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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Making it again this year. Love the taste and everyone enjoyed it before.
Beautiful, simple and loved by all. Spiced rum was a lovely addition for the adults!! Will be a holiday staple!!
Yummy
Hi! Looks so yummy! I’m gonna attach recipe to a holiday gift for my friends. By chance do you have a printable of this recipe?
This Christmas punch recipe lives up to its hype and MORE! It has an absolutely delicious holiday flavor, festive color, and fun garnishes. I love that it’s so easy to make in the midst of the holiday rush, just pour and serve!
We’ve made this a few times this holiday season and it’s become a new favorite – a must try!
Love that this can be both kid friendly or alcoholic. We made it and put vodka on the side for the adults. So good alone or with alcohol!
This was a huge hit at our Christmas Progressive Dinner party last night!! Followed directions exactly for double the recipe to fill my Mom’s vintage crystal punch bowl- added La Marca prosecco to glasses of those who wanted alcohol. It was perfection! For reference- we had 14 people (adults + kids) and we were serving this and light bites as the 1st stop on our progressive dinner. Almost finished the entire bowl of punch in an hour! We will be making this every year now. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Highly Recommend!!
I haven’t made this yet but am going to for Christmas Eve! Where did you get those cute glasses? I love them!
I got them almost 10 years ago at TJ Maxx – they broke in a move but I sure do miss them!
Can I use frozen cranberries? Will you add frozen cranberries before serving?
You can!
3.75% Abv = same as a very light beer. Wine is 14%
Moral of the story add more booze!
And try prosecco instead of soda.
Sounds like great substitutions for a more alcoholic punch.
Loved this punch! I think the pomegranate juice made it extra delicious! Perfect for a large crowd if you double it.
We had a murder mystery party at a friend’s house tonight. She made this drink and it was excellent!
We served a double recipe of this punch last night at our neighborhood Christmas party. We had a bottle of rum on the side for those who wanted to make it an adult version. It is an excellent punch, and it was very popular in both forms.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, we had it at a Christmas Party last night too!
I made this following the instructions exactly, even using the recommended brands, and it was not pretty…..it was brown. Did not look anything like the pictures on the blog. Unfortunately I made it right before my big party, so I did not have time to run to the store for another option. It was in a giant ornament drink dispenser, too, I thought it would look like a lovely red ornament and instead it looked like a brown ornament. I was so sad and embarrassed but had to serve it anyway. The garnishes looked ridiculous floating in the brown swamp water.
It will be more on the brown side if you used Cranberry Juice Cocktail instead of 100% pure Cranberry juice. You can look at my Instagram stories from today and see my sample cups which are filled with this recipe made with the recommended ingredients and it is quite red.
Holiday party guest enjoyed. I froze cups of cranberry juice orange slices and pomegranate seeds in individual cups and used instead of water for ice.
Made this for Christmas 2022. Very good, not overly sweet punch. Made with no alcohol so guests could add their choice of rum or vodka. Will make again. The only semi-negative comment is my punch was more brown-ish in color and not nearly as pretty and bright as yours.
Hi Jorjan, The color is usually the result of the cranberry juice that is used. A cranberry juice cocktail will yield a more brown color than 100% cranberry juice. I prefer the Ocean Spray Pure variety!
This went over big at my Christmas party! People enjoyed it, with or without rum.
Using prosecco instead of sprite…fantastic!
Very good! I replaced the orange juice with pineapple juice with only cranberries in the punch. Sierra Mist no longer exists and personally Sprite is for illness. I used cranberry’s flavored ginger ale. Huge hit at our Christmas party.
I bought Sierra Mist last week, so it is still available, but any lemon-lime soda or ginger ale will work. I bet the Cranberry was delicious and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
When you make in a pitcher, do the orange slices and cranberries distribute nicely into the individual cups?
It really depends on the pitcher itself and how it pours. If you want to ensure some in every cup, I would add orange slices and cranberries to a bowl on the side with some rosemary so guests can garnish their own.