Homemade Peppermint Vodka

Homemade Peppermint Vodka is the key to making the best minty fresh cocktails for the holidays. Infuse peppermint candies with vodka for a sweet spirit you can enjoy in a mixed drink or as a shooter. Makes a great Christmas gift!  

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Homemade Peppermint Vodka recipe

When it comes to the holidays, there is one thing that stands out above the rest. Sure, yes, the love and the charitable giving and the Christmas spirit. All of that, absolutely, of course. But… We’re on a food blog, remember? The best part of Christmas is the SWEETS.

From gingerbread houses decked out with hundreds of colorful candies to antique tins filled with Christmas cookies and peppermint brownies, I’m here to tell you that this is the season for us sweet tooth. (Sweet teeth? I digress.)

When I was a kid, I loved candy canes. Those peppermint sticks were always such a treat! I can’t say I’ve eaten many candy canes in the last few years beyond the crushed candy cane rim and garnish on this peppermint white chocolate martini. 

But now as an adult, we can indulge in peppermint vodka! This recipe is so easy to make with vodka and peppermint candies or candy canes. You can use it in cocktails or sip it as shots if you like!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Peppermint lovers can look to this homemade peppermint vodka for a sweet liquor for cocktails and baking. 

• It’s easy to infuse plain vodka with pieces of candy canes or starlight mints.
• Peppermint Vodka is a sugary, minty spirit that you can mix into all your favorite holiday drinks and desserts.
• It makes a great hostess gift at the holidays or you can gift it to the cocktail lover in your life.

Its pink hue may look medicinal, but don’t forget that candy makes the world a better place this time of year!

Learning how to make peppermint vodka will just help you up your holiday cocktail game. It’s a dream mixed into this peppermint hot chocolate.

Best peppermint candies

You’re going to want to use hard candy for the best results.

Those restaurant freebie starlight mints are what I used, but you could just as easily put use broken candy canes.

Starlight mints also come in a green color, which is fine to use but your final spirit will be green as well. Perfect for grinch cocktails!

Best vodka for peppermint vodka

You will need a plain, unflavored vodka to make this recipe. If you already have a favorite brand vodka, go with that!

The best kind of vodka you can afford is going to give you the best taste for this Homemade Peppermint Vodka.

Cheap vodka is more likely to have that alcoholic smell and taste that’s not so nice to sip.

I usually use Tito’s for all my vodka cocktails, but even a mid-range bottle like Smirnoff or Absolut can do the trick. Check out my Vodka 101 guide for more about this versatile spirit.

How to make peppermint vodka

The steps for making your own peppermint vodka are easy ones!

Once you have the infusion going, it’s pretty hands-off until you’re ready to bottle the mint vodka!

First, you’ll throw peppermint candies into a plastic jar or bowl with a lid. I prefer glass so that the vodka doesn’t break down any plastic. Ceramic works too.

Then you’ll cover them with vodka and let them sit for a few hours. The vodka will instantly start turning pink if you’re using red-and-white colored candies.

After a few hours or even a full day: The vodka will have turned pink and will have acquired a lot of peppermint flavor. There may still be some candy solids to strain out though. But you can use it now if you want!

If you want a super strong peppermint flavor: You can leave them in for a few days. The peppermints will probably have fully dissolved at this point.

After a while, you can strain out any leftover pieces of candy with a fine-mesh strainer. They might be in one hard clump in the bottom of your jar.

Then put the peppermint vodka into swing-top bottles or mason jars and enjoy or give away as gifts!

Peppermint vodka substitute

If you need a quick substitute for peppermint vodka, you have a couple of options.

• You can use 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract for every 1 cup of vodka. Peppermint extract is very strong, so you don’t need a lot.
• You could also add ½ ounce of mint simple syrup for every 1 ounce of vodka.
• Crème de menthe (green) or peppermint schnapps (clear) make great substitutes. But if you use one of these instead of this pink vodka, be mindful that your recipe would be a different color.

What to make with peppermint vodka

There are a number of ways you can use peppermint vodka.

While Homemade Peppermint Vodka can be great on its own as a shot, you can also sub it for peppermint extract, peppermint vodka or peppermint schnapps in most drink and baking recipes.

Crème de menthe substitute: If you are looking for a pretty-in-pink, candy cane version of grasshopper pie or a classic grasshopper cocktail, use this pink vodka instead of crème de menthe.

Chocolate recipes: Mint and chocolate go so well together. Try it in this chocolate peppermint fondue or stir it into a warm mug of hot chocolate.

Cocktail recipes: Shake up a gorgeous peppermint s’mores martini, a ginger-mint candy cane Moscow mule or mix it into a creamy White Russian!

Peppermint recipes for the holidays

If there’s anyone in your life who loves peppermint at Christmastime, this Homemade Peppermint Vodka would make a great present. Tell them to mix it into Christmas hot chocolate for a festive treat.

Decant it into a mason jar or pop-top bottle and tie it with a red ribbon for a super sweet gift they’ll love all season long.

Better yet, gift it with a batch of peppermint goodies, like these peppermint meringue cookies. Like any candy fiend, your mint-loving friends will thank you!