Wondering what to do with leftover cranberry sauce? This Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cosmo is the most delicious (and fun) way to reinvent your leftovers!
It’s vibrant, it’s fresh, and it’s festive. And it’s got enough booze in just one glass to warm you up, making it the perfect winter drink. Plus, it only requires 4 ingredients to bring bold flavor—something I very much appreciate as a busy mom who loves a good cocktail!
Cranberry sauce is one of those obligatory side dishes on Thanksgiving (my go-to is this Brandy Cranberry Sauce!).
Now I don’t know if it’s just our family or if you can say the same for yours, but after a couple of days of reheating and gobbling up leftovers, EVERYTHING else is gone except for the cranberry sauce.
There is inexplicably ALWAYS some leftover even though every single person puts it on their plate. We are always left wondering what to do with that extra sweet and tart deliciousness.
Enter this Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cosmo—the deep red fancy and festive drink you’ll want to enjoy all year round. And the new approach to the classic Cosmopolitan that (dare I say it?) may even taste better than the original. We will let you be the judge of that.
P.S. Looking for more ways to reinvent Thanksgiving Leftovers? Check out these Twice Baked Potatoes next!
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cosmo Ingredient Highlights
You’ll just need three other ingredients outside of your leftover cranberry sauce. Canned, homemade, whole, or jellied cranberry sauce works.
Use your favorite vodka! Traditional, unflavored vodka is preferred, but fruity-flavored vodka also works here. I usually just go for classic Tito’s.
Fresh lime juice goes a long way in this recipe! Usually, you can get 1 tablespoon of lime juice out of ½ of a lime.
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cocktail Tips and Tricks
How to Make a Cosmopolitan with Cranberry Sauce
This part is optional, but if you want the ultimate cranberry Cosmo experience, it’s highly recommended you sugar your rim! It’s simple to do. Just wet the rim of your glass with lime and then dip it into sugar.
You can put the sugar on a plate, in a shallow bowl, or easiest of all—use a cocktail rimmer.
In addition to your four ingredients, you’ll also need either a blender or a food processor, preferably a blender! I use this blender and it works like a charm!
Just throw all your ingredients into a blender, process on high for about 30 seconds to one minute, and voila! No need for crushing, muddling, or mixing!
This cocktail is best cold and smooth, which means we have to get out the solids.
For a smooth sip, use a sieve. Hold it over your glass and pour the contents of your blender into the sieve. The liquid will strain into the glass.
Once you pour all of the contents of the blender into the sieve, you may want to use a spatula to push down, to make sure you get the most liquid separated as possible.
When I know I’m making this cocktail, I stick my vodka and triple sec in the freezer. It keeps the whole cocktail nice and cold for a solid 15 minutes. And if you’re anything like me, these dangerously delicious cocktails are gone quicker than that.
(Even when I make a conscious effort to savor every sip! 😅)
I try to avoid using ice in this drink because when it melts it will dilute your beautifully balanced cocktail. Try making ice out of lime juice so that when it melts, it just adds a little extra flavor.
Or maybe use Rocks Ice, which is larger ice intended for cocktails. My husband and I use these ice molds to make ice for all of our cocktails and mocktails and highly recommend them!
But I know you are seeing this recipe right at happy hour, after a long day, and thinking, “umm hello, I’m gonna need one of these immediately. I don’t have time to wait for my alcohol to sit in the freezer for hours or to make your fancy ice—give me another option!”
To which I say, “I TOTALLY get it”.
And in that case, just chill your glass in the freezer while you’re making your drink!
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cosmo
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
Ingredients
- 1 ounce cranberry sauce (1 oz = 2 tbsp)
- 3 ounces vodka (3 oz = 6 tbsp)
- 2 ounces triple sec (2 oz = 1/4 cup)
- 1 ounce lime juice
Optional Garnish
- sugar for rim
- 5 fresh cranberries
- lime peel
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and process on high until smooth.1 ounce cranberry sauce, 3 ounces vodka, 2 ounces triple sec, 1 ounce lime juice
- Pour through a strainer twice to remove any remaining solids from your cranberry sauce.
- Serve cold in a sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with sugared cranberries and lime peel (optional).5 fresh cranberries, lime peel, sugar for rim
Pro Tips
- Stick your vodka and triple sec in the freezer a couple of hours before preparing these drinks, to achieve an ice-cold drink, without needing the ice.
- I prefer to use Whole Cranberry Sauce vs Jellied, but either will work!
Video
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8 thoughts on “Vibrant Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cosmo”
So yummy! The hubby made it for me tonight 10/10
YAYYYY you deserve to be spoiled with ALL THE COCKTAILS queen!!! <3 So glad you enjoyed!
Could you give the recipe for a big batch?
Hi Erin!
To serve 4, use 1/2 cup cranberry sauce, 1 & 1/2 cups vodka, 1 cup triple sec, and 1/2 cup lime juice (juice of 4 limes). You can easily double that to serve 8.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Great drink! The cranberry sauce gave it a nice, creamy texture. We put a beautiful rosemary/cranberry ice cube in the drink with a Prosecco float!
So glad you enjoyed, Amy! That ice cube sounds absolutely beautiful and I bet added even more flavor as it melted! Cheers!
Really yummy!! Top it with some sparkling water or some berry kombucha and it adds a nice little touch!
Omg Megan! With Berry Kombucha?? GENIUS!! Need to try that!