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Jack Skellington’s Haunted White Russian – the coziest spicy-sweet cocktail. I’ve put the spookiest Halloween twist on the classic White Russian. This is such a delicious October treat! Homemade spiced brown sugar simple syrup, mixed with vodka, Kahlúa, and a shot of espresso for an extra frightful kick. Finish this off with a splash of cream for the spookiest haunted cocktail.

This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween!
You know the song, and I hope you’re excited for the drink. Finally a Nightmare before Christmas cocktail! To be honest, I’m not sure if The Nightmare Before Christmas leans more toward Christmas or Halloween, but we’re going to go with Halloween for today’s recipe.
It’s fun!
I hope you all know how the story goes, Jack Skellington wants to bring Christmas joy into Halloweentown. It’s actually a cute Halloween story, but yet, the characters make it spooky!
Jack looks extra frightful at first glance, but once you really get to know him, you learn he’s very sweet.
That’s what this cocktail is to a T. On the outside, it’s eerie and oh-so spooooky, but take a sip and it’s perfectly sweet with a touch of spice.
Boo! Here are details
To make the sweet brown sugar and vanilla spice syrup, mix brown sugar with pumpkin butter, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and water. Simmer until the sugar dissolves.
If you’re not a fan of pumpkin or simply do not have any pumpkin butter, you can omit both the pumpkin butter and pumpkin spice
When the syrup is cool, mix together your classic White Russian ingredients, vodka and Kahlua. Then add an extra shot of espresso and cream.
Let the cream swirl into the sweet and boozy coffee, then stir and enjoy a sinfully delicious, spooky, spicy-sweet White Russian. It might even be fun to have The Nightmare Before Christmas playing in the background.
In true Cocktail Saturday form, I’m keeping this short and sweet. Hoping you guys all love this spooky cocktail.
See the notes within the recipe for the mocktail variation too.
Looking for other haunted Halloween drinks? Here are a few ideas:
Smoky Sanderson Sisters’ Smash
“I put a Spell on You” Poison Apple Martini
Lastly, if you make Jack Skellington’s Haunted 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!
Jack Skellington’s Haunted White Russian
Servings: 1 drink
Calories Per Serving: 1861 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Syrup
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin butter (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Russian
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) Kahlua
- 1 ounce espresso or use black coffee
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) vanilla spice syrup in directions below
- 1-2 ounces (2-4 tablespoons) half and half or cream
Instructions
- 1. To make the brown sugar syrup. In a medium pot, combine 1/2 cup water, the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, and pumpkin pie spice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. This makes enough for 6 drinks.
- 2. To make Jack Skellington's Haunted White Russian. Fill your glass with ice. Add the vodka, Kahlua, espresso, and syrup. Stir. Add the half and half and stir to combine. Garnish with cinnamon, if desired.
Notes
To Make a Mocktail: Fill your glass with ice. Add 2 ounces apple cider or apple juice, 2 shots of espresso (about 2 ounces), and 1-2 ounces of the syrup. Stir. Add the half and half and stir again to combine. Garnish with cinnamon, if desired.
Hi! Love your recipes! So excited to try this one. I have to ask, where did you get the gorgeous skull glasses? Thank you!
Hi! Here’s a link for those glasses! xT https://shopstyle.it/l/bmQ0y
Yum! Same here, didn’t use the pumpkin butter and doubled the spice. One ounce of the syrup is enough for sweetness. So good!
Hey Shari,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this cocktail and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Teighan this recipe is perfect for spooky season! I didn’t do the pumpkin butter and subbed Mr. Black liqueur for espresso. It’s really good, keep the cocktails coming queen!!!
Hey Amber,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xT