A festive, boozy treat that’s spicy, cool and easy-to-make. Apple Pie on the Rocks! Plus, a recap of my vegan Thanksgiving.

For this cocktail I was inspired by a drink that I had a few weeks ago that consisted of apple juice, Fireball Whiskey, and “Moonshine”. And maybe simple syrup if I remember correctly. I really enjoyed it, but wanted to make my version at home and dress it up a little. That’s how the Apple Pie on the Rocks came to be! It would be awesome if you crumbled up graham crackers and added them to the brown sugar rim, but I didn’t have those on hand.

Substitutions & Tips:
- Apple juice – apple cider or spiced apple cider also works in this recipe. Feel free to leave out the additional cinnamon if using spiced cider.
- Cinnamon whisky – as you can see from my photos I used Fireball, but I’ve also used Revel Stoke which is excellent! Basically, any cinnamon whisky will work here.
- Vanilla vodka – if you don’t have flavored vodka on hand, regular vodka will work, just add a dash of vanilla extract for a bit of flavor. Another great option is whipped cream-flavored vodka!
- Brown sugar – I used light brown sugar for the rim, but turbinado sugar or darker brown sugar will also work. And as mentioned before, if you have some graham cracker crumbs, those would be great for this drink.
- Serving size: while this recipe is for one drink, it’s very easy to multiply by a few and make it ahead of time for a party or dinner! I suggest making it at most 2 or 3 days ahead, and storing in your refrigerator.
Since we’ve covered the details on this spicy, cool beverage I would like to talk a little bit about my Thanksgiving. This year was a little different from most, because the group was smaller and my Dad and I met my sister and her boyfriend out in Lake Havasu to have it. This meant that I needed to cook some things beforehand, bring some ingredients and not make as big of portions (oops, on that last one).


I was excited to make my first batch of homemade cranberry sauce, which I changed just slightly from the pancake topping recipe. The addition of some cinnamon, plus vanilla extract and brown sugar instead of white made it perfect! My sister’s S.O. really liked it. Then, as usual, I made the sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, and switched up the veggie side with some roasted Brussels sprouts. Of course, I brought my leftover Stuffed Seitan Roast with me, and it reheated wonderfully! Overall, it was a total success, even if there was a ton of food left afterward.

Although I kept myself occupied most of the day, I got to witness some pretty awesome stuff. I had quite a few friends and readers tell me about how they made dishes either from my blog or the eBook for their families, on Thanksgiving. Not only that, they told me about how successful they were! Like omnivore grandparents pilfering last slices of Pumpkin Coffee Cake, and empty plates of Smoky Pumpkin Mac.
I can’t even begin to express how much it means to me that people would make my recipes on what I consider an important food day! Though I hate to admit it, but it almost brought me to tears at one point. Running this blog, is something that I love, but having reminders about why I do it doesn’t hurt.

So, thank you, to all of the people out there that check out my blog. Even if you don’t ever make something, I don’t mind! I just like to show off cool dishes that taste great, and that most importantly are vegan. As much as I love food photography and recipe development, it would be harder for me to do this if there wasn’t an audience. I’m looking forward to making recipes, and cookbooks and taking photos for a long time!
One Year Ago: Pecan Persimmon Oatmeal // Two Years Ago: Orange Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

Apple Pie on the Rocks
Apple pie on the rocks is a festive, boozy treat that's spicy, cool, and easy-to-make! This recipe has thousands of fans!
Ingredients
- 1 ounce (30 ml) Vanilla Vodka
- 1 ounce (30 ml) Fireball Whiskey
- 4 oz (120 ml) Organic Apple Juice
- Pinch of Ground Cinnamon
- Brown Sugar for the rim, Grind a little finer for more successful sugaring
- Optional: Cinnamon Stick for Garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- Wet the rim of your rocks glass just a little, and gently sugar the rim with the brown sugar.
- In a martini shaker, pour the vodka, Fireball, apple juice and ground cinnamon together with a handful of ice cubes. Shake 10 times and pour the contents into the glass without wiping off the sugar rim.
- Serve chilled and with a cinnamon stick, for garnish.
Notes
- Serving size: while this recipe is for one drink, it's very easy to multiply by a few and make it ahead of time for a party or dinner! I suggest making it at most 2 or 3 days ahead, and storing in your refrigerator.
- Apple juice – apple cider or spiced apple cider also works in this recipe. Feel free to leave out the additional cinnamon if using spiced cider.
- Cinnamon whisky – as you can see from my photos I used Fireball, but I’ve also used Revel Stoke which is excellent! Basically, any cinnamon whisky will work here.
- Vanilla vodka – if you don’t have flavored vodka on hand, regular vodka will work, just add a dash of vanilla extract for a bit of flavor. Another great option is whipped cream-flavored vodka!
- Brown sugar – I used light brown sugar for the rim, but turbinado sugar or darker brown sugar will also work. And as mentioned before, if you have some graham cracker crumbs, those would be great for this drink.

Cheers to the holiday season, everyone! And if you’re looking for more Fall Cocktails just click on the photos below.



Love this and will definitely add this to my list
Fabulous! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
This is delicious! Liked by 20’s-80’s. I did use graham crackers, coconut sugar and cinnamon on the rim.
Oooh I may have to serve these at my holiday party next week! Great to find a new use for Fireball.
That would be awesome! If you do, I’d love to hear how it goes. 😀
I don’t drink but I’m a big fan of apple/cinnamon drinks during colder weather! I love the sugar on the rim too.
Your Thanksgiving sounds similar to mine in that I tried to make as much before hand as possible and brought ingredients for the rest. I’m really bummed because I totally left my big jar of maple syrup at my sister’s place too 🙁 And that stuff’s expensive! I brought it for the sweet potatoes. I asked my sister if she had some before coming and she said she only had the pancake syrup stuff…ew.
It’s so wonderful that you’ve gotten so much positive feedback on blog recipes! You deserve it with all the hard work you put into your food, recipes and grogeous photos! My friend Holly (aka Veganadian aka Traveling Pink Lips) totally popped her seitan-making cherry with your stuffed roast! The vegan blogging community is the best!
Nooooo! The Maple Syrup!!! But, seriously, I can sympathize with that. Nothing beats the real thing, and you certainly pay for it. Hopefully, your sister starts to like it so that it’s always there when you come over. 😉
And I saw all of Holly’s posts! I think I even re-grammed one. I was totally in shock at how fast she was with that. She’s awesome! Really, though, I think the Vegan blogging community has introduced me to some of the best people that I know, and I am so grateful for that.
Thank you for the comment, Ketty! 🙂
Our Thanksgiving was a little different too, being just the 2 of us this year. I still wanted to go all out for my 2nd vegan thanksgiving and made everything! Ha, we had leftovers until last night and they delish every single day 😉 This drink sounds great too btw.
I’m ALMOST done with my leftovers. So, I’ve been incorporating sweet potato casserole into my meal in “interesting” ways. But, seriously, I love leftovers! ha ha And thank you, Michelle! 🙂
I was in Havasu for thanksgiving too
How funny! I hope that yours was wonderful!
I cant mix my alcohols so I will just use 2 ounces of the fireball. Thanks for a great idea!
Hi! I bartended a few events (one in Havasu!) for Ole Smoky Moonshine! They make an apple pie moonshine that if you mix with fireball tastes just like apple cider. Best thing is you can find the OS moonshine in most grocery or liquor stores. So excited that you liked (some) version!
That sounds amazing! I’ve seen Ole Smoky Moonshine, and have been meaning to try it out. Thanks for the tip! 🙂
Redds apple ale and Fireball make an excellent drink , cinnamon apple pie ! This looks tasty too!!
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Could you use Goldschlagger instead of Fireball?
I don’t see why not! Try it out and let me know how it tastes! 🙂
I would be the happiest girl on earth right now if I’d had the Apple Pie on the Rocks at hand. Beautiful photos, Jackie! Same here, had a small Thanksgiving with my bf’s sister and her husband. It was a smaller group, but easier! Happy Holidays!
We need to have a cocktail night!
Agreed x1000!!
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Found this recipe via pinterest…it totally made my holiday season. I’ve been looking for a great cocktail and you delivered. I had to leave you a note to let you know I appreciate you sharing your recipe!
-dani e
I’m so glad that this recipe worked out so well for you, Dani! Thank you for leaving good feedback! 🙂 Cheers!
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I tried an apple pie drink at a club one time! It was just apple beer with the cinnamon whiskey….soooooo good!
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I used Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Juice and it was delish!
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Pingback: apple pie on the rocks: 1 oz vanilla vodka, 1 oz. fireball, 4 oz. apple juice, pinch of cinnamon, brown sugar on the rim, cinnamon stick for garnish. - FOOD BEA
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if this drink will not shoot sugar level it will be very demanding.
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That apple pie drink sounds amazing! Thanksgiving is at my in-laws this year and I’d like to bring a drink since they do most of the food. I was wondering, would this be able to be made and bottled? How do you think it would keep?
I think that you could definitely bottle it up! I would say it will probably last a week.
Wonder if you can have this served warm at the campfire??
I don’t see why not!
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This sounds phenomenal! It is going on my winter drink bucket list! (is that a strange thing to have?)
I certainly don’t think so!!
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Thank you for the recipe! It sounds so delicious! I don’t drink alcohol and I have a question. Can I make it without vodka and whiskey?
Hi Joshua! That may be a hard ask, but you could experiment with using apple juice, cream soda, and some cinnamon?
Thank you! I think I’ll try it=)
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I love people share their experience about eating healthy food and recipes. I visit blog and youtube for new healthy recipes and try myself for family.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I am going to try this.
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