Looking for a classic cocktail with a twist? This Blood Orange Chocolate Old Fashioned is the perfect date night cocktail, made with bourbon, a homemade chocolate simple syrup, and fresh-squeezed blood orange juice. The whiskey flavor really shines through, with an orange twist and plenty of dark chocolate flavor.
If you need the perfect after dinner cocktail, this one is for you. Maybe you're just really enthusiastic about chocolate and bourbon! Either way, this drink is bursting with flavor. One of the great things about this drink is that it's made with some pantry staples. You'll love how easily this drink comes together!
If you're looking for more twists on classic old fashioned recipes or other whiskey cocktails, be sure to check out this blackberry bourbon bramble, this salted dark chocolate bourbon hot cocoa, or this tangerine old fashioned.
Note: You may have seen this recipe first on our Instagram, as a paid partnership with Woodford Reserve. We decided it was too pretty and delicious for it only to live on Instagram, so we made a home for it on the blog too!
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❤️Why you'll love this
- Fun flavors: We absolutely love the combo of chocolate and blood orange together. It's really a great combo! You may like our blood orange chocolate cupcakes as well! Add in smooth, creamy bourbon, and you have a wonderful sip with layers of flavor.
- Refined sugar free option & low carb: This recipe is made with a sugar replacement for the simple syrup, and fresh squeezed blood orange juice, so there's no refined sugar in this drink! If you're not sugar free, no worries, you can just use sugar. 🙂 If making the sugar free version however, this recipe is actually keto friendly at only 5 net carbs per drink!
- Quick & easy: After the simple syrup is prepared, the drink comes together in just a minute or so.
- No special equipment needed: This drink comes together in a rocks glass with a bar spoon. That's it! If you prefer to mix this drink in a mixing glass with some ice and a bar spoon, then strain it into a fresh ice-filled serving glass, you can also do that as well. But really, the equipment needed is super minimal.
- Parts can be made ahead: You can make the simple syrup up to 30 days in advance if you prefer, and store it in the fridge. You can also squeeze the blood orange juice a day or so in advance and store it in the fridge.
🍫Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need.
✏️Ingredient Notes
Here is a list of ingredients, you can see the recipe card for quantities.
- Water
- Allulose sweetener - This is the best sugar alternative (affiliate link) out there for making simple syrups. It caramelizes like sugar, and won't crystallize when it dissolves. If you're not sugar free, feel free to just use sugar. We'll share the recipe for the chocolate simple syrup below.
- Cocoa powder - To make our simple syrup chocolate flavored. We like dutch-processed cocoa powder because it's rich and chocolatey, but feel free to use your favorite cocoa powder.
- Vanilla extract - Optional, but recommended for a lovely warm flavor!
- Kosher salt - Just a pinch to round everything out! This simple syrup is sweet and rich, so salt helps enhance the flavor.
- Bourbon - Something smooth you love drinking. We used Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, since there are already notes of vanilla, caramel, toasted oak, spices, and chocolate in the bourbon.
- Fresh squeezed blood orange juice - When in season, this stunning ingredient is just so much fun to use!
- Orange bitters- Enhances the orange flavors in this drink.
- Bonus ingredient - Add a few dashes chocolate bitters as well, although it's optional!
✨How to make chocolate simple syrup
We always make our sugar free simple syrup at home. It's seriously simple, cost-effective, and allows us to add in different herbs, spices, and all types of flavors.
We use allulose in our sugar free version. It is slightly less sweet than sugar, so use about 1 and ⅓ cups of allulose to replace every 1 cup of sugar.
- 1 cup water
- 1 and ⅓ cups allulose
- 2 ounces cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine water, allulose, salt, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to dissolve the allulose, and whisk frequently to combine until fully dissolved.
- Once combined, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
- Make sure to cool completely before adding to cold drinks, although this drink is great in coffee too!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
*Please note: Allulose has been known to cause some GI distress in some people if consumed in large quantities. We recommend starting out by not consuming more than 1 serving at one time before making another drink!
📖Step by step instructions
Optional- rim the glass with melted chocolate before adding ice and preparing the drink.
Add orange bitters and blood orange juice to the bottom of an ice filled glass.
Pour in the chocolate simple syrup and bourbon.
Stir ingredients with a bar spoon, then garnish with a wedge of blood orange.
Dust with cinnamon and nutmeg.
✨Substitutions
There are a few ways to alter this drink at home.
- Don't want to make your own sugar free chocolate simple syrup? Buy some to use instead!
- No blood oranges? If you can't get your hands on blood oranges whether they're out of season or you just can't find them, feel free to substitute your favorite variety like cara cara oranges, navel or anything else.
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🥣Storage
We don't recommend fully preparing this drink ahead of time, but you can prepare the chocolate simple syrup up to 30 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
The blood orange juice can also be squeezed ahead of time and stored in the fridge. We recommend only doing this a day or two in advance.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Old Fashioned with Blood Orange
Ingredients
- 1 dash orange bitters
- 1.5 ounces blood orange juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 ounce homemade sugar free chocolate simple syrup (see recipe in the notes)
- 1.5 ounces bourbon
- Ice for glass, blood orange wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare your simple syrup in advance and allow it to cool completely before adding it to the cocktail.
- In an ice filled rocks glass, combine orange bitters, blood orange juice, chocolate simple syrup, and bourbon. Stir with a bar spoon.
- Garnish with a wedge of blood orange. Enjoy!
Notes
- 1 cup water
- 1 and ⅓ cups allulose
- 2 ounces cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine water, allulose, salt, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to dissolve the allulose, and whisk frequently to combine until fully dissolved.
- Once combined, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
- Make sure to cool completely before adding to cold drinks, although this drink is great in coffee too!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
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