There’s no better way to put your leftover sweet red wine to use than cooking up something delicious!
These 20 recipes are perfect for getting rid of that last bit of sweet red wine that’s no good to drink anymore or if someone gifted you a surplus and you’re not sure how you’re going to use it all.
Because we’ve all been there: maybe you threw a party and got sweet wine for the ONE friend that actually drinks it. Maybe someone gave you a few bottles of the sweet stuff as a gift, even though you can’t really stand to drink it. Or maybe sweet red wine IS your jam, but you can’t find a way to finish a bottle before it goes bad. (I’ve never had that problem, but I can assume it’s a thing.)
Although sweet wine isn’t always the best for cooking, there are a wide range of sweet and savory recipes out there to help you make the most of your leftover vino.
This list includes everything from chicken dishes to decadent desserts to delicious slushies and cocktails. Some of these recipes call for port, but explicitly mention that any sweet red wine will do.
So let’s get right into it!
Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Butter Cream
The only thing better than wine is cake, and when you combine the two, something truly magical happens. This recipe looks so good and requires 1 full cup of sweet red wine.
Red Wine, Blackberry & Ginger Cocktail
If you don't love the taste of sweet red wine on its own, why not add more booze to it? The vodka and ginger beer would balance out the sweetness of the wine and result in a tasty, fruity cocktail!
Chocolate-Wine Balls
This recipe will help you use up your leftover sweet red wine and whips up in only 20 minutes. It's also only 6 ingredients, so you don't have a good reason NOT to make these tiny treats.
Chicken in Red Wine Sauce
This is a classic French recipe also known as Coq Au Vin. Often the recipe calls for dry red wine, but this recipe opts for a sweeter wine to balance out the savory chicken and herbs.
Red Wine and Berries Lemonade
Another gorgeous cocktail that's as delicious as it is easy! There are only three required ingredients: sweet red wine, lemonade, and honey. Throw in some mint and lemons as a garnish and you've got yourself a cocktail, baby!
Blackberry Red Wine Chocolate Cake
Blackberries, chocolate, and sweet red wine were made to go together! This recipe combines these three ingredients for the ultimate twist on a chocolate cake.
Easy Red Wine Sangria Recipe
This sangria is super unique, but also very easy to make! There are three basic ingredients: sweet red wine, ginger ale, and rum. Then it adds in banana liqueur to take it to a whole nother level of fruity goodness.
Chicken in Citrusy Red Wine Sauce
This might sound similar to Coq Au Vin, but it's very different in a few ways. The recipe uses orange and lemon juice for an extra citrusy, acidic kick that will nicely balance out the sweetness of the wine. It also calls for chickpeas, which definitely sets it apart from the traditional French recipe!
Homemade Plum Ketchup with Zinfandel
I loveeeeee ketchup, but I never thought about making my own until this moment. The flavors of the red wine, plum, and star anise mixed together sound amazing and would be so fun to pair with some homemade french fries!
Roast Beef Tenderloin With Port-Mushroom Sauce
This recipe is super savory thanks to the mushrooms and beef, and the red wine elevates it with just a touch of sweetness. It would pair perfectly with a glass of Zinfandel or any other really fruity or sweet red wine!
5 Ingredient Red Wine Popsicles
If the are two things I love, it's easy recipes and desserts. And wine. So I guess that's three things, and this recipe combines them all to make a delish popsicle that'd be perfect on a hot summer day!
Easy Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala is a wonderful comfort food, but this recipe is actually quite healthy! It's another recipe that marries red wine and mushrooms, and it would be such a fun and simple weeknight dinner.
Red Wine Chocolate Cake
This fudgy, beautiful cake almost looks like a red velvet cake due to the red wine. It's topped with whipped mascarpone, and we all know nothing goes with wine quite like cheese!
Merlot Blackberry Slushies Summer Cocktail
The only thing I like more than a normal cocktail is a cocktail that's been slushified. This slushy sounds so refreshing and is only 4 ingredients including ice.
Pan-Seared Chicken with Apple-Red Wine Sauce
Apple and sweet red wine are an (underrated) match made in foodie heaven. This sauce is only 3 ingredients: sweet red wine, apple juice, and butter. I can't imagine anything easier or more delicious.
Koulourakia Wine Cookies
Koulourakia is a type of cookie that originated in Greece and incorporates sweet red wine (usually the Greek wine Mavrodaphne). This recipe is also 100% vegan and 100% delicious.
Red Wine Hot Chocolate
We have a lot of cocktails for the summer on this list, but this cocktail is what's going to get me through this fall and winter! I love a good boozy hot chocolate, and this one only takes 10 minutes to make.
Roasted Strawberry Red Wine Popsicles
I know we already had a popsicle recipe on this list, but this one is SO different. It uses sweet red wine, roasted strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and a little bit of sugar. So it's just a few ingredients, but it packs in a ton of amazing flavors!
Traditional Apple-Walnut Charoset
This is a traditional Ashkenazi recipe that sounds absolutely delish! Apples, sweet red wine, sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts are all you need to make this sweet and spicy dish.
Red Wine Poached Pear Tarte Tatin
In my opinion, this is the most visually impressive recipe on this list! The pears are poached in a spice red wine sauce and then placed in a homemade crust. Definitely a labor of love, and it would be amazing for Christmas or Thanksgiving if you need a show-stopping, festive dessert!
And there you have it! Which one of these recipes have you rethinking sweet red wine? Do you have your own recipes that use sweet red wine? Tell me about it in the comment section below!
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