This White Christmas Margarita recipe will not disappoint. A creamy coconut margarita with lime juice, tequila, coconut water and cranberries that looks like Christmas in a cup. It is sure to be a hit at your holiday party and guaranteed to give you the merriest of holidays!
This White Christmas Margarita Recipe will have you “rockin around the Christmas tree” for sure! Not only does it look like Christmas in a cup, but it is incredibly smooth. (Buyer beware!) With refreshing coconut-lime flavor and festive ruby-red cranberries, this cocktail is as gorgeous as it is compulsively sip-able.
Why You’ll Love This White Christmas Margarita
Who doesn’t love a good margarita? And who doesn’t love a festive sip during the holidays? This cocktail combines the best of both worlds! Here are a few other reasons why this white Christmas margarita will be your new favorite!
- Pitcher Recipe: When it comes to holiday cocktails, nobody wants to be stuck behind the bar instead of mingling. This recipe is made in a pitcher so you just have to make it once and enjoy the night.
- Prep-friendly: What I love about this recipe is, it can be made ahead of time. I recommend taking it out 10 to 15 minutes before serving and give it a good stir with a whisk to break out the coconut milk that may have solidified in the refrigerator.
- Creamy: The coconut milk in this margarita makes it extra creamy and luscious.
- Strong Margarita Flavor: This margarita might look cute, but don’t be deceived. It’s super smooth but packs a tequila punch! Be warned! (sure to make you merry!)
- Festive: The color speaks for itself! The bright white margarita plays well with the green rosemary and red cranberries for a pop of Christmas color!
Shop This Recipe
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this Christmas cocktail recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
- Coconut Milk: You’ll want to get the full-fat coconut milk in a can. It is extra creamy and the real deal!
- Coconut Water: This is a “lighter” way to add more coconut flavor and not as many calories
- Tequila: Um, this is a must in Margaritas. I’d recommend the silver tequila because it is lighter in color and won’t turn your margarita a golden color.
- Grand Marnier: This orange flavored liquor is what gives this margarita a flavorful edge above the rest.
- Lime Juice: The fresh lime juice cuts through the creaminess of the coconut milk and water and gives you that true margarita flavor!
- Agave: I use agave in my margarita recipes instead of making a simple syrup. I find it’s lighter and not as sweet.
- Cranberries & Rosemary Sprigs: This is more for the festive colors, not as much for the taste!
Do You Use Gold or Silver Tequila for Margaritas?
I like to use silver or blanco tequila. It has a smooth taste and is a younger tequila, so it’s only been aged in the oak barrel for 2 years at most. Gold tequila is aged for much longer and has a stronger taste. Not always ideal for margaritas.
What is the Best Tequila for Margaritas?
Using a good tequila can make all the difference when it comes to making your Christmas cocktails shine! Here are the kinds of tequila that I think are best for making some really stellar margaritas:
- Patron Silver – It’s a great place to start when drinking tequila. It is made with agave without being too overwhelming. It’s smooth and definitely a good cocktail mixer.
- Hornitos – This is a newer tequila to me. A friend of mine turned me on to it and I really like it. I tend to go with the resposado or the anejo for less agave forward taste.
- Don Julio – Hands down, this one is my husbands favorite! It is smooth and won’t leave you with a headache because it’s made well.
How to Make White Christmas Margaritas
Ok, let’s get our Christmas cocktails game on! Here’s how to make this Christmas Margarita recipe for a crowd:
- Mix all the ingredients. To a large pitcher add full fat coconut milk, coconut water, grand marnier, silver tequila, lime juice and agave syrup. Using a whisk stir everything together until coconut milk no longer separates.
- Serve over ice.
- Make it look pretty. Garnish with fresh cranberries, lime slices and rosemary sprig.
Shop Some of My Favorite Beverage Pitchers
Can I Make This in Advance?
Homemade margaritas should last between 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator if kept in an air tight container. For this White Christmas Margarita Recipe you will just need to use a whisk to mix the coconut milk back up again as it tends to separate when it sits.
I have legit made this recipe probably 5 times in the past 2 months. Granted I was testing it out the first two times, but still. It is amazing! It’s creamy, smooth, a slight tropical flavor and has a nice zing from the lime juice. Plus it looks like the holidays from the cranberries and rosemary.
More Holiday Cocktail Recipes
- Harvest Apple Bourbon Cocktail: a mixture of cinnamon infused bourbon, apple juice and sparkling water make this easy and light.
- Holiday Spiked Eggnog: creamy dairy free eggnog mixed with amaretto and white rum for the most epic holiday drink … EVA
- Hot Spiked Mulled Apple Cider: apple cider cooked in the crock pot with tummy warming spices then finished with spiced rum
- Holiday Cranberry Sangria: a festive sangria that’s made with cranberries, citrus, brandy and cinnamon sticks
White Christmas Margarita
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6-7 1x
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
Description
A White Christmas Margarita Pitcher Recipe that will not disappoint. This creamy coconut margarita with lime juice, tequila, coconut water and cranberries tastes like summer and looks like Christmas in a cup.
Ingredients
- 18 oz. coconut milk (in can)
- 6 oz. coconut water
- 6 oz. grand marnier
- 9 oz. silver tequila
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 3 tablespoons agave syrup
- garnish: fresh or frozen cranberries, lime slices and rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- To a large pitcher add full fat coconut milk, coconut water, grand marnier, silver tequila, lime juice and agave syrup. Using a whisk stir everything together until coconut milk no longer separates.
- Serve over ice.
- Garnish with fresh cranberries, lime slices and rosemary sprig.
Notes
For the Sugar Lime Rim: To a flat plate add 1/3 cup white granulated sugar and zest from one lime. Gently mix. Set aside. Take a lime wedge and rub around the rim. Then dip in the sugar lime mixture. Now you can pour the white christmas margarita in.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz.
- Calories: 305
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 5 g
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Filed Under:
DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->
107 comments on “White Christmas Margarita Recipe”
This was a flop at my Christmas party. 🙁
Oh no!!! I’m so sad to hear that!
The fat from the coconut milk curdles in the glass, yes it was vigorously mixed, & left a film on the glass. Tasted good but would not recommend making it.
So usually the coconut milk will solidify slightly when the temperature is really cold. Do you whisk right before serving? If so, the other option is you could try putting it in a blender with ice and making it a frozen white christmas margarita! 🙂
Sub suggestion for the coconut milk?
Well, that’s a hard one because the base of the recipe is coconut milk because it’s meant to be a coconut flavored margarita. You could try to sub it with half and half but honestly I can’t guarantee flavor on that one.
Made this last year for our christmas party. It was a hit, everyone loved it. Used simple syrup rather than agave. Had to make two additional pitchers. I like the immersion blender idea.
For some reason it wouldn’t let me hit the 5 star, but that’s what it was. Anyone who doesn’t like it must be making it wrong. Or is picking a recipe with ingredients they don’t like anyway. Making it again this year. Thanks
haha love it! So glad its been a hit and will be a repeat recipe this year! 🙂 It’s one of my favorites!
Delicious! I put mine in the blender with ice and they were yummy! I didn’t have coconut water, so I subbed coconut pineapple bubbly water and it was great.
Ohhh so fun! Great idea and love the pineapple bubbly water addition!
How many people does this 1x serve?
the pitcher serves 6 and the 1 drink should be 6 oz.
This is an awesome recipe! I did use the agave syrup on the rim of the glasses. Also, I used large sugar crystals on the rim. It made it look like ice crystals had formed and added a bit of sparkle!
Super fun! So glad you liked it!
I’m sober is there a way to make these non-alcoholic?
Definitely, you could omit the alcohol. Add in a 1/4 cup more of lime juice and finish with topo chico to give it some bubbles 🙂
Question ? Am I using a full fat coconut milk in the can sweetened or unsweetened ???
Full Fat and unsweetened is what I use
I made this for my Christmas party, which was also an anniversary party for my parents. I didn’t have agave syrup so I used maple syrup, enough to cut the taste of the tequila. It was beautiful, festive, delicious and a big hit! This was gone quickly and was much more popular than the sangria I made. Thank you so much 🙂
It sounds like an amazing party! Love that this cocktail was a hit!
After reading the reviews, I substituted coconut rum for tequila, increased the amount of coconut water slightly, and used pomegranate seeds instead of cranberries. I put lime on the rim without sugar. Substituting the coconut rum for tequila increases the sweetness. Next time, I may decrease the amount of agave. I really love this cocktail! If coconut and lime is your jam, this is the holiday drink for you! Using the rosemary sprig as a stir stick and also sucking on the rosemary adds another dimension to the drink!
Ohhhh! I love the rosemary sprig as a stir stick!
I love this drink. Made it for a dinner party last night and my guests loved it too. It was easy to make. The ingredients are healthy and I had everything except coconut water on hand. The presentation with the rimmed glass and cranberries was perfect. I used my milk frother to blend everything together. Thanks for creating this!
Yippie! I am so happy this recipe was a hit! It is on repeat at my house over the holidays!
This looks like such a fun drink! I can’t wait to try it out at my holiday party this weekend. Just hoping no one spills on my new couch haha! I’d hate to call my this time of year! Thanks so much for sharing.
I hope it is a huge hit!
Milky margs, we even tried more agave and less lime juice.
It is a coconut milk base,so it will be somewhat of a milky margarita.
I made something similar to this last year and holy cow, it was so good! Maybe a little too good.. One of my guests got a little tipsy and spilled it all over the floor. Had to hire a carpet cleaner, but it so still worth it!
So glad it was a hit!
We made these last year for Christmas for my whole family and they were delicious!!! Everyone loved them and we’re making again this year. So creamy and refreshing- felt like we were on a tropical holiday. And they are so gorgeous and festive! This will be a new Christmas tradition for us!
That is such a huge compliment! I am so happy the family enjoyed it; it is so good!
Christmas magic in a wine glass! These were so delicious!!! They were creamy, limey, and lovely with just enough sweetness. They will now be a new Christmas tradition! They were PERFECT as is!
I am honored to be a part of a new Christmas tradition! Thank you so much for the 5-Star review!
I’ve had this recipe pinned for over a year now. I didn’t read the reviews until the night before I was going to make it and they made me nervous. I made it anyway for our Christmas party on Friday night and am glad I did. It was delicious and I will definitely make it again. My only complaint is I had to whisk it several times throughout the night so it wouldn’t have chunks.
I am so glad you did and so happy it is a hit.
Can you use Low fat coconut milk?
Yes, that would work as well.
It is a great blog post. I am always read your blog. Helpful and Informative blog. Thanks for sharing this information with us.
Thank you so much! This comment means the world! I am delighted you enjoy reading and keep coming back!
Love it!! I only put 4oz of Triple Sec (didn’t have Grand Marnier) and 6oz of tequila as we are trying the recipe on a week day 😅 and it’s so good!! I’ll definitely save that recipe.
Christmas in July! Such a great recipe regardless of the season! So glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe! I used Cointreau b/c the store was out of Grand Marnier and only a 13oz can of coconut milk. I thought the coconut flavor was perfect. I don’t want to be smacked in the face with it and this is still a margarita at heart, so I didn’t want to lose the lime flavor. For those wanting more coconut, try coconut extract or coconut vodka/rum. I used an immersion blender to make everything smooth. The leftovers the next day were even better, as it had thickened slightly and the flavors melded nicely. In the future, I will make this a day ahead on purpose. Thanks for the tasty and beautiful recipe!
YES… love the immersion blender tip girl. Might add that to my tips and tricks for this recipe! Works like a charm.
Hi there,
If I make this a day before my gathering, do I have to add in the ice and leave it in the fridge or can I add the ice next day? I am worried the ice will water it down.
Definitely add ice the next day otherwise you’ll be watering down your cocktail. 🙂
I loved this tasty recipe and will be making it again. The only problem I had was getting the coconut milk to not be chunky.
Yes.. You have to whisk it so that it separates. 🙂
This was the single most disgusting drink I’ve ever made, don’t waste your tequila. I love a strong drinks but this just tasted terrible.
Oh.. I’m so sorry to hear that. What didn’t you like about it so I can try tweaking the recipe? Most people love it.
This didn’t taste good at all. Very strong alcohol taste and couldn’t taste much else. Didn’t taste anything like a margarita. Really wanted to like it, served it at Christmas 🙁
Oh I’ms so sorry to hear that. It shouldn’t taste like a true margarita, it will be more tropical tasting for sure with a hint of lime and tequila. I’m sorry you didn’t like it.
Loved this! I could see how it’s not for everyone but I loved it! One note though, for someone that doesn’t have much experience w coconut milk, when I first opened the can, I almost threw it out thinking it had gone “bad” because it had completely separated. After slightly warming and whisking, it finally took the consistency of “milk” or “cream”. Glad I didn’t throw it out!! Lol
This drink was horrible and smelled like dirty socks. Waste of ingredients. Don’t waste your time.
haha.. dirty socks. Hmm… my socks don’t smell like that. If yours do, then you’re lucky.
Looks beautiful! My BFF & I try new Christmas cocktails every year & couldn’t wait to try this!! Unfortunately, it did not make us merry & bright. We felt like it was too much lime & was missing a more robust creaminess. We added more agave & then some Malibu & we got through our first glass. Back to the drawing board for us.
Oh I’m sorry to hear that Jenny. Yes, I tend to like my margaritas more limey than creamy. DIdn’t want to feel like I was drinking milk. Ya know. I’d recommend using coconut tequila to make it taste more creamy or increasing the coconut milk and blending to break up the coconut milk.
Not great reviews- these people seem like they’re looking for something much sweeter, but this recipe looks like a JOYFUL HEALTH EAT to me!!!! I’ll be making these this week and really appreciate the recipe and beautiful pictures! Merry Christmas!
Awe thank you so much! I’m not a sweet cocktail kinda person at all… so you hit this on the head. It’s a coconut flavored margarita that is not overly sweet and still has that lime taste because that’s what margaritas are made with. This made my day! 🙂
Can you make this virgin? If so, what ingredients would you use instead of the liquor?
I have not made it virgin before. You could make add a coconut flavored sparkling water instead of the liquor.
Presentation was right on, beautiful!
I love coconut, however the coconut cream isn’t for me.
Thank you! If you don’t like the coconut cream you could double down on the coconut water to still keep the coconut flavor but reduce the creaminess. 🙂
I’m going to make this for my holiday Zoom party (we all have to come up with a cocktail). Can you use a blender for this recipe, or must it be whisked? Thank you!
OHhh yes you could definitely make it in the blender. I’d add 4 cups of ice and then blend.
Did you ever have the milk curdle on you? I’m not sure if my milk just wasn’t shaken enough before I opened it or if I did something wrong. I used Thai Kitchen like you suggested.
Yes. I will curdle back up after sitting a while or if you put it in the frig again. That’s why I recommend using a whisk to make sure that you’re able to break things up and make it smooth again. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Sorry this was just not it the coconut and tequila did not do well.
I’m sorry you feel that way. We definitely love it over here. If you don’t like the tequila you could try out coconut rum for a sweeter taste.
“1900” makes Coconut Tequila.. Its a clear tequila and might go well with this recipe!
Thanks Katherine. For those of you looking for a more coconut taste this would be a good option.
Not much coconut flavor. Same as other reviews drinking because I dont want to waste the tequilla!. Next time I’ll try with coconut rum.
Question: can you post a picture or send me a picture of the coconut milk you use? Want to be I use the same thing. Or which coconut cream would you use?
Thank you
Jarmila
I actually don’t know how to do that on here. I’ve used Thai Kitchen Brand and Goya .. full fat coconut milk. Both are in a can in the international food aisle.
I can’t wait to make these for Christmas Eve! Is the coconut milk sweetened or unsweetened?
I use unsweetened but if you like it sweeter you could use sweetenedd.
I made this recipe to finish up Christmas 2020 and it came out great. My husband and I love it. I wish I could upload a picture. But, like many other reviews I definitely would want a little bit of more coconut flavor ( I’m Puertorican and I love the coconut flavor as one of our favorite drinks is piña coladas). Definitely will be making this again. Thanks for a great recipe. I use pomegranate for decoration instead of cranberries. It came out beautiful!
OH yeah so glad you loved it!
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make them?
I’ve made them up to 2-3 days ahead of time. Just remember the coconut milk will harden when in the refrigerator. So I would remove it from the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving and then use a whisk to stir and break up the solidified coconut milk.
What have you sanded your glasses with in the photo? There is no mention of it in the recipe? Sugar? Salt?
Hey Kim. I use a sugar lime mixture. I actually just updated the recipe to include that part in the notes so you know how to make it. It adds a fun twist!
Hey! I’m bummed that the reviews don’t look very positive, but I’ll still give it a try. Coconut cream and margaritas are my jam! How can it go wrong? I’ll let you know! They’re beautiful 😉
I hope you loved this recipe!!
This looks so good! Its so pretty it could be a decoartion too!
haha.. it sure could!
I so wanted to love it but only soso
Oh no.. I’m so sorry. What didn’t you like about it? I’ll retest it and see if there are any changes I can make. 🙂
I notice that on your “Easy White Christmas Margarita Pitcher” recipe. That it looked like your beautiful pic of the glasses full of this cocktail had either salt or sugar around the rim of the glasses. If this is true, what did it have around the rim of the glasses? If the glasses had nothing around the rim. Then I’m sorry to waste your time. But, I can’t wait to make these has I’m planning to make these for 6 different couples. Then with the virus, just dropping them off at the front door and ringing their door bell. To keep us all safe and maybe just a little bit merrier…
Good eye Kathleen! Yes I did a sugar lime rim around them to make them pop for the pictures. They are good without the rim but it does a little some some if you choose to add it. Such a fun idea to do for your friends by the way! LOVE it!
Comments seem to believe this was posted as a coconut marg and it was posted as a White x-mas marg. Sub regular tequila for 1800 coconut tequila and add some coconut cream. Wala, White Coconut X-mas Margarita!!
Sure that’s another way to make it more coconut-y. Love that.
Do you have any suggestions for a good coconut alternative? I’m allergic and would love to try this, but I don’t know what a good replacement would be.
Honestly this is a coconut flavored margarita so removing the coconut milk and coconut water won’t work. You could try out my pomegranate margaritas if you’re looking for something holiday flavored but not coconut. 🙂
I had to leave a review because I went back to this recipe to send to someone I saw that it has a 2-star review and lemme tell you, I made this at Christmas this past year and it deserves waaay more than that. Disclaimer I made a few substitutions: I used Malibu Lime instead of lime juice- and then to compensate for some of that additional alcohol I used extra coconut milk… soooo a bit more alcoholic and a bit more calories lol! What drew me to this recipe when I originally saw it on Insta was how beautiful the finished product looks with the rosemary, cranberries, and lime, like a winter wonderland! I was so pleased with how mine came out looking that I didn’t even care if anyone drank them, lol. But people absolutely loved it… I myself was surprised how good it was when I tasted it (the Gran Marnier really brings it all together. Def would call it an essential ingredient in this cocktail.) I’m gonna do it next year too.
P.S. One thing I learned the hard way, IF YOU REFRIGERATE IT, THE COCONUT MILK WILL SEPARATE AND MAKE THE TEXTURE WEIRD! So beware! Luckily it’s good enough that it can be finished in one sitting, haa!
So I’m assuming you could make it ahead of time and whisk in the coconut milk right before you serve?
Yes you definitely could!
All my guests loved it! Definitely recommend. So many holiday cocktails are all heavy cream, egg whites, etc. so I love the coconut milk concept.
This is one of my favorites! So happy your guests loved this recipe.
Was this recipe healthy, yes. Was it good? Not so much. Coconut “cream “ would’ve been much better! I doubled this and only put 1/4 of the lime juice. Maybe if I had used the coconut “cream “ I would’ve used more lime.
Hey Gina, you’ll have to try it with cream and let me know how it tastes. Everyone I made it for really liked it, but I get everyone has their own tastes.
Maybe I made this wrong, but the texture of the drink was really gross. It was like egg drop soup. It taste fine, but I can’t get past the feel of it.
Hey Rachel, I’m so sorry to hear that. You definitely have to give it a good whisk or put it in the blender to smooth out the coconut cream. But once you do that should be perfect.
I made this for a cookie decorating party. We drank it…because we didn’t want to waste the tequila. The flavors were not for us. Luckily, with tequila, the third drink of any mixer tends to “get better”. Oh well, I love trying new recipes and better luck next time.
OH… that’s a bummer. What part didn’t you like?
Looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! And your photography is so lovely! I was wondering what you rimmed the glasses with? Thanks!
Hey Holly, I did a lime zest and sugar rim on the glasses. Super easy, just 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon of lime zest. 🙂