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The coziest Bad Santa White Russian…for all the festive nights ahead. Homemade cinnamon vanilla simple syrup, mixed with vodka and Kahlúa, plus my seasonal twist… A shot of espresso and a sweet chocolate ribbon – adding just the right amount espresso kick and holiday sweetness. The perfect holiday twist on the classic White Russian cocktail, such a delicious December treat!
If Christmas had a cocktail it would be this White Russian. It’s got a touch of sweetness, just the right amount of creaminess, and, of course, a good kick to it too.
This one didn’t come to me on my own however. It’s actually a drink made with Red’s girlfriend, Hailey, in mind. She sent me a photo of a drink she’d order in Mexico a few months ago.
It looked and sounded like a White Russian, but with twist. I said I’d save it for December and here we are! I wasn’t able to recreate the exact drink, so instead, I made something I knew that Hail’s would love.
The steps are easy…and simple!
To make the sweet cinnamon syrup just mix together your classic White Russian ingredients. Then add an extra shot of espresso and some cream.
A little chocolate around the rim gives this drink that specialness that’s most fitting for the holiday season. I have family members who are very excited to try this in just about ten days! A good White Russian is one of their favorites to enjoy each year!
Lucky for Hail’s, she currently here. So I made mixed her up one last night and she’d gave it her full seal of approval. with the line, I think it’s my new favorite…which is really saying something because she loved the chai martini too.
Looking for other Christmas drinks? Here are my favorites:
Spicy Pomegranate Ginger Paloma
Lastly, if you make this Bad Santa White Russian, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Bad Santa White Russian
Ingredients
Cinnamon Syrup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Russian
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) Kahlua
- 1 ounce espresso
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) cinnamon syrup, Instructions below
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) half and half or cream
- chocolate sauce and coarse vanilla sugar, for the rim
Instructions
- 1. To make the cinnamon syrup. In a medium pot, combine 1/2 cup water, the honey, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. This makes enough for 6 drinks. 2. If desired, rim your glass with chocolate sauce and sugar.3. To make the Russian. Fill your glass with ice. Add the vodka, Kahlua, espresso, and vanilla syrup. Stir. Add the half and half and stir to combine. Garnish with cinnamon, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This was so super yummy. I will definitely make this all winter long!!!
Hi Jennee,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This sounds delicious… any suggestions to sub the cream / half and half to make it on dairy?
Hi Tiz,
I would use coconut cream. I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
Seems so delicious! Cinnamon makes everything more christmassy!!
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
Thanks so much!
The perfect Christmas time drink. My fiancé and I loved this. We don’t like our drinks too sweet so we went with 1 oz for each drink on the syrup. It was perfect!
We love all your cocktails, they are amazing! Please make more.
Happy Holidays!
Hi there,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
While this was acceptable, it wasn’t as spot on as the gingerbread White Russian. I found it a bit to finicky for my typical straight up tastes. My espresso machine (in reality, my teenager’s expresso machine) puts out 1.35 Oz and the syrup didn’t stay viscous (welcome to winter in Maine…it’s drafty and chilly). I made it work on the second cocktail and it was just a bit too coffee like. Good…but not better then my typical whiskey on the rocks. I enjoyed making the syrup and mixing ingredients together. Thanks for another cocktail experience! Given a recent training injury, I plan to work my way through your cocktail recipes, much like I did for your taco recipes last summer.
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try Sarah!
I think I have to make it an EXTRA Bad Santa White Russian. I’m going to take some really super rich & creamy vanilla ice cream and put it into an ice cube tray to make “ice cubes”. These will replace the ice cubes & when they melt (quicker than ice cubes) at least your drink doesn’t get watered down!
Look in the ingredients for carrageenan – it’s what you will find in the thicker, richer ice creams and chocolate milks. (So it’s probably not good for you!) This is merely an observation on my part.
I hope you love the recipe!
Do you remove the cinnamon sticks from the syrup when you store it?
Hi Ashley,
You can remove yes:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, cheers! xTieghan
If I don’t have cinnamon sticks, can a pinch of ground cinnamon be used?
Hi Lindsay,
You bet! I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
Going to try this! What kind of chocolate sauce do you use? Do you make it yourself?
Hey Monica,
Something like Hershey’s chocolate sauce works well here! I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
This looks delicious!!! I haven’t tried it yet, but wondering how baileys might be instead of half and half?
Hey Tina,
Baileys will obviously change the flavor profile, but could work! I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
This cocktail is delicious. We cooled the espresso and syrup prior to pouring into our glasses. We didn’t want it to melt the ice and water down the drink. We had zero issues with the half and half. Everything mixed together beautifully. It’s now one of our favorite Christmas drinks. I recommend using 2oz of the syrup. It’s easy to double the recipe and store in the fridge. Yum! Thanks for another fabulous cocktail recipe Tieghan! – @hello.champagne
Hi Misty,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Made this tonight and my husband and I both loved it! I was surprised by how big of a glass it made but it was so delicious! I agree with another review saying there’s not enough of the cinnamon/vanilla syrup to make 6 servings, BUT the recipe calls for 1-2oz in your drink and we did 2 in each so you would probably have enough if you just added 1oz to each drink. I also boiled it on very high heat so I’m sure some of it evaporated. We have friends coming over next weekend and I will be making this again to share with everyone!
Hi Madison,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Just made this for the hubs and me. Oh so yummy.
Hi Blair,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
I haven’t made the entire recipe, thought I would just make the syrup first. According to the recipe, the syrup (1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup honey) is enough to make 6 drinks. But if 1 drink requires 2-4 TABLESPOONS of this syrup. there is NO WAY one batch of syrup is enough to make 6 drinks. You cannot get 1 2 Tablespoons (6 drinks) out of the basic syrup recipe. I’ve always hated math so please let me know where I’ve gone wrong.
If you use half and half your drink will curdle the cream, as it appears curdled in your photos. Heavy cream or even cream fraîche is the only solution until you figure out what’s causing it to be acidic.
Half and half works well. You have to cool the espresso and syrup first. I recommend doing that anyway so it doesn’t melt the ice and water down the drink. Cheers!
Hi Lainey,
Did you give the recipe a try? The recipe calls for half and half or cream. I wouldn’t say the photos show curdling, lol if so I would never share the recipe:) Let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I believe 4 Tablespoons = 1/4 cup, so the recipe makes 12 Tbs (+ a little extra from the vanilla, but maybe that amount evaporates during cooking)
If you go light on the syrup and only use 2 Tbs, this recipe is enough for 6 drinks. I guess it just depends on your taste!
Instead of making the syrup….how about a dash of Fireball?
Hi Trace,
I’ve not tried this, but feel free:) xTieghan
Hi Tanya,
The syrup will make 6 drinks like stated, you should end up with about 3/4 cup of syrup. If you use 2 tablespoons per drink, that will be 12 tablespoons equally 3/4 cup. Cheers! xTieghan
OMG – I love your cocktails!
Thanks so much Paula!!