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    Home » Recipes » Drinks

    2-Ingredient Cranberry Mimosa (Poinsettia Cocktail)

    Published: Dec 7, 2015 · Last modified: Oct 7, 2022 by Leslie Kiszka / This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.9 from 40 votes
    Cranberry Mimosas rimmed with sugar and topped with fresh cranberries next to a bowl of fresh cranberries
    Cranberry Mimosas | Stress Baking
    Cranberry Mimosas | Stress Baking
    Cranberry Mimosas | Stress Baking
    Cranberry Mimosas | Stress Baking
    Cranberry Mimosas | Stress Baking

    A cranberry mimosa (also called a Poinsettia cocktail or Christmas Mimosa) is a cranberry lover’s version of the standard mimosa – tart cranberries pair perfectly with a sugar-rimmed glass and sparkling champagne bubbles. Two main ingredients and they’re ready in 5 minutes! Serve alongside your favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes.

    Cranberry Mimosas and a bowl of fresh cranberries

    I’m going to get right to the point – this drink right here will lend itself to a holly jolly Christmas! Say hello to the Cranberry Mimosa.

    You might also hear these called Poinsettias, which is adorable.

    Overhead shot of two glasses of cranberry mimosas next to a bowl of fresh cranberries

    I know some people don’t care for orange juice, but that doesn’t mean they should have to forfeit mimosas at brunch. These cranberry Christmas cocktails are more than suitable as a holiday party cocktail!

    The tartness of the cranberry juice pairs perfectly with the sparkling bubbles. It’s a glass full of holiday cheer! 

    Ingredients for mimosas

    When you’re talking about a classic mimosa recipe, the ingredients are:

    • Sparkling wine (champagne or prosecco)
    • Orange juice
    • Optionally, some recipes call for Grand Marnier

    But for a cranberry mimosa recipe, you’ll want:

    • Sparkling wine (champagne or prosecco)
    • Cranberry juice (not cranberry juice cocktail!)
    • Orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau triple sec – completely optional. I don’t add it myself, but others enjoy it!
    Cranberry Mimosas rimmed with sugar and topped with fresh cranberries next to a bowl of fresh cranberries

    How to make the best cranberry mimosas

    • Use cold ingredients. Make sure both your cranberry juice and champagne are chilled, and keep any you don’t use in the fridge until people inevitably ask for seconds!
    • Serve in champagne flutes. They’re designed to retain the bubbles. And if you’re looking to make these for a crowd this holiday and don’t want to worry about people breaking your nice champagne flutes, I highly recommend these disposable recyclable ones that come in a set of 12 (aff link).

      They’re super cheap, no dishes to worry about, and they hold the alcohol which is really the most important piece. And you can get them with or without stems!
    • Garnish the rims. I love to rim each glass with sugar – King Arthur Flour Sparkling White Sugar (aff link), to be exact. It’s the only kind of sugar that I like to use as a garnish anymore. It’s perfect to rim cocktail glasses, and to sprinkle on baked goods. Just add a little water around the rim of the glass, then dip in the sugar.
    • Add more garnish! Since we’re talking garnish, I also love adding a sprig of fresh rosemary, or a few fresh cranberries to each glass. It’s not only a beautiful garnish, it’s a snack! And if you pop them in the freezer, they’ll help keep your drink cold. I love a multitasker, don’t you?
    • Choose the right champagne for your tastes. I prefer to use an Extra Dry or Brut, but you can use whatever type you prefer. This picture shows you the different variations in sweetness if you need help deciding.
    A jar of King Arthur Flour Sparkling Sugar

    How to make cranberry mimosas for a crowd

    You don’t want to combine the cranberry juice and champagne in a pitcher and stir it because it messes with the natural carbonation from the champagne. Just the act of pouring the champagne into the glass will mix your drink just fine.

    So, to serve a crowd you’ll just pour 4 ounces of cranberry juice into as many glasses that you need, and top each off with the champagne. A 1.5L champagne bottle holds about 6 cups (48 ounces) so if you multiplied this recipe by 5 you’d have enough for 10 people using a single bottle of champagne.

    Two glasses of cranberry mimosa in front of a Christmas tree with sugared rims

    How to make non-alcoholic cranberry mimosas

    To make yourself cranberry mimosa mocktails, you can just swap the sparkling wine for non-alcoholic sparking grape juice!

    Holiday meal pairings

    A cranberry mimosa pairs perfectly with your holiday meals!

    Set your table with an apple cider brined turkey, cornbread and bacon stuffing, roasted delicata squash and brussels sprouts, creamy pureed parsnips and top it all off with a beautiful glass of cranberry mimosa next to each person’s plate.

    After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!

    Cranberry Mimosas and a bowl of fresh cranberries

    2-Ingredient Cranberry Mimosa (Poinsettia Cocktail)

    4.88 from 40 votes
    A cranberry lover’s version of the standard mimosa – tart cranberries pair perfectly with a sugar-rimmed glass and sparkling champagne bubbles. Two main ingredients and they’re ready in 5 minutes!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 minutes
    Total Time 2 minutes
    Servings 2 drinks
        ✓ Read the recipe from beginning to end
          ✓ Check oven calibration
            ✓ Check expiration dates
              ✓ Properly measure ingredients
                ✓ Check butter temperature

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 4 ounces cranberry juice, not cranberry juice cocktail
    • 8 ounces sparkling wine, champagne or prosecco
    • Sparkling sugar, for garnish
    • Fresh cranberries, for garnish
    • Fresh rosemary sprig, for garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Rim two champagne glasses with a little water or simple syrup and then dip in sparking sugar.
      Sparkling sugar
    • Pour ¼ cup cranberry juice in each champagne glass.
      4 ounces cranberry juice
    • Add ½ cup sparkling wine to each glass.
      8 ounces sparkling wine
    • Top with a few fresh or frozen cranberries and serve immediately. Enjoy!
      Fresh cranberries | Fresh rosemary sprig

    Video

    Notes

    Serving a crowd: 1.5L champagne bottle holds about 6 cups so if you multiplied this recipe by 5 you’d have enough for 10 people using a single bottle of champagne. You’ll still need to pour each glass individually as champagne doesn’t hold up well if try to combine it all in a pitcher.
    Type of sparking line: I prefer to use an Extra Dry or Brut champagne, but you can use whatever type you prefer. This picture shows you the different variations in sweetness if you need help deciding.
    Type of cranberry juice: Just make sure you’re using cranberry juice and not “cranberry cocktail” juice mix.
    Sweetness: If you find you want to add a bit of sweetness, just stir in a tiny bit of simple syrup.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course Drink
    Cuisine American
    Author Leslie Kiszka
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating!

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    Leslie Kiszka in a red dress

    About Leslie

    I'm the hot mess behind every recipe you see here! I use baking as an outlet for relieving stress and anxiety to provide you with approachable homemade recipes and a little humor, for good measure.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. monica dutton yellowstone cotton jacket

      August 18, 2022 at 8:21 am

      5 stars
      I truly appreciate monica dutton yellowstone cotton jacket this post. Much thanks!

      Reply
    2. Tejashri

      July 02, 2022 at 12:22 am

      5 stars
      Hi! I love how informative and great your articles are. Can you recommend any other blogs that share information about the best Indian Grocery stores or gourmet food stores? Thanks a lot!

      Reply
    3. Valerie Hudelson

      December 27, 2019 at 9:45 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and fun for Christmas morning mimosas.

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        December 28, 2019 at 5:16 pm

        I agree! Thanks for leaving a comment and rating!

        Reply
    4. Anita

      December 07, 2019 at 9:44 pm

      Do u think we could add a splash of chambord to this ?

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        December 08, 2019 at 8:23 am

        Absolutely, that sounds delightful!

        Reply
      • Wiss

        January 24, 2023 at 5:04 pm

        4 stars
        recipe is good , although 1/4 cup is 2 oz. not 4oz and 1/2 cup is 4 oz. not 8oz. 8oz. equals one cup .

        Reply
        • Leslie Kiszka

          January 24, 2023 at 8:00 pm

          That’s correct. That’s why it’s listed to add 1/4 cup cranberry juice in each champagne glass (2 ounces each, 4 ounces total), and add 1/2 cup sparkling wine to each glass (4 ounces each, 8 ounces total).

    5. Sarah

      November 29, 2019 at 9:55 am

      This is traditionally called a poinsettia

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        November 29, 2019 at 9:58 am

        Yep! I call that out in the beginning of the post – it’s such a cute name, but so many people don’t know about it, so they search for “cranberry mimosas”.

        Reply
    6. Julie

      October 28, 2019 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      So easy! This is my go to drink when people come over now and its always ahit.

      Reply
    7. Lorri

      December 25, 2018 at 8:51 am

      5 stars
      Pitcher? Or one of those glass dispensers? Thinking Christmas wedding tipple.

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        December 26, 2018 at 12:27 pm

        Since it uses champagne that will lose its carbonation, it doesn’t work well mixed in a pitcher like you would with some other drinks.

        Reply
    8. Lorri Johnston

      December 25, 2018 at 8:49 am

      5 stars
      I wonder if this would be a good “pitcher” served drink.? My son and his fiancé are getting married on dec 12.

      Reply
    9. Ardina

      December 12, 2018 at 7:07 am

      How do you make this for a crowd?

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        December 13, 2018 at 1:53 pm

        Hi Ardina! I’m not sure how many people you’re looking to serve, but a 1.5L champagne bottle holds ~6 cups (give or take) so if you multiplied this recipe by 5 you’d have enough for 10 people using a single bottle of champagne. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    10. Susan Galloway

      December 11, 2018 at 7:34 am

      What kind of champagne do you use? Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see if you specified. I love sparkling moscato but wasn’t sure if that would work. I hope I can make mine look as pretty as you did ?

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        December 11, 2018 at 9:43 am

        I didn’t specify because it’s up to you and what you like :) I personally prefer extra dry champagne, but if you like a sweeter one, go for it!

        Reply
    11. Nanci

      February 11, 2018 at 7:45 pm

      Does this recipe use cranberry cocktail or unsweetened pure cranberry juice?

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        February 12, 2018 at 10:00 am

        I use unsweetened pure cranberry juice, but if it’s too tart for you (even with the other ingredients), but can use a cranberry cocktail instead.

        Reply
    12. Amanda

      December 01, 2017 at 4:23 pm

      I cannot think of a more festive drink. The sugar touch is great. Did you do the photography for this? It is amazing!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        December 01, 2017 at 4:29 pm

        I did – thank you for the kind words!

        Reply
    13. The Janitor

      December 13, 2015 at 7:29 pm

      OMG your glasses are all dusty too! Are you Miss Havisham?

      Reply
      • Linda

        November 18, 2019 at 8:29 pm

        5 stars
        For the Janitor” who rudely remarked that your glasses were dusty, had she cleaned her glasses, I believe she would have noticed the reflection if your tablecloth in your glasses. Made a small portion to try before offering it to guests…quality control, lol…and it was lovely! I tossed in a sprig of rosemary, and they look so festive! Thank you!

        Reply

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