Bellini Drink Recipe: Easy Peach Cocktail with Prosecco

A bellini is a two-ingredient Italian cocktail made with peach purée and Prosecco, served chilled in a champagne flute. It's light, fruity, and subtly floral  simpler than a mimosa and just as elegant. With a classic 2:1 Prosecco-to-purée ratio, you can make a batch in under 15 minutes.

Forget mimosas. The bellini is the brunch cocktail that looks fancy but takes almost no effort. It's just two ingredients  ripe peaches and sparkling Prosecco  blended and poured into a flute. No shakers, no syrups, no fuss.

How to Make a Bellini

Blend ripe peaches into a smooth purée, spoon 2 ounces into a chilled champagne flute, and top with 4 ounces of cold Prosecco. Stir gently, garnish with a peach slice or mint sprig, and serve immediately. That's the entire process  no cooking, no steeping, no special equipment beyond a blender.

What Is a Bellini Drink?

A bellini is a sparkling Italian cocktail made from puréed peaches and Prosecco, traditionally served in a champagne flute. It originated in Venice in the late 1940s and is prized for its pale pink color, light fizz, and delicate peach flavor. Unlike many cocktails, it contains no added sugar, juice, or liqueur in its classic form.

Where Did the Bellini Come From?

The bellini was created around 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. According to Cipriani's own account, the drink was invented during a period when white peaches were in season, and its pink hue reminded him of the glowing tones found in paintings by Giovanni Bellini, the 15th-century Venetian Renaissance artist  hence the name.

The original recipe stuck to a simple formula: puréed white peaches combined with Prosecco, nothing more. That simplicity is still what makes it a brunch staple nearly 80 years later.

Bellini Drink Ratio: How Much Prosecco to Peach Purée?

The classic bellini ratio is 2 parts Prosecco to 1 part peach purée  typically 4 ounces of Prosecco to 2 ounces of purée per 6-ounce flute. Some bartenders prefer a puree-forward style (closer to 1:1) for a thicker, more intensely peachy drink. Either works, but the 2:1 ratio is the most widely used standard.

Bellini Drink Ingredients

You only need two core ingredients to make a classic bellini, plus optional garnish:

• Fresh ripe peaches  about 1½ pounds (roughly 4 medium peaches), peeled, pitted, and sliced. White peaches are traditional for their floral flavor and pale color, but yellow peaches work beautifully too.
• Prosecco  1 chilled 750 ml bottle. A dry or extra-dry Prosecco keeps the drink from tasting overly sweet. Champagne or another dry sparkling wine can be substituted in a pinch.
• Peach slices  for garnish (optional).
• Fresh mint leaves  for garnish (optional).

Frozen peach slices can replace fresh ones; just thaw them completely before blending.

Bellini Drink Recipe (Easy, Step-by-Step)

This recipe makes about 6 servings from one bottle of Prosecco and 1½ pounds of peaches.

Recipe at a Glance

*Calorie estimates vary by purée-to-Prosecco ratio and peach sweetness. Figures are approximate, based on published recipe data from BBC Good Food (143 kcal) and GetDrunkNotFat (124 kcal).

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds ripe peaches (about 4 medium), peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1 (750 ml) bottle Prosecco, chilled
• Peach slices, for garnish (optional)
• Fresh mint, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel the peaches. Use a vegetable peeler or blanch them briefly (about 20 seconds in boiling water, then an ice bath) to loosen the skins before peeling.
2. Make the purée. Halve, pit, and chop the peaches, then blend until completely smooth. You should get roughly 1½ cups of purée.
3. Chill the purée (optional). Refrigerate for about 30 minutes for a colder, more refreshing pour.
4. Assemble the drink. Spoon 2 ounces of peach purée into a champagne flute.
5. Top with Prosecco. Pour 4 ounces of chilled Prosecco slowly to avoid overflow, since it will bubble up.
6. Stir gently. Combine without deflating the bubbles too much.
7. Garnish and serve. Add a peach slice and a sprig of mint, then serve immediately.

How Many Peaches Do You Need for Bellini Purée?

As a rough estimate, about 2 medium ripe peaches (roughly 1 pound) yield approximately 1 cup of purée. For a full batch serving 6 people, plan on 1½ pounds of peaches, which produces about 1½ cups of purée  enough for six 2-ounce pours.

What Does a Bellini Taste Like?

A bellini tastes light, fruity, and delicately sweet, with a floral peach flavor balanced by dry, crisp Prosecco. It's less citrusy and tangy than a mimosa, with a smoother, almost silky texture from the blended fruit. The finish is refreshing rather than heavy, making it easy to drink multiple glasses over a long brunch.

Tips for the Perfect Bellini

• Choose ripe, fragrant peaches. A ripe peach should give slightly when gently squeezed and smell sweet at the stem.
• Use a dry or extra-dry Prosecco. This keeps the overall drink balanced instead of cloying.
• Chill everything beforehand. Cold purée and cold Prosecco mean less dilution from ice and a crisper pour.
• Make purée ahead, assemble last-minute. Purée can be refrigerated up to a day in advance, but always add the Prosecco just before serving.
• Pour slowly. Prosecco foams quickly when it hits purée  pour in a slow, steady stream to avoid overflow.
• Scale for a crowd. One 750 ml bottle of Prosecco makes about 6 standard pours (4 oz each), so plan one bottle per 6 guests.

Common Bellini Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the peel. Unpeeled peaches leave a grainy, fibrous purée unless strained.
• Using warm Prosecco. Room-temperature Prosecco foams excessively and dilutes the drink faster as it warms further.
• Over-stirring. Vigorous stirring knocks out the bubbles that make a bellini feel celebratory.
• Using underripe peaches. Underripe fruit produces a flat, starchy purée with little natural sweetness.
• Assembling too far in advance. A finished bellini goes flat within minutes to an hour; always build it to order.

Bellini Variations: Dairy-Free, Vegan, and Non-Alcoholic Options

• Dairy-free and vegan: The classic bellini contains no animal products, making it naturally dairy-free and vegan as written.
• Lower-sugar version: Use slightly underripe peaches or dilute the purée with a splash of sparkling water to cut sweetness without adding sugar substitutes.
• Non-alcoholic bellini: Replace Prosecco with sparkling white grape juice or club soda for a celebratory mocktail with the same pink color and peach flavor.
• Fruit swaps: Strawberry purée creates a Rossini, while mandarin purée makes a Puccini  both follow the same 2:1 ratio as the classic bellini.
• Peach schnapps boost: A small splash of peach schnapps intensifies the peach flavor for drinkers who want a stronger profile.

How to Store Bellini Ingredients

• Peach purée: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1–2 days. A teaspoon of lemon juice per cup of purée helps slow browning.
• Freezing purée: Freeze in ice cube trays for up to about 3 months, then thaw as needed for smaller batches.
• Assembled bellinis: Do not store. Once Prosecco is added, serve right away  the bubbles and freshness fade within minutes to an hour.

Why Bellinis Are Perfect for Brunch

Bellinis are easy to scale for a crowd, since one bottle of Prosecco and a batch of purée can serve six guests with minimal prep. They look elegant in a champagne flute but require no bartending skill, and their light, fruity profile pairs well with brunch dishes like quiche, frittata, or French toast without overwhelming the palate the way heavier cocktails can.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories are in a bellini?
A standard 6-ounce bellini contains approximately 120–145 calories, depending on the purée-to-Prosecco ratio and peach sweetness, based on published recipe data from BBC Good Food and GetDrunkNotFat.

What is the alcohol content (ABV) of a bellini?
A classic bellini made with a 2:1 Prosecco-to-purée ratio has an estimated ABV of around 7–8%, since Prosecco itself typically ranges from 11–12% ABV before dilution with purée.

Can I make bellini purée ahead of time?
Yes, peach purée can be made up to one day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Always add the Prosecco just before serving to preserve the fizz.

Can you use frozen peaches for a bellini?
Yes, frozen peaches work well. Thaw them completely at room temperature for a few hours, or overnight in the refrigerator, before blending into purée.

How long does a bellini last once mixed?
An assembled bellini should be consumed within minutes to an hour, as the Prosecco's carbonation fades quickly once combined with purée.

What's the difference between a bellini and a mimosa?
A bellini uses peach purée and Prosecco, while a mimosa uses orange juice and Champagne or sparkling wine. Bellinis tend to taste softer and less acidic than the citrus-forward mimosa.

Do I need white peaches, or can I use yellow peaches?
Yellow peaches work fine and are more widely available in many regions. White peaches are traditional for their floral flavor and pale pink color, but the flavor difference is subtle.

How many peaches make one cup of bellini purée?
As a rough estimate, about 2 medium ripe peaches (roughly 1 pound) yield approximately 1 cup of smooth purée.

Is a bellini gluten-free and vegan?
Yes, the classic bellini made from peaches and Prosecco contains no gluten or animal products, making it naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Can I make a non-alcoholic bellini?
Yes, substitute the Prosecco with sparkling white grape juice or club soda for a non-alcoholic version that keeps the same color and peach flavor.