How to make Cranberry Bellinis
Ring in the new year by serving seasonal Cranberry Bellinis! Made with three simple ingredients, this festive cranberry cocktail and twist on a classic bellini recipe is the perfect sparkling beverage to sip at a wintertime celebration. Makes 1 drink, but can easily be made for a crowd.
Love cranberry cocktails? Don’t miss Citrus Cranberry Sangria, Cranberry Mule and Blizzard Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail!
2018 Update: This recipe, which originally appeared on My Cooking Spot, where I was a contributor. It was originally published in December 2015. The post has been republished. I updated it to include new photos, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love this cocktail!
Once upon a time, I studied abroad and drank bellinis with friends while sitting at restaurants in piazzas in various Italian cities… because they’re utterly delicious.
The thing is, you can’t find good fresh peaches to make bellinis in late December. (Technically, you could use frozen peaches, but I don’t really think of peaches as a winter ingredient.)
So I changed things up a bit so we could find all the necessary ingredients, thanks to a bit of creative brainstorming with my friend, Susannah.
Why I love this drink:
I’ve combined three simple ingredients to create a seasonal and delicious holiday season drink.
All you need are unsweetened cranberry juice, prosecco (or your sparkling wine of choice) and some simple syrup to make this delicious holiday sipper.
The end result is a little tart with a hint of sweetness, wonderfully effervescent and perfectly celebratory for any of the winter holidays you might be celebrating.
Whether you need a this tart cranberry champagne cocktail to serve at brunch OR at a dinner party, these cranberry cocktails would be fabulous to serve around Christmas or even on New Year’s Eve.
Other bubbly drinks to mix for the holidays: Pomegranate French 75 | Mimosa Bar (or a Blended Mimosa) | Framboise Champagne Cocktail | Strawberry Champagne
Looking for a particular drink? Check out my Drinks Recipe Index for all the inspiration and ideas!
What you need to make this recipe:
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Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need to make this recipe:
- Unsweetened cranberry juice — I love the tartness this 100% juice brings to the cocktail, as well as the color. I do not recommend using cranberry juice cocktail, as it’s sweeter and less intense, flavor-wise.
- Prosecco — or your favorite sparkling wine or champagne… though that technically turns this recipe into the cranberry champagne cocktail known as a Cranberry Mimosa
- Simple syrup — the homemade kind that you make in a saucepan or the bottled kind you can purchase at the store. You could also swap it for Cranberry Simple Syrup to add even more cranberry flavor to this drink.
You can garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary or sugared cranberries.
How to make a Cranberry Bellini
Combine the cranberry juice and simple syrup in a glass. (We like to use champagne flutes because they’re pretty, but you do you!)
Pour the prosecco on top of the other ingredients.
Garnish with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs, and enjoy immediately.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This amazing cocktail would make the perfect kind of sipper to serve at a holiday brunch or on Christmas morning.
It’s easy to put together, and it can be even easier with these few steps:
- Make the simple syrup days in advance. It keeps beautifully in the fridge, so make a batch of it beforehand and let it chill out.
- Purchase more than enough ingredients. Since 100% pure cranberry juice is shelf stable and bubbly prosecco can be kept on a shelf (or in a wine fridge), you can get a few bottles of each to ensure you’ve got more than enough.
- Let guests pour their own. Print out the measurements below and let guests do their thing, as well as garnish their drinks.
Frequently Asked Questions
A bellini is a sparkling Italian mixed drink that is utterly delicious. Traditionally, it calls for white peach puree, prosecco and occasionally, a splash of raspberry or cherry juice to add a little color to it.
Cranberry bellinis, obviously, are a twist on the classic cocktail and are transformed into a cranberry cocktail.
A bellini has Italian heritage, calling for prosecco or Italian sparkling wine.
A mimosa has French roots, calling for champagne and sometimes, a splash of Gran Marnier to add to the orange flavor. (You can also use prosecco to make a Prosecco Mimosa!)
Sure! Swap champagne for the prosecco that the recipe calls for and call this beauty of a drink a Cranberry Mimosa!
Simple syrup is, well, simple to make. I wrote a post all about How to Make Simple Syrup.
You’ll need equal parts water and granulated sugar. (I like to use a cup of each and then store the leftovers in a mason jar in the fridge.) Warm them on the stovetop until the sugar has dissolved into the water, then let cool and store in a mason jar and/or measure out what you need to make a drink. (Please note that if you’re mixing a drink, you’ll want the simple syrup to be room temperature or chilled.)
Quick tips and tricks for making the best bellini recipe
- Unsweetened cranberry juice is the way to go. If you can only find cranberry cocktail, omit the simple syrup from this cranberry cocktail. Taste it and add a little more sweetness, if needed.
- If you like more prosecco, pour in more prosecco! (If you like less, use less.)
- It’s not technically a bellini recipe if you use champagne, but if that’s what you got on hand, it works! And then this transforms into a Cranberry Mimosa.
Now who’s ready to mix up some of these cranberry bellinis for a wintertime celebration?
I share how easy it is to make them below…
More cranberry cocktail recipes:
- Cranberry Moscow Mule (Yule Mule)
- Citrus Cranberry Sangria
- Blizzard Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail
- Cranberry Margarita
Cranberry Bellini
Ingredients
- 2 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice chilled
- 1 oz. simple syrup or more, depending on your taste, chilled
- 4 oz. prosecco can use more or less, depending on your taste!
- Fresh cranberries and rosemary for garnish
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
- Combine the cranberry juice and simple syrup in a glass.
- Pour the prosecco on top of the other ingredients.
- Garnish with fresh cranberries and rosemary.
- Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
These look AMAZING! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much, Laura! It is SO tasty and SO easy to make! I hope you enjoy it!
Can you really go wrong with Prosecco? Love this
I don’t think you can, Sam! Prosecco is ALWAYS good… and it’s perfect for this drink1
Oh wow, these are GORGEOUS!!! I’m gonna need some of these on Thursday night. Very clever cocktail idea!
Thanks so much, Lindsey! You should absolutely try these. They’re delicious and super easy to make!
This looks amazing! These definitely need to be a part of our NYE!
Thanks so much, Madison! I think you absolutely should have some of these for NYE!
YUUUUHS this is the exact cocktail I want to enjoy on NYE! I luurve champagne cocktails and am all about cranberry everything. Bravo, m’dear!
You and me both, Julia! In my book, you can’t beat a champagne cocktail that involves anything cranberry. ALL the cranberry all the time for me during this season! Cheers!
This is how I want to toast in the New Year!
This is absolutely perfect for New Years! I can’t get enough cranberry flavor this time of year!
Oh my, this is one fabulous cocktail!! Perfect for NYE!!
What a great New Year’s Eve cocktail! I love the festive glasses!
These are absolutely perfect! Cheers!
I love that gorgeous color! Such a perfect drink for any celebration!
I made a cranberry prosecco cocktail here this year too and it was a huge hit. Love these for New Year’s Eve!
This looks so good! I love that the ingredient list is so simple. What a great drink to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas time!
HOORAY! So happy to hear this, Suzanne! I hope you enjoy it–Cheers!
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make them?
Hi Vanessa! Thanks for your comment. Since these drinks use prosecco, I don’t recommend mixing them in advance because the prosecco will go flat.
My family loves these, they are now a Xmas tradition. Thank you for the excellent recipe.
This makes me so happy to hear, Ronnie! Thank you for leaving this comment because it has made my morning. I love that this recipe is now a part of your family’s tradition for Christmas. You’re so welcome. Merry Christmas and cheers to y’all!