it. But if you have extra, use it up in our family-favorite sparkling cranberry mocktail.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Candy Cane Mocktail
Start by gathering the ingredients for the strawberry simple syrup.
Dissolve the sugar in the water, stirring constantly over medium high heat. Reduce the heat and add the strawberries and vanilla extract, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to infuse for two hours. (image 1)
While the syrup is infusing, garnish the drink. Dip the rim in lemon juice, then in colored sugar. (image 2)
To build this in the glass, start off with the cranberry juice, strawberry simple syrup, and the grenadine. Pour in the cranberry Sprite and the sparkling mineral water, then top it off with the Angostura bitters. (image 3)
Gently stir with a long handled spoon. (image 4)
Garnish with a mini candy cane. (image 5)
Enjoy this candy cane mocktail right away. It’s sure to be a hit! (image 6)
Recipe FAQs
What kind of sugar do you use to rim a glass?
Try plain white granulated sugar, sanding sugar, or demerara sugar.
How do you make colored sugar for glass rims?
Food processor: add drops of food coloring to the granulated sugar. Pulse until well mixed. In a plastic bag: add sugar and a few drops of food coloring. Seal bag and shake. In a jar: add sugar and a few drops of food coloring. Tighten lid. Shake. On a plate: add sugar and a few drops of food coloring. Rub between your hands.
How many calories are in one serving?
For one 8 fl. oz. serving, there are 166 calories and 40.9g of carbs. This recipe is also high in vitamin C. For more nutritional information, scroll past the recipe card.
Expert Tips
Make the strawberry simple syrup up to two weeks ahead of time and store in fridge.
Decorate the rims of the glasses at one time. You can do this up to two hours in advance.
Mix up a pitcher full of the drink and chill it in the fridge. Add the sparkling mineral water and Sprite just before serving.
Quadruple the recipe and serve it in a punch bowl for your next holiday party.
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Recipe
Candy Cane Mocktail
Candy cane mocktail is a fun nonalcoholic recipe that’s perfect for kids and families during the holidays. This fun drink is made with an infused strawberry simple syrup. It’s sparkling, festive, and best of all-low calorie! Make up a big pitcher for a crowd at your next Christmas party; your friends will love it.
Pour the sugar and water into a small saucepan set over medium heat, stirring constantly until it is dissolved.
Reduce heat to medium low and stir in the strawberries and the vanilla. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Let the strawberries infuse in the simple syrup for a minimum of 2 hours to achieve maximum flavor, then strain out the strawberries and pour the syrup into an airtight mason jar. It can keep in the fridge for two weeks.
Decorating the Rim
Pour the lemon juice and sugar into two separate, shallow bowls. Add a few drops of red food coloring to the sugar and mix it together by rubbing the sugar between your hands.
Dip the rim of the glass in the lemon juice, then swirl it in the colored sugar.
Making the Drink
Mix the cranberry juice, strawberry simple syrup, sparkling water, cranberry Sprite, grenadine, and Angostura bitters in a large pitcher. Pour into the prepared glasses and garnish with a mini candy cane. Serve cold.
For an individual serving, pour ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cranberry juice, ¼ cup strawberry simple syrup, ⅓ cup cranberry Sprite, ¼ cup sparkling water, 2 teaspoons Grenadine, and ⅛ teaspoon Angostura bitters into a glass. Stir until blended. Garnish with a mini candy cane. Serve cold.
Notes
Make the strawberry simple syrup up to two weeks ahead of time and store in fridge.
Up to two hours ahead of time, decorate the rims of the glasses at one time.
Need a larger batch? Mix up a pitcher full, but leave out the bubbly ingredients then chill it in the fridge. Just before serving add the sparkling water and the Sprite.
Need this in a punch bowl? Quadruple the recipe for your next holiday party.
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