White Christmas Dream Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/16/22
Tested by
Joan Velush
Joan Velush
Tested by Joan Velush
Joan Velush is a personal chef, caterer, cooking instructor, and former bartender. Her work has included catering services for a variety of events, preparing weekly meals for a number of clients, and offering private cooking classes for children, teens, and adults. More recently she has worked as a recipe tester, an assistant food stylist, and recipe developer in the test kitchens of Fine Cooking Magazine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
White Christmas Dream cocktail

The Spruce 
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
276 Calories
11g Fat
12g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 276
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 11mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 41mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Who said eggnog is the only creamy, white drink you can have during the holidays? Granted, it conveniently comes out of a carton, but there is a world of deliciously luscious cocktails that you can make during the holidays—in just minutes and with easy-to-find ingredients. Our recipe for a White Christmas Dream offers a tasty, creamy holiday cocktail that's a fantastic pre-dinner treat alongside a table filled with hors d'oeuvres, a decadent dessert for adults, or a beautiful nightcap after a long day of hard work getting ready for the holidays.

This cocktail is extremely simple to make and similar to the godmother, although that's served on the rocks. The combination of vodka and amaretto is always fantastic, and in this case, a healthy pour of heavy cream gives it a lush, rich taste. When you add a dusting of nutmeg, it's undeniable that the drink has a little extra Christmas cheer.

“The White Christmas Dream Cocktail is a chilled vodka and amaretto mixture with the addition of heavy cream. When chilled, shaken, and served straight up it’s a rich and nutty holiday cocktail. Don’t forget to add some freshly grated nutmeg to complete the dream.” —Joan Velush

White Christmas Dream Cocktail/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    White Christmas dream cocktail ingredients
    The Spruce

  2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the vodka, amaretto, and heavy cream.

    Pour ingredients in shaker
    The Spruce

  3. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

    Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
    The Spruce 

  4. Garnish with grated nutmeg on top. Serve immediately.

    Garnish with nutmeg
    The Spruce

Recipe Tip

  • This cocktail is the perfect candidate for your favorite go-to vodka. There's no need use a top-shelf vodka because of the cream. Instead, find a great-tasting vodka that fits your budget and keep it in your bar's stock for drinks like this.
  • The amaretto is equally important for this cocktail because it has the same pour as the vodka. Consider using a homemade amaretto, which is quite easy and fun to make.
  • The nutmeg really should not be skipped. For some cocktails, you can forget about the garnish, but for this one, the nutmeg makes a big impact on the flavor.

Recipe Variations

There are choices to make regarding the ingredients of this drink if you need lower fat content, a dairy-free alternative, or are keener on the flavor of other spirits. Here's what you can do:

  • Heavy cream is a very rich option, and it is a nice choice for making the most luscious cocktails. However, it does come with high-fat content, and if this is a concern for your diet, you may think about switching to half-and-half or light cream. Plant-based alternatives to dairy, like almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk, are good options as well because they're lighter but still have some body.
  • A cream liqueur, such as Irish cream or RumChata, would make a nice alternative, too. This will boost the drink's strength, but they're low proof, so the difference is minimal.
  • If you prefer the flavor and feeling of whiskey, follow the godfather's scotch recommendation or pour another style of whiskey. An aged rum or a good brandy would make a nice foundation, too.

How Strong Is the White Christmas Dream?

To estimate how strong the White Christmas Dream is, let's assume that you pour an 80-proof vodka and 42-proof amaretto. That means this sweet dessert drink weighs in right around 17 percent ABV (34 proof). It is neither the strongest nor the lightest cocktail you can mix up. Instead, it could be considered a "Goldilocks" type of drink—it's just right.