Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
This Cranberry Margarita is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and brightened with Cointreau. It is a sweet yet tangy cranberry cocktail that’s perfect for Fall, Winter, or the holidays.
If you love seasonal cocktails that are simple, naturally sweet, and full of flavor, this cranberry margarita is for you. Made with pure cranberry juice, Cointreau, lime and maple syrup, it’s a beautiful cocktail recipe that tastes as good as it looks!
I usually make this apple cider whisky cocktail and this pumpkin white Russian around this time of year. And now this cranberry margarita is being added to the mix.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this cocktail
- Naturally sweetened. This cranberry margarita is sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of a simple syrup made with refined sugar. This sweetness balances the tartness of the cranberry perfectly.
- Sweet tangy flavor. The combination of tangy cranberry, zesty lime, and citrusy Cointreau with the sweetness of maple syrup results in a well rounded balanced cocktail. YUM.
- Festive. The deep red color and the flavor of cranberries makes this drink perfect for Fall, Winter, the holidays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
- Simple to make. You only need a handful of ingredients and a few minutes to make this margarita.
Recipe ingredients
- Blanco tequila– make sure to use a brand that you enjoy the flavor of. I like a crisp almost sweet tequila blanco. The G4 brand is one of my favorites.
- Cointreau– this adds a bright citrus flavor to margaritas. Try my cointreau margarita recipe for a classic made with it.
- Cranberry juice– I prefer the taste of 100% cranberry juice because it is more tangy and has a better cranberry taste. Feel free to use cranberry juice cocktail if you prefer that taste.
- Lime juice– you can make fresh lime juice out of limes or buy lime juice that has been pre-juiced.
- Maple syrup– make sure to use 100% pure maple syrup here for a delicious and natural sweetener option.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/ Substitutions
- Instead of blanco tequila, you can use reposado or anejo, based on your preferences.
- Instead of Cointreau, you can use orange juice, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec.
- Instead of lime juice, you can use lemon juice.
- Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey BUT you’ll need to melt it in some hot water first. 1 Tablespoon of honey melted in 1 Tablespoon of hot water works well.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: To make a sugar rim, dunk the rim of your cup in a small plate filled with maple syrup.
Step 2: Then put the rim into a small palte filled with sugar. Move the cup in circles until all the maple syrup is covered in sugar.
Step 3: Add the tequila, lime juice, cranberry juice, Cointreau and maple syrup to a cocktail shaker.
Step 4: Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake. Pour the cranberry margarita into a cup filled with ice.
Step 5: Add a slice of lime and serve.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Mix the cranberry juice, lime juice, Cointreau, and maple syrup together up to a day in advance. Store the mixture in a sealed jar or pitcher in the fridge, then shake with ice and tequila right before serving.
Of course! Skip the tequila and Cointreau, and add a splash of orange juice and sparkling water instead.
Yes! Multiply the ingredients by 4 or 8, depending on your crowd size. Store in a pitcher.
Other cocktails you’ll love:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Cranberry Margarita Cocktail
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces blanco/silver tequila , (1 shot)
- 3/4 ounce Cointreau, (1/2 shot)
- 1.5 ounces lime juice, (1 shot)
- 3 ounces cranberry juice, (2 shots)
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Optional- Make a sugar rim on your cup. Pour some maple syrup into a small plate. Pour white sugar onto a different small plate. Dunk the rim of your cup into the maple syrup and then into the white sugar. Move the cup in small circles in the sugar to coat the rim.
- Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker along with a few ice cubes and shake. Fill your serving cup with ice and pour cranberry margarita mixture on top into the cup.
Notes
- Instead of blanco tequila, you can use reposado or anejo, based on your preferences.
- Instead of Cointreau, you can use orange juice, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec.
- Instead of lime juice, you can use lemon juice.
- Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey BUT you’ll need to melt it in some hot water first. 1 Tablespoon of honey melted in 1 Tablespoon of hot water works well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you love tart drinks, you will love this recipe! I hope you love it as much as my husband and I do!