Strawberry Cheesecake Martini

This strawberry cheesecake martini recipe is a delicious and romantic drink perfect for Valentine’s Day, a night with the girls (Galentine’s Day!), date night, anniversary or really anytime you want a creamy dreamy cocktail. This strawberry martini is the perfect balance of rich indulgence, strawberry flavor and a nice tang all combining for a memorable cheesecake flavor.

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Who doesn’t love a quintessential dessert cocktail. This strawberry cheesecake martini celebrates strawberry flavors, tangy cheesecake, Bailey’s irish cream, amaretto, vanilla vodka and more – all the things that make life wonderful. Am I right?

When it comes to the perfect cocktail it has to be delicious but also beautiful and festive! I love serving this creamy strawberry martini as the centerpiece to my Valentine’s Day. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention this gorgeous Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board.

It is also perfect for a night with the girls (Galentine’s Day!), date night, anniversary, Mother’s Day or pretty much any time!

The ingredients used to make this cocktail are also great staples to have in your cocktail arsenal. So even if you are buying these ingredients for the first time, they will not go to waste because they are used in so many different cocktail variations such as this Bailey’s Cocktail.

Plus, I wanted to simplify this recipe by using store bought strawberry syrup. Don’t get me wrong, I love a homemade strawberry simple syrup (and I also include the recipe for that) but sometimes it’s just easier to buy the components and whip up the goodness! It’s all about options!

Why you will love this dessert cocktail!

All of the ingredients used to make this cocktail can be used in so many different cocktails so they will not go to waste!

A strawberry martini is delicious and beautiful. It is a great show-stopper on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or date night and the cheesecake flavor is delightful.

If you need a romantic dessert, these Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies are super easy and delish.

This cocktail is the perfect ending to a delicious and romantic dinner. And if you need some great date-night dinner ideas to go with your strawberry martini, you will love this Sablefish Recipe (with Orange Sauce), Pistachio Crusted Salmon and Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak!

Ingredients

• Vanilla Vodka
• Irish Cream: Bailey’s Irish cream or any Irish cream of choice.
• Amaretto: Disaronno Amaretto or any amaretto brand of choice.
• Half and Half: Half and half or any milk of choice (see recipe card notes for other options).
• Strawberry Syrup: Hershey’s strawberry syrup (or store brand), strawberry cocktail syrup (ex: Torani, Monin) or make homemade strawberry simple syrup (recipe in recipe card) for your strawberry martini.
• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is best.
• Ice
• Graham Crackers: For martini glass rim garnish.

How to make the perfect strawberry cheesecake martini

1. Combine vanilla vodka, Irish cream, amaretto, half and half (or milk of choice), strawberry syrup and lemon juice in cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously, pour into martini glass or over ice.
3. Optional: For graham cracker crust rim: crush graham crackers finely. Dip martini glass rim in strawberry syrup and dip in crushed graham crackers.

How to make homemade strawberry simple syrup?

1. Add 5 oz fresh strawberries (cleaned and quartered) to a small saucepan with ½ cup water and ½ cup white granulated sugar.
2. Over medium-high heat, simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and strain.
4. Cool completely before use.
5. Once fully cooled, store in air-tight container in refrigerator.

What can I substitute for half and half?

If you are looking for a dairy substitute, you can use heavy whipping cream, whole milk or 2% milk. Keep in mind, that this will change the consistency of the drink but all should still be delicious.

Our favorite dairy free and vegan substitutes include almond milk, soy milk or oat milk and Baileys Almande, which is made with almond milk instead of cream.

What are the best garnishes for a strawberry martini?

For the classic strawberry cheesecake look, we love a graham cracker rim garnish on the martini glass. However, you can also make a white sugar rim or add some red food coloring to the sugar for a pink or red sugar rim!

If you wish to add some whipped cream and pink sprinkles, that is super cute. And of course, you cannot forget a fresh strawberry!

How to make the cocktail rim

I recommend adding a couple tablespoons of simple syrup (or wet ingredient of choice onto a plate.

On a separate plate, add your cocktail rimming ingredient such as sugar or for this recipe, crushed graham crackers.

Swirl the rim of your martini or cocktail glass in the simple syrup and then swirl in the dry rim ingredient.

For this recipe, you can use amaretto, strawberry syrup or even peanut butter (which is pretty sticky and the same color as the graham crackers).

Keep in mind, you might pick up a slight undertone of peanut butter so beware if that is not your jam.

Valentine’s Day and date night dinner ideas

No dessert cocktail is complete without enjoying a delicious dinner beforehand!

A few of our favorite dinner recipes for romance are this Wagyu Recipe, Traeger Smoked Salmon and Blackened Cod.

For side dishes, you cannot go wrong with Roasted Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes or Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes.

Romantic appetizers that are always great include this Bone Marrow Recipe, Lion’s Mane Mushroom Crab Cakes (vegan!) and Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice.

Other amazing Valentine’s day cocktails

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