5 from 1 vote

Spiced Cranberry Orange Margaritas

December 19, 2024

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday cocktail, then look no further than my Spiced Cranberry Orange Margaritas. These margaritas come together with bright, juicy cranberries, a hint of fresh cinnamon and ginger, and a homemade spiced cranberry syrup that truly gives this drink its festive twist. This recipe makes enough for two cocktails, but is perfect to batch ahead and serving at your next holiday gathering!

A glass of red fruit punch garnished with a cinnamon stick sits on a table. Nearby are a bowl of fresh cranberries, a glass pitcher with more punch, and a few scattered cranberries. The scene is set against a warm, red backdrop.

Friends, it wouldn’t be a Kalejunkie Christmas without a festive holiday cocktail recipe. Over the years, I’ve loved creating recipes like my Holiday Pomegranate Mimosas or my Pomegranate Moscow Mules. But this year, I’ve created a holiday twist on one of my favorite cocktails: the classic margarita. If you’re someone who loves a margarita like me, then you are absolutely going to LOVE this recipe. Not only is it filled with fun and festive holiday flavors, but it also has the perfect, vibrant red color that will look gorgeous sitting on your Christmas dinner table. If you want a drink that will WOW your friends and family, both flavor-wise, and aesthetic-wise, this recipe is it. When a few of my friends came over to visit me at my new house recently, I made these margaritas for them and they were obsessed. If my friends love them, I know that yours will too!

Plus, cranberries are loaded with Vitamin C, making them a delicious and healthy addition to this recipe. Since Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it can help prevent hangovers, too, which makes this recipe a win-win. A delicious, festive cocktail without the hangovers? Sign me up! However, if you’re also looking for a completely hangover-free variation of this recipe, you can also opt to make it alcohol-free by swapping out the tequila for club soda. It’s a great way to turn this cocktail into a mocktail, or even make it kid-friendly, too. My boys love the sweetness of the spiced cranberry syrup, and they love feeling like they’re included in the “adult” drinks!

Whether you’re making these margaritas for your next holiday party or enjoying them with Christmas dinner, you truly can’t go wrong. I recommend serving them alongside my Whipped Ricotta Avocado Crostinis, my Roasted Boursin Stuffed Dates, and my Ultimate Easy Beef Tenderloin for the perfect Christmas dinner!

A cocktail preparation scene with bottles of liquor, a shaker, fresh cranberries, an orange, ginger, spices, and syrup on a gold tray. A glass with red liquid, a measuring jigger, and a small Christmas tree are nearby, set against a red tiled background. — To make this cocktail, you’ll need cranberry cocktail, cane sugar, fresh ginger, cinnamon, cranberries, orange juice and zest, tequila blanco, cointreau, lime juice, and ice cubes.

To make this cocktail, you’ll need cranberry cocktail, cane sugar, fresh ginger, cinnamon, cranberries, orange juice and zest, tequila blanco, cointreau, lime juice, and ice cubes.

What You Need to Make These Simple & Festive Margaritas

Cranberry Cocktail: Of course, it wouldn’t be a cranberry margarita without the cranberry cocktail!
Cane Sugar: The spiced cranberry syrup is nice and sweet, thanks to the cane sugar.
Fresh Ginger: Fresh ginger packs a punch that tastes perfect amongst the sweet cranberry cocktail, cinnamon, and sugar.
Cinnamon: A pinch of cinnamon adds the perfect flavor to the syrup, making it perfectly warm and spicy.
Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are festive and delicious this time of year, and are perfect in this cocktail recipe!
Orange Juice + Zest: You’ll need orange zest for the cranberry syrup and orange juice for the Spiced Cranberry Orange Margarita.

A glass jar filled with red juice sits on a table surrounded by fresh cranberries, a partially sliced orange, a bowl with more cranberries, and a small dish of cinnamon. The scene is warmly lit, suggesting a cozy, autumnal setting. — Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring often. Then, remove the syrup from the heat and set it aside for 10 minutes, until it starts to thicken and the flavors develop. Strain out the remaining cranberry chunks and transfer the syrup to a jar.

Tequila Blanco: If course, it wouldn’t be a margarita without the Tequila! I personally love Tequila Blanco for its smooth taste, but any tequila will work well.
Cointreau: A little cointreau is necessary for any good margarita recipe!
Lime Juice: A squeeze of lime juice helps to cut through the sweetness of the cocktails, adding the perfect balance of flavors to this cocktail.
Holiday Ice Cubes: These are optional, but I love preparing these Holiday Pomegranate Ice Cubes to add a festive touch to these cocktails!

A person pours liquid into a glass cocktail shaker filled with ice and red juice. A Cointreau bottle, bowl of cranberries, and glass of red liquid are on a tray nearby. The setting features a red-tiled background and scattered cranberries. — When you’re ready to prepare the cocktail, add the syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice, alongside the tequila blanco, cointreau, cranberry cocktail, lime juice, and orange juice.

How to Make The Perfect Holiday Cocktail (for two!)

This cocktail comes together in two parts: first with the Spiced Cranberry Syrup and second with the Spiced Cranberry Orange Margaritas themselves.

To make these cocktails, start by preparing the Spiced Cranberry Syrup. Heat a small saucepan, on the stove, over medium heat, and add in all of the syrup ingredients: the cranberry cocktail, cane sugar, fresh ginger knob, cinnamon, cranberries, and orange zest.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring often. Once the mixture has begun to simmer (the sugar will dissolve and the cranberries will start to burst), remove the syrup from the heat and set it aside for 10 minutes, until it starts to thicken and the flavors develop. After the 10 minutes are up, strain the syrup into a large jar, removing all of the remaining cranberry chunks.

A hand pouring juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and pink liquid. Nearby are cranberries, a half orange, a small pitcher of red liquid, and a jar with a gold lid, all placed on a light-colored surface against a red tiled backdrop. — Shake the cocktail until it’s fully combined. This should make enough for two drinks!

Two textured glasses filled with a red cranberry drink, garnished with cinnamon sticks and cranberries. Surrounded by whole cranberries, a small fir tree decoration, and a wooden tray on a light surface. — Shake the cocktail until it’s fully combined. This should make enough for two drinks!

Allow the syrup to cool completely in the jar, then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare the cocktails.

To prepare the margaritas, start by filling a cocktail shaker with ice. Next, add the tequila blanco, cointreau, cranberry cocktail, lime juice, orange juice, and the spiced cranberry syrup to the cocktail shaker. Shake to fully combine. Finally, add ice to two margarita glasses and divide the drink evenly amongst the two glasses. Garnish the drinks with some festive ice cubes or a cinnamon stick, if desired. Then, serve and enjoy!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim

Dairy Free/gluten-free/Nut Free/Vegan