Meet your new favorite winter cocktail recipe! This Warm Sugar Plum recipe combines a fragrant blend of spices and rum with rich, sweet, caramel, flavors of prune juice — perfect for a cozy night in.
The holidays call for cozy, warm drinks, and we enjoy the cozy goodness until the frost breaks for spring. Our favorite winter cocktail is a Warm Sugar Plum, which is loaded with the same flavors as traditional sugar plum candy. Plus booze.
Warm Sugar Plum? What's that taste like?
You’ll find most of the holiday flavors you love are wrapped up in one sip of this warm winter cocktail!
A sugar plum is made of dried fruit, nuts and spices coated in sugar. It tastes of the warm flavors found in many holiday treats, cinnamon, cloves, and sweet with a bit of tart. This cocktail echoes those favors, with warm cinnamon, tang from orange juice, caramelly sweetness of prune juice, and spiced rum.
Prune Juice? Really?
Yes. Prune juice is really delicious, especially warm. Prunes get a bad rap here. The U.S. is the only country that's branded them the poop fruit – they’re considered simply delicious + healthy in other countries, which is why you find them in French, British + Italian desserts and lots of Indian + Middle Eastern cuisine.
If you have friends who are all judgy about prunes and prune juice, pour them a cocktail and watch them enjoy it, and then tell them what it is. There's a good chance they'll want one the moment they walk in your kitchen. Because even though the mixture only warms for a few minutes, it makes your house smell AMAZING.
What you need:
Here's what you need to whip up a batch of Warm Sugar Plum Cocktails:
- prune juice
- spiced rum
- orange for juice and garnish
- cinnamon stick
for the garnish (not required, but encouraged)
- prunes
- cinnamon sticks
- sugar
- orange juice
If you love a warm winter cocktail too, put my Pumpkin Spice Cocktail, Meg’s Pumpkin Spice Mulled Wine and this Red Wine Hot Chocolate next on your list of recipes to try!
Sugar Plums dancing in your head? Try these next:
Once your love sugar plum everything, you'll be ready for more. Here's my recipe for traditional Sugar Plum candy - it's next level delicious, and full of Christmas cheer.
Then, make a batch of Meg’s Sugar Plum Shortbread Cookies. Everyone will love them!
Don't be afraid to make a double, or triple batch!
Warm Sugar Plum: Our Favorite Winter Cocktail
Ingredients
- 8 oz prune juice
- 3 oz spiced rum
- 1 medium orange for juice and garnish
- 1 cinnamon stick
- For garnish:
- 2 prunes
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- Remaining 1 tablespoon orange juice
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler or a small, sharp knife, carefully cut 4 strips of zest (remove any white pith) from the orange, then juice the orange (yielding at least 3-4oz., reserving 1 TBSP).
- Pour the prune juice, spiced rum and fresh orange juice into a small saucepan, and then add the cinnamon stick and two strips of the orange zest.
- Warm over medium low heat (slight simmer) for 5 minutes.
- While the cocktails are warming, prepare the sugar plums by rolling two prunes in the remaining 1 tablespoon orange juice (or water will work) and set on a plate, sprinkle with sugar to coat, and allow to dry for 30 seconds, then sprinkle with sugar again.
- Divide the cocktail between two mugs. Garnish each mug with a piece of orange zest and a sugar plum on a cocktail pick, and a cinnamon stick.
Notes
Nutrition
Photos: Meg van der Kruik
More prune goodness: Prosciutto Wrapped Prunes
Looking for an incredibly delicious easy-to-pull-together appetizer? This Prosciutto Wrapped Prunes recipe is a great choice!
Frequently Asked Questions About Warm Winter Cocktails:
We love toasty winter cocktails, and our favorite are Warm Sugar Plum, mulled wine, Pumpkin Spice Cocktail and Hot Buttered Rum.
We suggest a Warm Sugar Plum, Pumpkin Spice Cocktail and Hot Buttered Rum.
Sugarplum is the flavor of dried berries, fruit and toasted nuts with warm spices, like cinnamon and clove.
Recipe created for California Prunes (post is not sponsored). My opinions are my own, thank you for supporting the brands that support G-Free Foodie. And extra thanks for supporting the products my family grows, like California Prunes.
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