Want to keep your christmas drinks non alcoholic while still making them look festive? Start with cranberry garnishes, candy cane toppings and mugs piled high with marshmallows.
There’s plenty to borrow here, whether you’re planning a Christmas brunch or setting up a little cocoa station.
These pictures offer serving inspiration rather than verified recipes. Some show alcoholic drinks, which are flagged below with suggestions for alcohol-free alternatives.
You can keep the decorations simple or go all out with sprinkles!
Christmas drinks and festive finishing touches
cranberry skewers and rosemary
We’re starting off strong with this gorgeous red drink. I love the sugar-coated cranberries lined up across the glass, plus that long rosemary sprig behind them.
For your own alcohol-free version, try cranberry juice with sparkling water over ice. Keep the little cranberry skewer if you want the same festive finish.
a mug full of marshmallows
How cute is this reindeer mug? The marshmallows cover almost the entire drink, with a fine brown dusting over the top.
Give your favorite hot chocolate the same treatment with mini marshmallows and a little cocoa powder. A Christmas mug is really all the extra decoration you need.
red punch with frosted rims
The cranberry-covered tops and white crystalline rims are so pretty together. The pictured punch contains vodka and prosecco, according to its title.
For an alcohol-free alternative, try cranberry juice and sparkling water with similar garnishes. I’d keep the cranberries and rosemary, then add a sugar rim for that frosted look.
candy cane cocoa topping
I am obsessed with this candy cane topping. The brown drink has a thick white topping, little marshmallows and crushed red-and-white candy scattered across it.
Try the same decorations on your hot chocolate. Don’t forget a candy cane hooked over the side of the mug!
apple slices and whole spices
If you love a fruit-filled pot of cider, this one has plenty of inspiration. The picture labels apple cider, orange slices, apple slices, brown sugar, cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks.
Choose non-alcoholic apple cider for your own version and follow a tested mulled cider recipe. I especially love the overlapping orange rounds.
green punch with a red rim
That bright green and red pairing is so fun for a Grinch theme. The drink is served over ice with a red crystalline coating around the rim.
The pictured drink is labeled “Boozy Grinch Punch.” For your own alcohol-free version, borrow the green fruit punch idea and finish the glass with a red sugar rim.
pink bubbles and candy canes
Who says Christmas drinks have to be dark red? This pink drink looks so pretty with its pink-coated rim and little striped candy cane.
To try the look without alcohol, choose a clearly labeled alcohol-free sparkling drink and serve it in a similar tall glass.
a star cookie on top
This gingerbread latte may just have one of my favorite garnishes here. I love the star-shaped cookie tucked into the white topping and the brown dusting across it.
Try serving your own gingerbread-flavored latte with a little cookie on the side or at the rim.
blue sprinkles and a snowman
OMG, how adorable is this snowman cup? The pale blue drink, tall white topping and blue-and-white sprinkles are such a cute combination.
For your own version, you could give an alcohol-free vanilla milkshake a little blue food coloring. Use a snowman cup and keep the sprinkles around the rim to follow this look.
orange and cranberry ice rounds
This is such a pretty little addition to a punch bowl. Orange pieces and cranberries sit inside round blocks of ice, with a muffin pan used as the mold.
Try freezing washed fruit with drinking water in a freezer-safe muffin mold. Add the rounds to your non-alcoholic punch when you’re ready to serve.
an all-white topping
Don’t want to add bright colors to your drinks? No problem!
This pale drink keeps everything white, from the marshmallows around the edge to the tall swirl and little shavings on top.
I’d use this as serving inspiration for white hot chocolate, with white chocolate shavings as the finishing touch.
red flecks and peppermint stripes
This is another candy cane idea, but the pale drink makes those red flecks especially noticeable. The swirled white topping has crushed candy scattered over it, with a whole candy cane tucked into the side.
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For a similar alcohol-free treat, try a peppermint milkshake with crushed candy on top.
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pear slices and star anise
I love this little fan of pear slices. The pale golden drink has visible bubbles and ice, with a cinnamon stick and star anise sitting at the top.
You could borrow the garnish for a pear juice and sparkling water combination. Keep the slices thin so you can arrange them like the ones here.
a simple dusted top
If you are looking for something without a pile of toppings, this one is for you. The pale beige drink has a smooth surface with just a fine brown dusting.
For your own table, serve non-alcoholic eggnog in a rounded glass and finish it with a little ground nutmeg. There’s no need to add anything else.
cranberries in copper-colored mugs
These copper-colored mugs look gorgeous with the dark red drinks and upright rosemary sprigs. Cranberries and ice fill the tops.
A gin bottle appears beside the mugs. For your own alcohol-free alternative, try cranberry juice with alcohol-free ginger beer and similar garnishes.
a build-your-own cocoa station
If you want to go all out with the toppings, this little hot chocolate station is for you. There are labeled jars of marshmallows, chocolate chips and peppermint candies, plus syrup bottles and candy canes.
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Set your own toppings beside a non-alcoholic hot chocolate base. I love the little jar labels because you can see exactly what’s available.
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apple and lime at the rim
This picture identifies the drink as a sparkling apple cider ginger mocktail. I love the red-edged apple slices sitting in front of the green lime wheel.
The cinnamon stick is a lovely extra touch. If you’re serving your own apple mocktail, borrow this garnish arrangement and leave room for the ice.
green punch and strawberry hearts
Last but definitely not least, we have this bright green Grinch punch inspiration. Those heart-shaped strawberries on skewers are just too cute!
The green-coated rims match the drinks below. Choose an alcohol-free green punch recipe for your version, then add strawberry hearts if you want to follow the same red-and-green theme.