This chocolate candy cane martini recipe is sweet, festive and a great sipping cocktail. If you love mint cocktails, you are going to love this one. Impress your guests by serving this at your next holiday party.

I’m not a huge fan of peppermint schnapps as I imbibed too much of it one fateful night in college. But over time, I’ve come to appreciate adding this minty alcohol in cocktails with other ingredients, instead of drinking it straight like I did way back then.
The mixture of the chocolate taste of the creme de cacao, combined with the vanilla vodka meld perfectly with the peppermint schnapps.
Want an even mintier taste, add the optional candy cane as garnish in the cocktail. My advice is to sip it first without the candy addition so you can see if you’d enjoy having more of a minty taste or like it just the way it is. 🙂
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How to make a candy cane martini
Pre-pre-step
For the garnish: Crush 1 – 2 candy canes with either the back of a big spoon or with a mortar and pestle.
Place the pieces in a dish and wet the outside of the rim of a martini glass with simple syrup.
Place the martini glass in the crushed candy canes. Shake of the extra candy and place the glass in the freezer.
Pre-step
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Get a measuring glass and glassware.
After measuring out the ingredients, pour into the shaker.
Step one
Get the ingredients – vanilla vodka, creme de cacao, and the dreaded peppermint schnapps.
Step two
Measure 3 ounces of vanilla vodka.
Step three
Measure out 1 ½ ounces of creme de cacao.
Step four
Measure out 1 ounce of peppermint schnapps.
Step five
Take the martini glass out of the freezer.
Step six
Cap the shaker and shake for 15 seconds. Strain the liquid in the frosty glass. Be careful not to touch the candied rim with the liquid.
Look at how cloudy it is. That’s from the microchips of ice you create when you shake the cocktail.
Now for the vertical view.
I lift it and take a sip. Soooooo good.
I hope you enjoyed this candy cane martini recipe.
Other holiday drinks
And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!
If you’ve tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Holiday Chocolate Candy Cane Martini
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vanilla vodka
- 1 ½ ounces creme de cacao
- 1 ounce peppermint schnapps
Garnish
- 1 small candy cane (crushed and put on a small plate to rim the glass)
- 2 small candy canes (this is optional – placing them in the cocktail will make the minty taste more intense. Taste it without or hang them on the rim to taste the cocktail as is.)
Instructions
- Wet your finger with simple syrup and rub it on the glass rim inside and out.
- Roll it into the crushed candy canes so it completely covers the rim.
- Place martini glass in the freezer.
- Get cocktail shaker and fill it half way with ice.
- Add vanilla vodka, creme de cacao and peppermint schnapps.
- Cap cocktail shaker and shake for 15 seconds.
- Get glass out of the freezer and strain liquid into glass.
- Hang the candy cane on the rim of the glass or add to the drink
- Sip
- Smile
- Enjoy
Lizzie
If you REALLY want to impress, wet your glasses inside and out, dip in the crushed candy canes and place in the freezer until ready. Guaranteed wow factor. I do this for ‘ritas. The frost is gorgeous. Merry Merry Happy Happy.
Elaine
Awesome tip. I did wet it in and out, but didn’t place it in the freezer. I can’t wait to try it.
Lizzie
Put them upside down in the freezer — that way when you pull them out, you won’t disturb the frost on the bowl of the glass. Might as well go for glam when it doesn’t cost anything, huh???
Elaine
Absolutely!!! 😉
Amanda
Peppermint schnapps is such a fun spirit. It is good in hot chocolate as well as used to flavor other desserts. I had forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder!
Elaine
Amanda,
Now that I can drink it again. I’m sure I’ll be concocting other yummy recipes. Do you have any?
Amanda Mason
Absolutely gorgeous! WOW! You did a great job on your pics!! And this recipe sounds amazing! Cant wait to try this one! I’m sharing this one!!
Elaine
Amanda! Thanks so much. And also thanks for the shares! I do appreciate it.
Michelle Ferrand
Great shots and this cocktail sounds wonderful!m
Elaine
Michelle!
Thanks so much!
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
Great flavours!
Elaine
Thank you Sasha!
Christopher
Gorgeous photo Elaine!
Elaine
Thanks so much Christopher!
Beth
Oh, Elaine!! Love these photos and this cocktail sounds amazing!! Yum!
Elaine
Thanks Beth. That means a lot to me!
Sarah
I love the idea of this! Sounds so festive and delicious! What a perfect cocktail for the holiday weekend!
Elaine
Thanks Sara!!
Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake
This looks delightful! It’s all my favorite holiday flavors in one glass! Yum!
Elaine
Thanks Rebecca!!
Luci
Oh wow, if i drank this cocktail I think it would put into the holiday spirit.
Elaine
Hehe Luci!!
Chris
Elaine, this drink is going to be seriously dangerous over at mine with a house full of vanilla vodka finatics! It looks so scrummy and can’t wait to give it a go! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Elaine
Thanks Chris! I appreciate the comment!
lisa
I can honestly say that I haven’t had schnapps since college too — mine were peach flavored and were the main component in our weekend Fuzzy Navels — and Hairy Fuzzy Navels. This would be a fun cocktail for Christmas, but I think I’ll limit myself to one!
Elaine
Thanks Lisa!! I’m intrigued with the hairy fuzzy navel!
parth rathod
I really liked the garnishing of this martini
thank you for sharing, i would love to try it
Elaine
Thank you Parth, it’s quite tasty!
christopher
Potent cocktail, this one! But great for relaxing during the holiday rush. Cheers!
Elaine
Thanks so much, Christopher!