christmas white russian recipe (2024)

Jump to Recipe

A Christmas White Russian is a fun, festive holiday drink inspired by the classic three-ingredient co*cktail.

Looking for other Christmas co*cktails? Sip on a Cranberry Bourbon Smash, Christmas Moscow Mule, Pumpkin Spice White Russian,Hot Toddy, Gingerbread Martini, Peppermint Chocolate Martini or Candy Cane Martini!

I know it sounds cliché, but Christmas is my favorite time of year.

I love everything about the holiday season: the lights, the music, the movies, the festive parties, the traditions. (In fact, I’m listening to Christmas music as I write this.)

To me, there’s this unexplained extra special feeling of joy just sort of floating in the air the entire month of December.

My Christmas season celebrations are deeply steeped in tradition: putting our Christmas tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving (although this has changed in a post 2020 world and our house now gets decorated mid-November so we can enjoy it longer, going to an annual performance of The Nutcracker, rolling and cutting out dozens of Grandma Vera’s sugar cookies, wrapping Christmas presents, cozying up on the couch in front of the fire to watch our favorite holiday movies (we’ve recently been into the cheesy Christmas movies on Netflix.)

And while I love my annual holiday traditions, I also love creating new festive memories every holiday season.

We’ve been in our house for three years now and I love we decking the halls…from wrapping multi-colored lights around our outdoor columns and a homemade wreath on the front door, to garlands galore in the living room and kitchen windows, and strategic Santa placements throughout our house.

One of my favorite corners of our new home is the wood-burning fireplace in our basem*nt; there’s something peaceful (and also rewarding) about sitting in front of the fire, flanked by our pup Bodie and a few cats, relaxing with AJ while the logs sizzle, crackle and pop.

The fireplace and mantle got the VIP Christmas decorating treatment this year, complete with custom stockings, a lighted garland and greenery, and a homemade wooden toboggan handcrafted by my father-in-law.

It’s really become a place I love to unwind, and seeing it so festively decorated for the season gives me a lot of joy!

Do you know what makes relaxing in front of our festive fireplace even more enjoyable? A holiday co*cktail of course!

**What is in a White Russian co*cktail?**

Creamy white russian co*cktails are relatively easy and simple drinks to make and go down smoothly, but can be a little bit stronger than they seem.

You may be familiar with the co*cktail from a popular cult comedy classic because it’s the Dude’s go-to drink.

Ingredients for a White Russian Christmas Recipe

To make your White Russian festive and even more seasonally appropriate, swap a seasonal favorite, eggnog, for the heavy cream in the classic white russian co*cktail recipe.

To make one co*cktail, you’ll need:

2-3 ounces eggnog
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce coffee liqueur
Ice cubes
Nutmeg to garnish
Cinnamon sticks, to garnish

How do I make a Christmas White Russian?

You can make this eggnog co*cktail shaken or stirred.

To start, pour two to three ounces of eggnog into a co*cktail glass or co*cktail shaker, depending on how strong you like your co*cktails.

Add two ounces of vodka, one ounce of coffee liqueur, and that’s it!

If you’re making your White Russian in a co*cktail glass, add some ice and give it a stir, and if you went the shaker route, give it a good shake and then pour over ice.

Sprinkle with a little nutmeg, and enjoy, preferably next to a cozy fire if you can.

Can I batch this white russian recipe to make it for a crowd?

Yes!

This co*cktail can easily be batched to make it for a big group, whether you’re hosting holiday parties, Secret Santa gift exchange, or have a big, co*cktail loving family staying with you for a few days.

In order to make a big batch of Christmas White Russians, you just have to increase the ingredients, and combine them in something like a large pitcher or a punch bowl, rather than making individual co*cktails to order.

To make six co*cktails, you can combine 1 ½ cups vodka, ½ cup coffee liqueur and 2 to 2 ½ cups of eggnog in a pitcher or a punch bowl.

What other holiday flavors would be good in a White Russian Christmas Recipe?

While eggnog is my favorite Christmas drink, you could use other seasonal flavors to create a Christmas-inspired White Russian drink. If going this route, make sure you add in the heavy cream that is in the basic White Russian recipe and then make a simple syrup featuring one of these popular seasonal flavors:

Peppermint sticks or candy canes (or even peppermint schnapps)

Sugar Cookie

Gingerbread

Pumpkin spice

Christmas spice (you could make a simple syrup with spices like nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon)

Chocolate (it’s giving me hot cocoa energy)

What kind of eggnog Should I Use to Make an Eggnog White Russian?

When I’ve had the time, I’ve tried my hand at homemade eggnog in the past…and let’s just say it’s much easier to buy from the store.

But not all store-bought nogs are created equal, and coming from someone who is squarely in the pro nog camp (both AJ and I love its smooth, creamy texture and distinctive Christmas-y taste) we have tried our fair share of store-bought holiday beverages and finally found our favorite: Bolthouse Farms Holiday Nog.

Not only do we love the texture and taste, we love that we get the creamy taste of traditional eggnog without extra calories and fat.

There’s even a pinch of Bolthouse Farms signature carrot juice in their Holiday Nog recipe as an extra secret ingredient!

I partnered with Bolthouse Farms to create this content and I am receiving compensation for this post.

All opinions and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands and businesses that support Off the Eaten Path!