Cran-Merry Orange Refresher (Starbucks Copycat)

My copycat Starbucks Cran-Merry Orange Refresher recipe is chock full of sweet, tart, ruby-red deliciousness. This seasonal sensation features a tantalizing combination of cranberry and sweet blood orange—perfect for adding a little caffeine-free pep to your step!

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but all this merry-making is thirsty work! Between out-of-towners, gift shopping & wrapping, parties & gatherings galore, and all the other fun (but exhausting) things that come with the holidays, having an arsenal of delicious refreshments  on hand is the best way I know to practice a little self-care. 

Whether it’s the cool, chocolatey appeal of a Merry Mint White Mocha for breakfast, a splash of spicy gingerbread coffee creamer in my midday cold brew, or a cozy mug of toasted white mocha sweetness to warm my fingers after hanging the outdoor lights, right now–the thick of the holidays–is when my need for Starbucks copycats reaches a fever pitch.

It’s precisely because of this deep, unquenchable thirst for caffeine that I need to add some coffee-free drinks to my winter menu. I may be able to knock iced coffee down like a champ, but there comes a point where my hands and heart tremble from all the extra go-juice. 🫨 This blood orange and cranberry refresher recipe is just what the doctor ordered.

Jump to:

• What is the Cran-Merry Orange Refresher from Starbucks?
• What does it taste like?
• Why You’ll Love This Copycat Starbucks Refresher Recipe
• Ingredients Needed
• Substitutions
• How To Make A Starbucks Cran-Merry Orange Refresher At Home
• Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe Success Tips 
• FAQs
• Homemade Blood Orange Cranberry Refresher Nutrition
• Other Refresher Recipes
• Cran-Merry Orange Refresher (Starbucks Copycat)

What is the Cran-Merry Orange Refresher from Starbucks?

If you’ve yet to meet Starbucks refreshers, you’re in for a treat. These deliciously slurp-worthy creations are sweet-tart, juicy, fruity, coffee-free drinks that are perfect for when you need a boost but can’t handle another cup of java. 

While they’re likely more popular in summer, when tropical combinations like pineapple passionfruit and mango dragonfruit are no-brainers, I find them just as intriguing during the winter. Here we trade out the sunshiny, vernal flavors, swapping in winter’s finest fruit offerings—tart cranberry and sweet blood orange!

What does it taste like?

I like to think of the Cran-Merry Orange Refresher as a jubilant burst of holiday cheer in a cup. Imagine the tart tang of cranberries mingling with the vibrant sweetness of blood orange syrup. It’s bright and puckery, with a zippiness that gives it a refreshing, invigorating feel. It’s like a puffy snowflake landing on the tip of your nose—crisp, light, and just the thing to brighten your spirits.

Supposedly Starbucks' version has cardamom and nutmeg, but it is very difficult to taste in their drink.

Why You’ll Love This Copycat Starbucks Refresher Recipe

• Simple & Speedy - Just measure, mix, warm, and chill! All in, you’re looking at just 10 minutes of active prep time to make this delightfully invigorating winter sipper.
• The Gift That Keeps On Giving - One batch makes enough for 4 drinks, and it can easily be scaled up as needed. Make a pot on Sunday, then indulge in orange cranberry bliss all week long!
• Save For Santa - With two little ones and a big extended family, Christmas is undoubtedly an expensive time of year. In the same boat? By making your own Starbucks dupes, you can easily shave excess spending from the budget while still getting your fancy café fix!  

Ingredients Needed

As promised, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this cranberry blood orange refresher recipe:

• Blood Orange Syrup - While it might sound like more of a spooky Halloween ingredient, blood orange is so named because of the bright ruby color of its flesh. While blood oranges taste a lot like regular oranges, they’re a bit sweeter with a berry-flavored undertone. My homemade blood orange syrup is the best option for this!
• Cranberry Juice Cocktail - We're not using added white sugar for this so you'll need the cranberry cocktail for sweetness.
• Citric Acid - For adding a concentrated punch of sourness. You don’t need much, so a bag will last you for ages!
• Ice & Water - If possible, start with filtered water to avoid any chemical flavors.  
• Fresh or Freeze-Dried Cranberries - Starbucks always adds some kind of fruity floater to their refreshers, so we’re following suit. That way you get chewy little pops of flavor every few sips!

Substitutions

Can’t find a key ingredient? Not to worry. Here are a few easy swaps to try:

• Blood Orange Syrup - You’re welcome to use regular orange syrup instead.
• Cranberry Juice Cocktail - While they’re not an exact match, tart cherry juice and pomegranate juice are close enough approximations. 100% cranberry juice is also a great substitute but will yield a less-sweet refresher.
• Citric Acid - If you don’t have any on hand, try using 4x as much lemon juice (preferably fresh-squeezed for the brightest flavor). You can also use half as much cream of tartar (a.k.a. tartaric acid).
• Fresh or Freeze-Dried Cranberries - Feel free to swap in pomegranate arils. You can also just omit them!

How To Make A Starbucks Cran-Merry Orange Refresher At Home

This little cup of cheer comes together in just a few simple steps:

Step 1: Add all the refresher base ingredients into a large mason jar.

Step 2: Shake the refresher base up and store in the fridge.

Step 3: Mix ½ cup each of the Cran-Merry Refresher Base and water, stirring or shaking till combined with the chopped cranberries. 

Step 4: Pour the diluted mixture over ice. Drink up!

Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments

When you play the part of Starbucks barista at home, you can make your order as long and complicated as you like—all with no upcharges or sullen stares! Here are a few ways to customize this refresher recipe:

• Reduced-Sugar - Replace the granulated sugar with the cup-for-cup sugar-free sweetener of your choice. To cut back even further, consider using diet-style orange juice and white grape juice. 
• Lemony - Prefer it extra puckery? Swap out the water in favor of lemonade for an added boost of citrusy sunshine.
• Sparkling - Make your cranberry orange refresher taste extra celebratory by using sparkling mineral water or orange or cranberry flavored seltzer to dilute the cranberry orange juice base.
• Creamy - Take a page out of the pink drink playbook and use sweetened coconut milk instead of water when assembling your refresher. It’ll tone down the tartness a touch while adding a faint tropical undertone.
• Caffeinated - If you order a refresher at Starbucks, it will be moderately caffeinated. I make mine without the caffeine because mama needs a detox every now and then, but don’t feel like you have to follow suit. Try adding green tea extract or green coffee extract tinctures for a little extra zip in your cup.   
• Holiday Spices- The Starbucks version of this refresher claims to have holiday spices, but it is virtually untasteable. Add a pinch of cinnamon and cloves to the refresher base for a holiday spiced version.

Serving Suggestions

I’m of the opinion that you don’t need a special occasion to treat yourself to this blood orange cranberry refresher—being thirsty is reason enough. That said, there are few creative ways to incorporate it into your holiday season:

• Party Punch - Make a quadruple batch of the cran-merry refresher base, dilute with equal parts water or sparkling water, and serve from a punch bowl. The gorgeous garnet hue is eye-catching enough for a holiday party, but the floating cranberries really help sell the seasonal feel.
• Boozy Beauty - Make an adults only version of this refreshing blood orange cranberry juice drink by either swapping in sparkling wine for the water during assembly, or by adding a shot of plain, orange, or cranberry vodka after the fact.
• Bake Sale Buddy - Our PTA is super active around the holidays, but I don’t always have time to bake up something delicious. Rather than adding another tray of store-bought cookies to the mix, try making a pitcher of these cranberry refreshers instead! It’s an easy upsell to pair with other treats, and a great way to target the folks who insist they’re not hungry. 😉

Recipe Success Tips 

• Batch It - Got a thirsty fam? Make a larger batch by doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the recipe as needed. You can always freeze some for later if you like. 
• Visual Appeal - To make your cran-merry refresher look extra stunning, consider filling your ice cubes with cranberries and/or edible flowers, then garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a candied orange slice in addition to the cranberries. So cheerful! 
• Super Fresh - Surprisingly, winter is citrus season. If you can get your hands on fresh blood oranges and squeeze them yourself to make bloos orange syrup, you should! The flavor is divine. 

FAQs

Homemade Blood Orange Cranberry Refresher Nutrition

At only 110 calories and 0 grams of fat per serving, this homemade cran-merry refresher is a delightfully light option when you need a little holiday pick-me-up. It also has 0 grams of protein per serving, and a measly 4 mg of sodium—barely worth mentioning.

The one thing to keep an eye on is the carb content—each serving has 28 grams of carbohydrates with 24 of those coming from sugar.

Overall, though, this festive cranberry orange punch is an excellent choice for when you’re looking for a big punch of flavor without a ton of calories. Enjoy every celebratory sip!

Total nutritional content per serving is:

• Calories: 110 calories
• Total Fat: 0 grams
• Protein: 0 grams
• Sodium: 4 mg
• Carbohydrates: 28 grams
• Sugar: 24 grams

*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

Other Refresher Recipes

xoxo Megan