This fun holiday dessert cocktail tastes just like peppermint stick ice cream. If you love candy canes and creamy cocktails, this one is for you!
This Candy Cane Martini is a simple, easy to batch recipe that's perfect for holiday parties. It's also festive enough to enjoy as an after dinner treat on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, or any time you want to celebrate the season with a little extra holiday cheer.
What you'll need to make it
We're using just three ingredients to make this cocktail. Two are store bought and the third requires just a little bit of time to make - but it's so worth the pay off.
Vodka or white rum
Vodka is the default choice for this drink because of its neutral flavor. This lets the peppermint flavor of the candy canes shine through. However, it's also great with white rum, if you prefer a little more flavor. The vanilla notes of white rum are a perfect pairing with cream and mint.
Heavy cream
Heavy cream gives the drink it's rich and velvety texture. You can use light cream instead, but it won't be quite as luxurious.
Candy cane simple syrup
This fun simple syrup is easy to make and takes just a few minutes on the stove. The most arduous part of this recipe is waiting for it to cool down enough to make cocktails! How to make Candy Cane Simple Syrup.
See my recipe substitutions and variations below for alternatives to this candy cane syrup.
Did you know you can make your own candy canes at home? Check out this cool recipe from Just a Pinch - Homemade Candy Canes
How to make the cocktail
To make the Candy Cane Martini, add your ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill it three quarters with ice. Shake hard until the shaker is very cold, about twelve seconds. Now strain the cocktail into a martini or coupe glass and enjoy!
How to garnish
If you'd like to garnish your martini, you can add a miniature candy cane or rim the glass with crushed candy canes. Another exceptional garnish for this cocktail is some freshly grated dark chocolate! Use a microplane or cheese grater to sprinkle some chocolate shavings on top of your finished drink.
How to rim the glass with crushed candy canes
Break a few candy canes into smaller pieces and add them to a ziplock bag. Wrap the bag in a kitchen towel. Now use a mallet or rolling pin to crush the candy into tiny pieces. Pour the crushed candy cane pieces into a shallow dish and set aside.
In order to get the crushed candy to stick to the glass, you'll need to use a sticky substance. My favorite choices for this drink are the candy cane syrup or vanilla frosting. I use frosting to rim my Christmas Sugar Cookie Martini and it adds another fun, sweet dimension to the drink.
Pour some of your candy cane syrup into a shallow bowl and carefully dunk the outside edge of your cocktail glass in the liquid. Next, dip the sticky rim of your glass into the crushed candy cane pieces. You can rim the entire glass, or just half.
Recipe substitutions and variations
There's more than one way to make a Candy Cane Martini, but this recipe is my favorite. If you want to try some other variations, here are some ideas.
Vanilla vodka
Instead of plain vodka, you can use a flavored vodka like vanilla or peppermint. Just make sure to use a quality brand to avoid any cloying artificial flavors. I love Absolut Vanilia.
Peppermint vodka
You could make this cocktail even more minty by using peppermint vodka instead of regular vodka. One example is Smirnoff Peppermint Twist.
For authentic candy cane flavor, you can infuse your plain vodka with candy canes! Simply fill a mason jar about three quarters with vodka and add several candy canes (broken into smaller pieces so they fit).
Close the jar and give it a good shake and leave it to infuse overnight. Once all of the candy cane pieces have dissolved, it's ready to go! Keep in mind that it will be a touch sweeter than plain vodka because of the candy, so you may need less candy cane syrup to make this cocktail.
Peppermint schnapps
Peppermint schnapps is another way to make this cocktail even more minty. If using a peppermint schnapps such as Rumplemintze, you won't need to add any vodka. This schnapps is very strong at 50% ABV. It also adds a lot of sweetness, so you'll need to adjust the amount of candy cane syrup used until it suits your taste.
Crème de cacao or other chocolate liqueurs
Make this a Chocolate Candy Cane Martini by adding a half ounce of crème de cacao or other chocolate liqueur! A great garnish for this variation is a rim of chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes.
Easy peppermint simple syrup
If you want an even quicker peppermint syrup than the candy cane syrup used here, you can make a lightning quick one with peppermint extract. Simply combine one cup of sugar with one cup of water and add one teaspoon of quality peppermint extract (or more, to taste).
Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved, then store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. This syrup is a nice alternative if you want to avoid dyes. There are also dye-free candy canes from brands like YumEarth.
Other creamy ingredients
Heavy cream is the ideal creamy ingredient to use in a dessert cocktail like this. However, you could also use light cream or whole milk with good results. Other alternatives are dairy-free cream substitutes made from oats, almonds or other nuts. Just be sure that it is unsweetened.
Ice cream martinis
If you want to make this martini even more indulgent, you can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Add the ice cream along with the other ingredients to the cocktail shaker and shake without ice to incorporate the ice cream. Once the liquid is smooth, add your ice and shake for an additional 10-15 seconds.
How to batch Candy Cane Martinis for a group
This three ingredient cocktail is simple to batch for a group. Multiple the recipe below by your number of servings, then add the ingredients to a large pitcher.
Add a half ounce of water per serving to account for dilution. Because we won't have the added dilution from shaking with ice, we need to add that little bit of water that helps to temper the strong and sweet flavors.
Chill the mixture in the fridge at least two hours in advance. Just before serving, remove the pitcher from the fridge and use an immersion blender to whip everything together. Serve immediately.
You can also pour everything into a countertop blender, but I find that hitting it quickly with an immersion blender is much easier and less messy.
You may also enjoy these other holiday cocktails:
Candy Cane Martini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ oz vodka (or white rum)
- 1 oz candy cane simple syrup
- 1 oz heavy cream
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill it ¾ with ice.
- Shake until chilled, about 12 seconds. Strain into a martini or coupe glass.
- Optional: rim your cocktail glass with candy cane syrup and crushed candy canes. See notes below.
Notes
How to rim the glass with crushed candy canes:
- Break a few candy canes into smaller pieces and add them to a ziplock bag. Wrap the bag in a kitchen towel.
- Now use a mallet or rolling pin to crush the candy into tiny pieces.
- Pour the crushed candy cane pieces into a shallow dish and set aside.
- Pour some of your candy cane syrup into a shallow bowl and carefully dunk the outside edge of your cocktail glass in the liquid.
- Next, dip the sticky rim of your glass into the crushed candy cane pieces. You can rim the entire glass, or just half.