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Cranberry Vodka Slush combines cranberry juice and vodka with orange juice, lemonade, red jello, and sugared cranberries. This simple recipe will brighten up your holiday gatherings, and your guests will be begging for the recipe! Cheers!

Side view of three glasses of cranberry vodka slush with sugared cranberries on top.

Holiday Slush

The Holidays are such a special time of year for me. SO many amazing memories of my childhood, and I’m blessed to have had an abundance of love from a great big family. Christmas time was always a sacred time of year and still is, thanks to the example of my parents.

My mom did a lot of prep for the holidays, stacking her freezer full of all the “goodies”, in her words. She made batches and batches of cookies, peanut butter balls, peanut brittle, and holiday cocktails she could store in the infamous “buckets” (aka ice cream containers).

When we gathered, we enjoyed her Frozen Vodka Slush, Frozen Grasshoppers, Frozen Kahlúa Cocktails, and this Cranberry Vodka Slush, among many other things. Her kids are still making these concoctions for their families, me included!

Why This Recipe Works:

SIMPLE – This old fashioned recipe is straight from Norma Jean’s Kitchen and brings back all of the memories for me. The slush mixture is a combination of a handful of ingredients and can be prepped in 15 minutes or less.
EASY TO PREP AHEAD – Make this recipe in a large container ahead of time and serve the best cranberry cocktails to guests at your next holiday party!
NICE HOLIDAY COCKTAIL – This large batch cocktail is perfect for the holiday season. We love it for holiday parties, New Year’s Eve, and it’s refreshing on a hot summer day too. Just pull the plastic container out of freezer and add a couple of cranberries to each serving.

Ingredients needed for Cranberry Vodka Slush Recipe:

This icy slush recipe takes just a few minutes to mix up using simple ingredients. Make sure you plan ahead and make the slush at least the day before your big event so it has time to fully freeze!

Red Jello – You’ll need a 3 oz. package of red jello, any flavor. If you can find cranberry, use that, but I normally find strawberry works well too. You DO want some sort of RED jello though.
Boiling Water – Used to dissolve the jello.
Orange Juice – I used to use orange juice concentrate until I found it difficult to find in my grocery store. Now I use bottled orange juice instead (or make some fresh orange juice) and I find it to be just as good.
Lemonade Concentrate – Also, one 12 oz. can of frozen lemonade is needed.
Cold Water – Straight from the filter!
Cranberry Juice – Use straight-up cranberry juice or Cran-Apple Juice for a touch more sweetness.
Vodka – Make sure you buy a good quality vodka (we like Kettle One). Your head will thank you!
Sugared Cranberries – Made from fresh cranberries!

Labeled ingredients for cranberry vodka slush.

How to make Christmas Cranberry Vodka Slush:

Step 1
Dissolve jello. Boil a cup of water, and add jello. Stir until completely dissolved.

A measuring cup of the hot water and jello.

Step 2
Mix. Use a large freezer-safe container (with lid), and mix all ingredients – dissolved jello, frozen lemonade, orange juice, cranapple juice, and vodka. Stir until well combined and the lemonade is dissolved.

Step 3
Freeze. Place the lid on the slush and put it in the freezer until hardened. This freezing process may take up to 24 hours.

A container of the liquid slush before freezing.

A rectangular container of cranberry vodka slush after freezing.

Step 4
Serve. Scoop slush in glasses, add a splash of 7UP or Sprite (if desired), and top with a few sugared cranberries.

This vodka slush freezes well for up to six months.

How to make Sugared Cranberries:

Combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat, and add cranberries. Let this come to room temperature. You can place in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
Drain cranberries over a measuring cup, catching the simple syrup to add to other cocktails (if desired).
Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Arrange cranberries on top of the wire rack and let them dry.
When the cranberries are dry, roll about 1/2 cup of cranberries in a bowl of sugar and then remove to a bowl. Repeat with remaining cranberries.

Store sugared cranberries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You can also freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.

Side view of a glass of sugared cranberries with a green napkin.

Other Holiday Cocktail ideas for you to enjoy:

Snacks and Appetizers to pair:

Pair one or more of the following snacks with your vodka slushies!

Closeup on a cranberry slush with fresh cranberries inside.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

All-Clad 3-quart, Stainless Steel

xoxo ~Sue