Candy Cane Shots
Candy Cane Shots are festive holiday shots built on a homemade peppermint flavored vodka. Instead of buying a flavored bottle, you let peppermint candy disks melt into plain vodka until the whole jar turns minty and sweet.
The peppermint vodka itself needs only 2 simple ingredients, which makes it one of the easiest things you can put together for a Christmas gathering. Mix it once, keep it cold, and you have Christmas shots ready whenever guests arrive.
Jump to:
- Candy Cane Shots
- This post is about how to make Candy Cane Shots for Christmas.
- Peppermint Shots
- WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- INGREDIENTS NOTES FOR CANDY CANE SHOTS
- HOW TO MAKE CANDY CANE SHOTS
- TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- CAN I ADD MORE PEPPERMINT DISKS?
- LOVE CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS RECIPES? YOU MAY LIKE THESE
- CANDY CANE MARTINI
- CHRISTMAS SANGRIA
- GRINCH JELLO SHOTS
- LOVED OUR CANDY CANE SHOTS RECIPE? PIN IT FOR LATER!
- Ingredients
- Recipe details
- FAQs
- How do you make candy cane shots?
- What vodka is best for candy cane shots?
- How do you store candy cane shots and how long do they last?
- How do you serve candy cane shots?
- Candy Cane Shots
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Last Step:
- Notes
- Did you make this recipe?
This post is about how to make Candy Cane Shots for Christmas.
Everything below starts with the homemade peppermint vodka and then moves on to pouring and serving the shots, so you can follow along whether you are planning a big holiday party or a small get together with a few friends.
The drink is meant for Christmas and for any other holiday gathering where you would rather skip store bought drinks. This version is adapted from the original Candy Cane Shots recipe at Zen and Honey.
Peppermint Shots
These Christmas shots are made with peppermint candy disks and unflavored vodka, and that is the whole ingredient list. The candy cane vodka is easy to make and simple to share with party guests, which matters when people are drifting through the kitchen all evening.
The flavor is strong peppermint with a bite from the vodka, rounded out with an icy cool finish. It tastes like a White Christmas in a bottle, and if you love peppermint and candy canes during the holidays, this is the kind of drink that delivers.
Serve the peppermint vodka in your favorite shot glasses and surprise your guests with a holiday cocktail that looks as festive as it tastes.
Keep the jars cold and the glasses small. These shots go fast, and a chilled pour keeps the mint flavor bright. If you also like peppermint on a dessert plate, Candy Cane Cookies are an easy sweet to set out beside the tray.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
Four things make this recipe a keeper for the holidays:
- You need only 2 ingredients to make your own peppermint flavored vodka, so there is no specialty bottle to hunt down.
- It is perfect for holiday parties because the candy cane shots recipe has a very strong peppermint flavor that party guests tend to love.
- That strong peppermint flavor is exactly what makes it feel right for the season.
- It is easy to serve for a large crowd. Pour the flavored vodka into favorite shot glasses and it disappears quickly.
If you are curious how another peppermint candy vodka drink comes together, it is a fun comparison, but this version stays deliberately simple with two ingredients and a cold fridge.
INGREDIENTS NOTES FOR CANDY CANE SHOTS
The recipe needs 2 ingredients plus mason jars, and nothing else. Those ingredients are peppermint disks and unflavored vodka. That is the entire shopping list, which is a big part of why this works so well in a busy December.
Plan on 20 peppermint disks and 1 bottle of unflavored vodka at 750 ml. You will also want 2 mason jars, 16 oz each, because the batch is split between them.
Peppermint disks are the round, flat candies that melt cleanly into liquid. That melting behavior is what makes them the right pick here, and it is also why the notes steer you away from soft peppermints, which break down differently.
HOW TO MAKE CANDY CANE SHOTS
- Unwrap your peppermints and place 10 in each mason jar.
- Evenly divide the vodka between both mason jars.
- Place the lid on each jar, tightly, and give a slight shake, turning the jar upside down.
- Place in the fridge for 5 days or until the peppermints are completely dissolved.
- There will be a white layer at the bottom of the mason jars. Simply turn the jars upside down for about an hour and then shake them well.
- Pour and enjoy.
The waiting is the real work here. Once the candy has fully dissolved, you have a smooth peppermint vodka rather than a gritty one, and the color turns soft and cloudy instead of clear.
Splitting the batch between two jars is what the recipe calls for, and the notes mention that putting everything in one jar instead will take longer to sit. Use jars with tight fitting lids so you can shake them without drips.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Storage matters more than you would expect. In theory these can be kept in a cool pantry or a similar area, but the recipe notes found the mixture keeps much longer and tastes much better stored in the fridge. Left somewhere warm, it starts to develop a bitter aftertaste.
Keep the peppermint vodka in the mason jars or another sealed drink container until it is used up. In the fridge it will last a long time, if it even needs to last that long.
About the candy itself, the recipe was not tested with soft peppermints, and the notes do not suggest them. Soft peppermints have a weaker flavor and they become grainy rather than smooth when they disintegrate, so the advice is to try them at your own risk.
Vodka quality shows up in the finished glass. Using a good vodka makes the finished product taste much better, while cheap vodka will taste like cheap peppermint vodka. The recipe notes used Smirnoff as a decent price for not so bad vodka.
If you would rather not split the batch, all of the mixture can go in one jar instead. Just know it will take longer to sit.
For serving, crush some peppermint discs, dip the tips of the shot glasses in a bit of light corn syrup, and then dip the tops in the crushed peppermint. It gives every glass a frosted edge that looks festive on a party tray.
Chill the peppermint vodka well before serving. That icy cool finish is a big part of what makes these shots taste like the holidays.
CAN I ADD MORE PEPPERMINT DISKS?
Yes, you can add more peppermint disks. The ratio of candy canes and vodka in this recipe creates a strong hint of flavor, so if you prefer a more minty result, simply add a few more candy canes. Taste the finished vodka once the candy has dissolved, then adjust the next batch from there.
LOVE CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS RECIPES? YOU MAY LIKE THESE
If you are building a holiday drink menu, a few other Christmas cocktails sit nicely next to a tray of peppermint shots. They are all festive, and none of them take much work. For a sweet bite on the same table, White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies keep the mint theme going.
CANDY CANE MARTINI
A candy cane martini takes the same peppermint idea into a chilled stemmed glass. It is a good pick when you want something sippable alongside the shots, especially for guests who prefer to sip slowly rather than knock back a small pour.
CHRISTMAS SANGRIA
Christmas sangria is the fruit forward option, and it works well when your crowd leans toward wine based drinks. Set a pitcher out next to the shot tray and let people serve themselves.
GRINCH JELLO SHOTS
Grinch jello shots are the playful green choice, easy to line up on a tray beside the candy cane shots for a colorful holiday spread.
LOVED OUR CANDY CANE SHOTS RECIPE? PIN IT FOR LATER!
Save this recipe to your holiday board so it is waiting for you when December gets busy. It is also a good one to pass along to whoever is hosting this year, since the batch makes enough to share.
Ingredients
This batch makes 2 16 oz mason jars of peppermint vodka.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Peppermint disks | 20 |
| Unflavored vodka | 1 bottle, 750 ml |
Equipment: 2 16 oz Mason Jars.
Nothing here is optional, and nothing needs to be swapped out for the base recipe to work. Plain vodka is what carries the peppermint, so keep the vodka unflavored.
Recipe details
Prep time is 5 minutes. The process also needs an additional 5 days and 1 hour, and the total time is 5 days, 1 hour and 5 minutes.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Additional time | 5 days 1 hour |
| Total time | 5 days 1 hour 5 minutes |
| Yield | 2 16 oz Mason Jars |
| Course | Drinks |
| Cuisine | American |
Most of that time is hands off. You spend a few minutes mixing, then the fridge does the rest, and only the final turning and shaking needs your attention.
Because the candy needs several days to dissolve, this is not a same day project. Start the jars at least five days before you plan to serve them so the peppermint has time to do its work. The source recipe does not provide nutrition information, so no nutrition values are listed here.
FAQs
How do you make candy cane shots?
Unwrap 20 peppermint disks and place 10 in each of two 16 oz mason jars. Divide one 750 ml bottle of unflavored vodka evenly between the jars, seal the lids tightly, shake, and refrigerate for 5 days or until the candy dissolves completely. A white layer may settle at the bottom, so turn the jars upside down for about an hour and shake well before pouring. Hard peppermint disks dissolve smoothly, while soft peppermints are not recommended because they turn grainy.
What vodka is best for candy cane shots?
Use an unflavored vodka so the peppermint flavor comes through without competing notes. A mid-priced brand such as Smirnoff gives a clean, smooth result, while very cheap vodka tastes sharp and makes the finished shots taste cheap as well. The recipe calls for one 750 ml bottle, divided evenly between two mason jars.
How do you store candy cane shots and how long do they last?
Keep the finished peppermint vodka in a sealed container, such as the mason jars, in the refrigerator. Cold storage preserves the flavor and helps prevent the bitter aftertaste that develops when the mixture sits at room temperature for too long. Chilled in a sealed jar, it keeps a long time, so you can make it well before your gathering.
How do you serve candy cane shots?
Chill your shot glasses in the freezer, then pour the peppermint vodka straight in for a shooter or sip it slowly. For a festive rim, dip the edges of the glasses in light corn syrup and then in crushed peppermint disks, and add a small candy cane as a garnish. For a milder drink, mix the peppermint vodka with hot chocolate, coffee, or cream.
Candy Cane Shots
Candy Cane Shots Candy Cane Shots are festive holiday shots built on a homemade peppermint flavored vodka. Instead of buying a flavored bottle, you let peppermint candy disks melt into plain vodka until the whole jar turns minty and sweet.
- Total Time: 7205 min
- Yield: 2 16 oz Mason Jars 1x
Ingredients
20 peppermint disks
1 bottle unflavored vodka
Instructions
1-Unwrap your peppermints and place 10 in: Unwrap your peppermints and place 10 in each mason jar.
2-Evenly divide the vodka between both mason: Evenly divide the vodka between both mason jars.
3-Place the lid on each jar, tightly,: Place the lid on each jar, tightly, and give a slight shake, turning the jar upside down.
4-Place in the fridge for 5 days: Place in the fridge for 5 days or until the peppermints are completely dissolved.
5-There will be a white layer at: There will be a white layer at the bottom of the mason jars. Simply turn the jars upside down for about an hour and then shake them well.
6-Pour and enjoy: Pour and enjoy!
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
Additional time: follow the resting and cooling steps (5 min).
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Method: no_cook
