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?
Don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram @sugarandsoulco and follow on Tiktok @sugarandsoulco and Pinterest @sugarandsoulco for more!
Do you use Cranberry juice 100% or Cranberry Juice Cocktail?
Usually 100%.
Where did you get these cute punch glasses? I have looked and looked for them! Love them!
Hi Bonnie, I got them at Tjmaxx years ago.
How much vodka do you put in each glass if you want to add after?
Hi Janalyn, That is truly a personal preference, but I would say around 1 ounce per 8 ounces of punch is a safe ratio 🙂
Wondering if you have ever subbed out the ginger ale for champagne….
Not in this recipe, but it should work just fine. I also have two Champagne Punch recipes you could make:
Champagne Punch: https://www.sugarandsoul.co/new-years-eve-champagne-punch-recipe/
Strawberry Champagne Punch: https://www.sugarandsoul.co/strawberry-champagne-punch-party-recipe/
Looks wonderful! What type of cranberries did you use? I can only seem to find frozen, dried or canned ( with sauce but little whole cranberries) not sure which to use? I assume frozen but didn’t know if I should thaw or put in frozen??? Help!!! Thanks!!!
Hi Emily, I usually use fresh, but they would likely be hard to find as we’re wrapping up the season. You can use the frozen one’s and they can be added frozen or thawed. Enjoy!
Love this drink. Made it for Christmas and it was gone in minutes!! I’ll be bookmarking this recipe.
The only thing I changed was I used Cran-pomergranate that was premixed in the juice aisle.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it Keren! Happy Holidays!
Hello I was wondering how much Ingredients I would need for 40 people and is rum or vodka better used in this?
Hi Georgeann,
This recipe makes about 8 cups, so you’d likely want to quadruple the recipe and you can add extra soda or alcohol to make up the last few cups.
I personally am not a big vodka fan and prefer rum in this recipe. Spiced rum tastes great in this recipe too!
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!
So glad you all enjoyed it! I hope you’ll make it again next year!
This recipe is so easy to make and supercool too. I love all the fruity goodness in there. Will try this out ?
I hope you enjoy it this holiday weekend!
Love how every family has their own special Christmas traditions. I never thought to make a signature drink for Christmas Day but this one looks refreshing and delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Signature drinks can be a really fun way to add to the festivities! Merry Christmas!
What a great punch! We love rum but a nonalcoholic version is great for kids and designated drivers! Perfect for any holiday party.
Looks so festive! I love that you use pomegranate seeds and cranberries. This is a must over the holidays.
LOVE THIS! Gorgeous! And I love yourglssess too! I’ll add vodka…aaaaand make a non-alcoholic version for the kids! TY!
Yay, enjoy! I can’t remember where I got the glasses, Pier 1 maybe?
I’m going to make alcoholic and non-alcoholic. I can not find just pomegranate juice can I use cran-pomegranate or cherry pomegranate?
Hi Sherry, that should work just as well. A lot of times the POM pomegranate juice is in the produce section, but it can be more expensive. I’m sure what you have will work great!
I used a pomegranate cranberry blend. Was delicious!
This is such a gorgeous drink! I have to make this for Christmas!
Yes, you will love it!
This looks amazingly refreshing and I will definitely be adding rum !
I mean, how could you not 😉
Just made it to sample before I make it for a early Christmas party tomorrow and WOW it tastes so good!!! I also love how festive it looks too! Thanks for sharing this awesome drink recipe <3
I hope everyone loves it! It will be even better tomorrow after sitting over night.
Could champagne be used instead of vodka?
Absolutely
I am making a huge pitcher of this for a party. Do you know how much I should add? This will be alcoholic. Thanks!
It’s entirely up to you! However weak or strong you like it.
This is so gorgeous! I need to make this when we have vistors over during the holidays!
Such a pretty cocktail!
Thank you, Kaleigh!