Vodka Cranberry Spritzer
This Keto Orange Vodka Cranberry Spritzer is light, refreshing, and perfect to enjoy throughout the holiday season!
I cannot believe it’s almost December and the holiday season is in full swing! Like so many, this is my absolute favorite time of year! I love hanging out and spending time with friends and family, and very often that involves a cocktail! Even though I live a keto lifestyle, I do enjoy the occasional adult beverage, and this Orange Vodka Cranberry Spritzer is one of my holiday favs!
It is so easy to make and great for entertaining, this gorgeous cocktail can be made in a pitcher to serve a crowd or by the glass!
From Thanksgiving to Christmas, so many foods are heavy, and this is a refreshing drink with simple ingredients to lighten things up. This spritzer is so easy to make, and the components can be prepped ahead of time for quick serving! The magic in this cocktail starts with the cranberries!
For another festive classic cocktail, add cranberries and a twist of orange to my Keto Moscow Mule.
How to Make a Keto Vodka Cranberry Spritzer
1️⃣ Make Cranberry Gel
Cook the fresh cranberries with orange peel, a little water, and a keto-friendly sweetener till thickened, then strain to create a cranberry gel.
👉 Tip: The cranberry gel in this recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until party time!
2️⃣ Make the Cocktail
Combine the cranberry gel with lemon juice and vodka. Stir. Top off with seltzer and garnish this festive cocktail as desired.
👉 Tip: Other garnish options are fresh rosemary sprigs or a lime wedge. We love both in this Rosemary Gimlet.
Variations
- Sparkling Water – Great keto-friendly flavored unsweetened club soda or slightly sweetened sparkling waters are widely available in stores and the perfect way to change the flavors of this Cranberry Vodka Spritzer up a bit! Try Cran-Raspberry, Mandarin Orange, or Mango.
- Non-alcoholic – Prefer mocktails? A non-alcoholic version of this cranberry spritzer could not be simpler! Just omit the vodka and top off with more sparkling water or soda of choice, like ginger beer, diet lemon-lime soda, or ginger ale Zevia!
- Sweetness – If you want this a little sweeter, you can add Keto Simple Syrup to taste.
- Alcohol – Swap out the vodka for the alcohol of your choice.
Agree this is the perfect drink recipe? Try my Malibu Bay Breeze or use my cranberry gel in this Spiced Cranberry Spritzers recipe!
Common Questions
Is cranberry juice keto? Are cranberries keto?
Typically, cranberry juice is used to make a cranberry vodka spritzer, but since it’s full of sugar it’s definitely off-limits for those on keto. To get an amazing cranberry flavor in this drink, we are going to use actual cranberries! Cranberries are very low in sugar and have about 12 total carbs per cup and about 7 net carbs…so completely acceptable for keto in moderation!
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Orange Vodka Cranberry Spritzer
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries washed
- 1/2 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes) or 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- peel of 1/2 a naval orange
- pinch ground clove
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 12 oz vodka
- 48 oz sparkling water flavored or plain, chilled
- ice
Garnish: Fresh Cranberries & Orange Peel
Instructions
To Make the Cranberry Gel:
- In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, sweetener, water, orange peel and clove. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until thickened, stirring often and breaking up the cranberries as the mixture cooks.
- Strain the cranberry mixture into a bowl using a mesh strainer and set aside to cool. At this point the cranberry gel can be refrigerated for later.
To Prepare the Orange Cranberry Vodka Spritzer by the Glass:
- In a glass, combine 2 tablespoons of the cranberry gel with about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 1/2 oz. of vodka. Stir to combine. Pour in 4-6 oz. of sparkling water and stir. Finish with ice and garnish with a few cranberries and orange peel.
To Prepare the Orange Cranberry Vodka Spritzer by the Pitcher
- In a large pitcher combine the cranberry gel, lemon juice and vodka and stir to combine. Top off with the sparkling water just before serving. Float a few fresh cranberries and orange peel for garnish and serve over ice.
Notes
Nutrition
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This was originally published as a guest post by Emilie from Tales of a Texas Granola Girl on December 9, 2019. Revised and Republished by Taryn on November 24, 2025.
How long will gel keep?
2-3 weeks in the fridge. I haven’t frozen it yet but I think you could freeze it even longer.