Christmas Morning Bellini Recipe Drink
There’s a certain magic to Christmas morning that no other day in the year can replicate. The quiet hum of anticipation, the soft glow of the tree lights before the sun is fully up, and the promise of a day spent with loved ones. For us, that cherished moment of calm before the delightful chaos of presents and cooking begins is marked by a special tradition: a festive morning cocktail. This Christmas Morning Bellini Recipe isn’t just a drink; it’s the official start to our celebrations, a sparkling toast to the day ahead. The combination of sweet, spiced pear and tart cranberry, topped with crisp, cold Prosecco, is just sublime.
For years, my go-to was a simple Buck’s Fizz, but I always felt it was missing a little something special. I wanted a holiday drink that felt a bit more thoughtful, something that tasted of the season. I used to struggle with getting the fruit purée just right for cocktails until I discovered the trick of gently simmering the fruit first. This one small step unlocks so much flavour and creates a beautifully smooth texture that mixes perfectly with the fizz. The resulting drink is elegant, fragrant with winter spice, and has a gorgeous blush colour that looks stunning in a champagne flute.
This Christmas Bellini is ideal for that first quiet hour of the day, but it also works wonderfully for a full Christmas brunch. It’s a sophisticated yet straightforward morning cocktail that always gets compliments from our family and friends who pop round. It signals that today is a day for indulgence, relaxation, and making memories, starting with the very first sip.
Recipe Overview
This Christmas Morning Bellini recipe elevates the classic Italian cocktail with a beautifully seasonal twist. We create a homemade purée from sweet pears and tart cranberries, gently spiced with a hint of cinnamon. This fragrant base is then topped with chilled Prosecco, resulting in a sparkling, festive, and utterly delicious holiday drink. I’ve found that making the purée a day or two in advance is a real game-changer, making Christmas morning assembly completely stress-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Servings: 8-10 Bellinis
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Morning Bellini Recipe
- Truly Festive Flavour: The homemade purée is the star here. The natural sweetness of ripe pears balances the sharp, bright taste of the cranberries, while a touch of cinnamon and orange zest adds a gentle, warming spice that just tastes like Christmas.
- Ready in Under 30 Minutes: The fruit purée, which is the only cooking step, comes together in about 25 minutes. Once it’s chilled, assembling the Bellinis takes mere seconds.
- A Flexible Recipe: You can easily adjust the sweetness of the purée to your liking by adding a little more or less maple syrup. Swap the cinnamon for a star anise or a fresh sprig of rosemary while simmering for a different aromatic profile.
- Great for Holiday Gatherings: This Bellini recipe is brilliant for kicking off a Christmas brunch or serving as a welcome drink for guests arriving on the big day. It feels special without requiring any complicated bartending skills.
- Family Tested: While the kids have their special sparkling apple juice, the adults in our house always look forward to this. My wife Sarah says it’s officially not Christmas until we’ve had one of these!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the best results, use ripe, juicy pears like Comice or Conference, as they’ll break down beautifully and provide a lovely natural sweetness. When it comes to the fizz, a good quality, dry Prosecco is key. We often use the M&S Prosecco Conegliano, as it has crisp notes of apple and pear that complement the fruit purée wonderfully.
- For the Spiced Cranberry & Pear Purée:
- 3 ripe pears (approx. 400g), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
- 150g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 75ml water
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (or more, to taste)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Zest of ½ an orange
- For the Bellini:
- 1 bottle (750ml) Prosecco, well-chilled
- Fresh cranberries and small sprigs of rosemary, for garnish
Marcus’s Tip: Don’t be tempted to use pear juice instead of fresh pears. Simmering the fresh fruit creates a much richer, more complex flavour and a velvety texture that you just can’t get from a carton.
How to Make This Christmas Morning Bellini Recipe
The process is straightforward: we’ll first create a beautifully fragrant fruit purée, chill it completely, and then assemble our festive drinks. The key is to work with very cold ingredients for the final assembly to ensure the best sparkle.
- Combine Purée Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped pears, cranberries, water, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, and orange zest.
- Simmer Gently: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. You’re looking for the pears to become very soft and the cranberries to burst.
- Cool and Blend: Remove the pan from the heat and take out the cinnamon stick. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes. What works best for me is transferring the warm mixture to a blender or using an immersion blender directly in the pan. Blend until it’s completely smooth.
- Sieve for Smoothness (Optional but Recommended): For an extra-smooth, professional-feeling purée, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or jug, using the back of a spoon to press it through. This step removes any tough skins from the cranberries. I never skip this part; it makes a huge difference to the final texture.
- Chill Thoroughly: Cover the purée and place it in the refrigerator to chill completely for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight. This is the perfect make-ahead step for a stress-free Christmas morning.
- Assemble the Bellinis: When you’re ready to serve, spoon about 2-3 tablespoons (or 30-40ml) of the chilled purée into the bottom of a champagne flute.
- Top with Prosecco: Slowly top up the glass with chilled Prosecco. The purée will cause it to fizz up quite a bit, so pour gently. Give it a very gentle stir with a long spoon to combine.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish each glass with a few fresh cranberries and a small sprig of rosemary. Serve immediately while it’s cold and sparkling.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Temperature Control: The secret to a perfectly bubbly Bellini is ensuring both the purée and the Prosecco are thoroughly chilled. I put my champagne flutes in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving, too. A cold glass helps maintain the fizz for longer.
- The Secret Step: Don’t rush the simmering process. Allowing the fruit to cook down slowly coaxes out all the sugars and flavours, resulting in a much deeper, more rounded purée than simply blending raw fruit. I learned that this small investment of time pays off massively in the final taste.
- Make-Ahead: The cranberry and pear purée is ideal for making in advance. It can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This makes assembling your morning cocktail an absolute breeze.
- Storage: Any leftover purée will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s delicious swirled into yoghurt or served over porridge, so none of it will go to waste!
Equipment You’ll Need
- Medium saucepan
- Blender or immersion blender
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Champagne flutes or coupés
- Long stirring spoon
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using Warm Ingredients: Adding warm purée or room-temperature Prosecco is the quickest way to a flat, disappointing drink. The cold temperature is essential for preserving the bubbles. Make sure everything is properly chilled before you start pouring.
- Over-Stirring: A Bellini just needs a gentle lift with a spoon to combine the purée and Prosecco. Stirring it vigorously like a regular cocktail will knock out all the carbonation, leaving you with a flat drink.
- Pouring Too Quickly: The sugar in the fruit purée reacts with the carbon dioxide in the Prosecco, causing it to fizz up enthusiastically. Pour slowly and at a slight angle to manage the foam and prevent it from overflowing.
What to Serve With This Christmas Bellini
This festive morning cocktail is a brilliant start to the day on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with a range of Christmas brunch dishes. The sweet and tart notes cut through rich foods exceptionally well.
- Smoked Salmon Blinis: The classic choice. The bright acidity of the Bellini complements the rich, oily smoked salmon perfectly.
- Festive Pastries: This drink is wonderful alongside a warm croissant or one of our Maple Pecan Sticky Buns.
- A Hearty Breakfast Casserole: If you’re planning a larger brunch, this cocktail is a great match for a savoury egg and sausage casserole or our Easy Sheet Pan Pancakes for a sweeter option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Christmas Morning Bellini
Ingredients
Method
- Combine Purée Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped pears, cranberries, water, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, and orange zest.
- Simmer Gently: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. You're looking for the pears to become very soft and the cranberries to burst.
- Cool and Blend: Remove the pan from the heat and take out the cinnamon stick. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes. What works best for me is transferring the warm mixture to a blender or using an immersion blender directly in the pan. Blend until it's completely smooth.
- Sieve for Smoothness (Optional but Recommended): For an extra-smooth, professional-feeling purée, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or jug, using the back of a spoon to press it through. This step removes any tough skins from the cranberries. I never skip this part; it makes a huge difference to the final texture.
- Chill Thoroughly: Cover the purée and place it in the refrigerator to chill completely for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight. This is the perfect make-ahead step for a stress-free Christmas morning.
- Assemble the Bellinis: When you're ready to serve, spoon about 2-3 tablespoons (or 30-40ml) of the chilled purée into the bottom of a champagne flute.
- Top with Prosecco: Slowly top up the glass with chilled Prosecco. The purée will cause it to fizz up quite a bit, so pour gently. Give it a very gentle stir with a long spoon to combine.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish each glass with a few fresh cranberries and a small sprig of rosemary. Serve immediately while it's cold and sparkling.
Notes
I hope this Christmas Morning Bellini Recipe helps bring a little extra sparkle to your festive celebrations. It’s a tradition we cherish in our home, and one that truly marks the start of a special day. Give it a try this year, and let me know how you get on in the comments below. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
All the best,
Marcus Bennett
