Christmas Punch (Alcoholic or Not)
Need the Best Christmas Punch Recipe? This is it! Of the 1300+ recipes on my site, this 4-Ingredient Holiday Punch is the MOST POPULAR and has over 600 5-star reviews!
It’s an easy and delicious holiday party drink packed with cranberries, oranges, and pomegranates. Keep it non-alcoholic, or add rum or vodka for extra holiday spirit!
What Is Christmas Punch?
This has been my go-to recipe for more than 10 years. Since I published it in 2016, it’s been enjoyed by thousands of readers and become a holiday tradition for many families!
Why Everyone Loves This Holiday Punch Recipe!
- Simple Ingredients – Easy to find juices and soda make up this punch recipe.
- 5-Minute Prep – This punch is ready to go as soon as you stir the ingredients together, no need for chilling!
- It’s Gorgeous – This punch recipe when styled with an ice ring or Christmas ice cubes and garnishes like fresh cranberries, pomegranates, and orange slices make this drink so festive it borders on a Christmas party centerpiece!
- Customizable – The base is kid-friendly, but you can easily add vodka or rum for tons of extra holiday joy! And if you’re serving a larger crowd, it’s an easy recipe to double or triple!
Christmas Punch Is A Tradition!
When I was growing up, the Christmas menu was always changing. Some years it was Turkey, some it was Ham, some it was lamb, and the occasional pizza, and these days it’s usually all of the above because my family is filled with picky eaters.
But even when the food was getting changed up, my mom always made a Christmas Punch recipe. Sure, that, too, changed over the years, but regardless of the ingredients, there was always punch.
Oh, and there were always Cranberry Orange Meatballs, too, because feuds would have broken out if those weren’t there!
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: Vibrant and juicy! A tantalizing mix of pomegranate, cranberry, and orange makes for the perfect holiday punch recipe!
Texture: Refreshing liquid!
Ease: 1/10
Pros: Super easy to make and customize
Cons: It can’t be fully made ahead, but it’s so easy; why would you need to?
Would I Make This Again? Yes, I make this at least once every weekend throughout December! And have done so for over a decade!
Holiday Punch Ingredients
My mom always used the same base: cranberry juice, orange juice, and ginger ale. And I’ve added pomegranate juice to the mix and swapped the ginger ale for lemon-lime soda; I prefer 7UP. I’ve also added pineapple juice from time to time when I want it a little sweeter.
- Orange
- Cranberries
- Pomegranate seeds
- Cranberry juice (use Ocean Spray Pure 100% for the best flavor and color!)
- Orange juice
- Pomegranate juice
- Lemon-lime soda
- Rosemary (for garnish)
- Ice
This was my potluck contribution to family gathering..so easy and so festive. Made one spiked and one not. Used rum. Very delicious and not too sweet. Definitely a keeper! Thanks!
How To Make Non Alcoholic Christmas Punch
With this popular recipe, you can simply leave out the alcohol and add some additional lemon-lime soda. It will still taste amazing, and this way, the whole family can enjoy it!
How To Make This Christmas Punch Recipe Alcoholic
My family likes to leave the extra “holiday spirit” on the side, this way, guests can add what they like to the punch to make it alcoholic! Vodka, rum, and Prosecco are great choices, and some in the family like bourbon, too! Or, if it’s an adults-only party, add the alcohol in with the rest of the punch ingredients!
How To Make Christmas Punch!
Step 1: You can mix everything except for the soda and ice cubes ahead of time. Add the soda and ice just before serving so it doesn’t start to go flat. For best results, make sure the ingredients are cold when you mix them together so the ice lasts longer and doesn’t water down the punch.
Step 2: Add pomegranate seeds, orange slices, cranberries, and a sprig or two of rosemary to garnish (for sophistication, of course). Oh, and some extra holiday spirit by way of rum or vodka, and you’re in for a truly festive holiday punch.
- For an extra fun garnish, freeze orange slices, fresh cranberries, and water in a silicone bundt pan to make an ice ring! Or use ice cube molds to make festive Christmas Ice Cubes using water or extra juice!
- Dried Orange Slices are another beautiful garnish that can be prepped in advance!
- Think you’ll need a double batch? Make the first batch, and as it dwindles, quickly pour the second batch in so it’s fresh all party long!
- For the best color and flavor, use Ocean Spray Pure 100% Unsweetened Cranberry juice! This is the difference between an orangey-brown punch and a vibrant holiday punch!
Holiday Punch Recipe Tools
- A punch bowl (<<< this is the one we used), large pitcher, or another drink dispenser for serving!
- If you’re serving out of a punch bowl, make sure you have a ladle!
- The kids will love it if you have some fun paper straws for sipping!
- Pretty punch glasses or easy disposable cups!
Holiday Drink FAQs
How Long Does Christmas Punch Last In The Fridge?
This Holiday Punch Recipe will stay good for up to one week in the refrigerator. This usually depends on the expiration date of the orange juice and if it has any fresh fruit in it, which can start to turn faster than the juices.
However, it’s important to note that the soda will go flat, and the punch will begin to lose its fizz after the first few hours. So if you have leftovers you want to use up, freshen it up with some extra soda!
Can You Make Party Punch The Day Before?
I recommend doing a partial prep by combining all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the lemon-lime soda. This mixture can be stored in the fridge until ready to use, then add the soda right before serving so it’s fresh and fizzy!
How To Serve Christmas Holiday Punch
- Use a pitcher or punch bowl with a ladle.
- Serve over Ice; we love making these beautiful festive ice cubes with all the garnishes and pomegranate juice because it doesn’t water down the punch!
How Much Punch Do You Serve At A Party?
A standard recommendation for large parties is a gallon (16 cups) per 10 guests. In this recipe, if you had 10 guests, you’d want to double the recipe.
I always plan for around 1.5 cups per person for smaller gatherings. This recipe, as written, should be the perfect amount for a group of 6!
More Delicious Christmas Drink Recipes
- Champagne Shirley Temple – A fun alcoholic twist on the classic drink recipe!
- Cranberry Mojito Punch – This punch is always a hit at parties!
- Cranberry Cooler – This recipe doesn’t contain alcohol and is great for kids!
- Crock Pot Ginger Rum Apple Cider – Very hands-off and easy to make.
- French Hot Chocolate – This drink is thick and rich and begging for a Hallmark movie night!
- Coquito Cocktail (Coconut Nog) – This is a great alternative to eggnog!
- Strawberry Champagne Punch – This one is fruity and easy to make!
- Cranberry Orange Mimosa – The perfect drink for a holiday brunch!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let leave a review in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos, or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there.
This post was originally published in December 2016 and was updated in November 2024 with extra photos.
Christmas Punch (Alcoholic or Not)
Ingredients
- 1 orange sliced, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup cranberries plus more for garnish
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 cups cranberry juice Ocean Spray Pure Unsweetened 100% juice recommended
- 2 cups orange juice Simply, Natalie's, or Uncle Matt's brands recommend
- 1 cup pomegranate juice POM brand recommended
- 2 cups lemon-lime soda Starry, Sprite, or 7Up recommended
- 1 cup white rum optional
- ice
- fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Add the slices from 1 orange, 1 cup cranberries, and ½ cup pomegranate seeds to a large pitcher or punch bowl. If using a really gallon-sized bowl or dispenser, you can double the recipe.
- Pour in 2 cups cranberry juice, 2 cups orange juice, 1 cup pomegranate juice, and 2 cups lemon-lime soda. You can also add 1 cup white rum or alcohol of choice if including.
- Serve in glasses over ice and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs extra orange slices, and cranberries. Or make Christmas Ice Cubes for an extra festive touch!
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend chilling all of your ingredients before prepping for the best results.
- Use Ocean Spray Pure Cranberry Juice for the best color and flavor!
- This punch can be made ahead of time, but don’t add the ice or soda until just before serving so as not to dilute or lose its fizz.
- You can substitute the lemon-lime soda for ginger ale.
- You can add lemon and lime slices as well.
- Keep alcohol on the side for guests to add their own and keep the punch itself kid-friendly.
- I like white rum, spiced rum, whiskey, and vodka with this recipe.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Made this for Christmas Eve and it was a huge hit! I was a little hesitant about the soda (just not generally a fan) but I was happy that it didn’t make the punch too sweet. Will definitely make again! super easy and keeps well.
Was a huge hit at my holiday party last night! I made it without alcohol. Our Pom, OJ and cranberry were 100% juice with no added sugars or mixed with other juices. The amount of Sprite listed was definitely needed or it was too tart. I plan to make this again for my holiday party next Year!
Everyone loved this punch. I made some for kids and added vodka to the adults pitcher. I omitted the cranberries.
This punch was a HIT with my family on Christmas Day! The kids loved it and the adults loved it with a little rum added to it! The perfect holiday punch.
Delicious! Very festive looking, and great made with or without liquor. Nice balance of sweet and tart. A keeper!
This was a hit at my party. Looked good, tasted good, it did it’s trick.
Was thinking about trying this recipe next week for Christmas but can’t decide between a couple of your Christmas drink recipes, red sangria, dirty shirley etc Which drink recipe do you recommend with food and would be more on the lighter side?
I messaged you back on Instagram 🙂
can you use a sherbet in this punch
Yes, you could definitely make it a sherbert punch!
I plan on making this, but have a few questions. If I make Christmas ice cubes, would I still do step one (start with fresh fruit) or should I choose either fresh fruit or the Christmas
Also, just to check…the cranberries need no preparation before adding to reduce the tartness?
Thank you!
The cranberries are just for garnish! You can do just the festive ice cubes or just the fruit or a mix of both (I like a mix)!
Has anyone tried making this with proseco instead of the lemon lime soda but still adding the rum in too? Any thoughts on using mango flavored rum or would that be too many fruit flavors?
I think if you like mango rum, that’s a great idea! And I think it would be fine to use both in the recipe, it just might make it a little more dry than sweet.
Awesome I had a guest and they loved it 😉
Made for a Christmas luncheon. It was a hit. Didn’t use alcohol though.
Delicious
Do I add all 3 alcohols or can I use just presecco? How much Presecco?
You just want to add one alcohol to the punch. I would do 1 to 2 cups, you could also substitute the soda for prosecco instead.
I don’t normally leave comments but thought I should leave one since I just hosted a Christmas party and tried 2 drinks from this site. This is a yummy and beautiful punch base, however, it is extremely sweet. At our party, ALL the adults had to dilute their drinks with some sparkling water or more Sprite. Some people may enjoy this level of sweetness, but I wanted to write this to inform those who don’t enjoy things too too sweet. I will still use this as a base, but will definitely add more sparkling water/Sprite next time.
I’m puzzled? Did you use unsweetened cranberry juice? As written the only source of sugar is the 7Up. I was worried it wouldn’t be sweet enough.
Orange juice and pomegranate juice have sugar as well. It is not just the soda….
Thank you! I was wondering exactly that and will dilute more b/c we don’t like too sweet.
I made it for our church Christmas party, everyone LOVED it. Most ladies wanted the recipe, so I’d say it was a hit!
What do the seeds bring to the recipe. Seems it would be risky to have those in a drink, like a choking or broken tooth situation???
They are for garnish. People eat pomegranate arils as a snack regularly. I think choking or breaking a tooth on them is UNlikely.