This slightly spicy cocktail is vibrantly red and perfect to share with that special someone on Valentine’s Day! Prepared with a homemade, easy-to-make simple syrup made with candy hearts, a good splash of vodka, and club soda, this cocktail is bubbly and has a cozy, warm flavour!

Just like clockwork, every year I find myself in a race against time to get a recipe or two for Valentine’s Day published to my blog. After just recently finishing a 7-Day Strawberry Shortcake Series, you might think that was enough! But, those recipes are not Valentine’s Day specific. This Cinnamon Hearts Cocktail, however, is perfect for Valentine’s Day!
I think most of us have a love/hate relationship with cinnamon hearts. When I was younger, I didn’t like them much at all. I thought they were too spicy and hot. I guess over the years, my mouth has become more accustomed to hot and spicy flavours. In my adult years, I quite enjoy a cinnamon heart or two every once in a while.
I’ve always known these little confections to be called cinnamon hearts. However, it seems that most people know them as red hots. I thought red hots were the jellybean type candy that tasted like cinnamon. I can’t keep it all straight anymore, Dear Reader!
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DO YOU CALL THEM CINNAMON HEARTS OR RED HOTS?
But, according to Old Time Candy.com, they’re both the same thing! The site states that, “Red Hots are small hot cinnamon flavored candies that are sometimes called cinnamon imperials.” I stand corrected, I guess.
Well, the point of all of this is that no matter what you call them, they are a hard candy that has an intense cinnamon flavour. They offer a great deal of cinnamon flavour to this Cinnamon Hearts Cocktail. No ground cinnamon or cinnamon extract needed!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
- Cinnamon Hearts – You will need one cup of these spicy candies.
- Sugar – The addition of the sugar helps to create the simple syrup and makes it thick.
- Water
- Vodka – Vodka is a clear, unaged spirit produced using any ingredient that has fermentable sugars such as rye, barley, or wheat. It can also be made with potatoes, grapes, or beets too. In its purest form, Vodka is colourless, odourless, and flavourless, which means the cinnamon flavour will be dominant.
- Club Soda – Club soda is similar to seltzer water, but in addition to carbon dioxide, various minerals such as sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, disodium phosphate, and occasionally sodium chloride are added. If a cocktail recipe calls for club soda, but you only have seltzer on hand, use it. The two are hardly distinguishable.
- Ice
WHAT IS SIMPLE SYRUP
Simple syrup can be used to add sweetness to foods, or even increase the sweetness level in foods that are already a little sweet. A perfect example is a fruit salad. Even though fruit is already naturally sweet, some people like to add a simple syrup to their fruit salad to increase the sweetness, but to also act as a shiny glaze.
It is often found in desserts. Just like the shiny glaze in the fruit salad, simple syrup can be used to glaze baked goods. Think of things like donuts or sugary, sweet buns. That stickiness and sweetness on the outside is easily achieved with a simple syrup drizzle.

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON HEARTS SIMPLE SYRUP
To make this cinnamon simple syrup at home, you will need three ingredients. Well, I would go as far as saying that you only need two ingredients, because the other one is just water. The others are sugar and cinnamon heart candy. There is a contrasting argument out there that simple or sugar syrup needs a 2:1 ratio. That means two cups of sugar and one cup of water. I say no!
A 1:1 ratio works just fine. One cup of sugar and one cup of water works perfectly when making a plain simple syrup. With the addition of the candy, which already has lots of sugar in them, you will only need just a little bit of sugar to aid the process along. So, add one cup of cinnamon hearts and one cup of water to a saucepan with two tablespoons of sugar.
Over high heat, whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Keep whisking to ensure that the sugary candy doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. We don’t want it to burn. Once the candy is completely dissolved, allow the mixture to continue to boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
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HOW TO MAKE A CINNAMON HEARTS COCKTAIL
Once you have prepared the cinnamon simple syrup, the rest is a breeze! Measure the simple syrup into a cocktail shaker along with the vodka. You don’t need any ice in the shaker, because you’re going to pour the mixture over ice. Adding ice now may water down the syrup and vodka mixture, especially when you pour it over ice too.
Just shake the vodka and syrup so that it is mixed well. The syrup is really thick, so give it a good shake! If you are presenting the cocktails with any garnish, prepare that now. I simply added a single Valentine heart candy to a cocktail skewer. Simple enough, yet very pretty.
Now, fill a cocktail glass half full with ice. Pour the vodka and cinnamon simple syrup mixture over the ice. Top the glass off with the club soda. Garnish and serve immediately.

HOW TO STORE YOUR SYRUP
If you have any syrup leftover, you can easily store it. In fact, if you really like this cocktail, you can double or even triple the syrup ingredients and store the unused syrup in the fridge. The best way to store your homemade simple syrup is to pour it into a very clean jar. I like to use a mason jar or a jar with a rubber resealable gasket. Both will work just fine.
Store your syrup in the fridge for up to six months. I keep mine on the side of my fridge door right where I keep my extracts. All you need to do once you have made it, is to find enough recipes to use it in before the six months is up. Don’t worry, if you like cinnamon, you won’t have to worry about using it up before it expiries. You can use it on baked goods, in your tea or coffee, and even on waffles instead of maple syrup.
Do You Like This Recipe?
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Cinnamon Hearts Cocktail
Ingredients
- 3 ounces cinnamon heart simple syrup
- 2 ounces vodka
- 4 ounces club soda
- ice
Instructions
- Measure the simple syrup into a cocktail shaker along with the vodka. You don’t need any ice in the shaker, because you’re going to pour the mixture over ice.
- Just shake the vodka and syrup so that it is mixed well. The syrup is really thick, so give it a good shake!
- Now, fill a cocktail glass half full with ice. Pour the vodka and cinnamon simple syrup mixture over the ice.
- Top the glass off with the club soda. Garnish and serve immediately.
Notes
HOW TO MAKE A CINNAMON HEART SIMPLE SYRUP
To make this cinnamon simple syrup at home, you will need to add one cup of cinnamon hearts, one cup of water, and two tablespoons of sugar to a saucepan. Over high heat, whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Keep whisking to ensure that the sugary candy doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Once the candy is completely dissolved completely, allow the mixture to continue to boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.Nutrition
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