Non Alcoholic Sherbet Punch

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/18/21
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for the Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer and product tester at Food Network. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Non Alcoholic Sherbet Punch in glasses and in a punch bowl

The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Yield: 1 gallon

This sherbet punch is a favorite family recipe that has been enjoyed on many special occasions. It is also called a wedding punch, and it has a brilliant green color that can suit a variety of events, including Halloween, showers, graduations, or anytime you need an easy, fun punch to satisfy a crowd—without alcohol.

Interestingly, punch is considered to be the earliest cocktail. It's believed to come from the Hindi word for "five," in reference to its five elements: sour (lime or lemon), sugar, spirit (rum, brandy, or arrack), water, and spice (nutmeg). Of course, not all punches contain those five ingredients per se; this one is for kids, so it skips the spirit, as you'd expect but gets a little spicy taste from the ginger ale. But consider passing on this tidbit of history as the kids sip—they're drinking something that's believed to date back to 1632.

History lesson aside, many things about this punch make it a winner. Kids love it, it is easy to put together, and it has a great look. Beyond the color, the reaction of the ginger ale with the sherbet creates a bubbling foam that tops it off perfectly; gather a crowd around as you pour for maximum visual effect.

If you like, add green food coloring to enhance the color, and be sure to have ice on hand for refills (blocks or ice rings work perfectly).

"You’ll enjoy serving this fun punch at any family gathering! I couldn’t find lime sherbet, so I used rainbow. The kids and adults I served it to kept skimming the foam off from the punch bowl and adding it to their drinks. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, the kids or the adults!" —Diana Andrews

Sherbet Punch (Nonalcoholic)/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, partially thawed

  • 1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, partially thawed

  • 4 1/2 cups water

  • 1 quart lime sherbet, softened

  • 2 (2-liter) bottles chilled ginger ale

  • Green food coloring, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Non Alcoholic Sherbet Punch ingredients

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  2. In a large pitcher or bowl, whisk limeade and lemonade concentrates and water. Add softened lime sherbet, green food coloring, if using, and whisk until combined.

    whisk limeade and lemonade concentrates with water, lime sherbet, green food coloring in a pitcher

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  3. Pour over a large block of ice or ice cubes in a punch bowl.

    sherbet punch mixture poured into a punch bowl with ice

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  4. Top with ginger ale just before serving.

    ginger ale poured into a punch bowl with the Non Alcoholic Sherbet Punch

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

Variations

The green color makes this a classic punch that many of us grew up with, but there's no reason to keep it green. You can vary the kind of sherbet if you like and use orange, lemon, or raspberry instead. Raspberry with lime would be delicious, and orange with lime and lemon would make for a powerfully citrus-forward approach. Try it with rainbow sherbet and pineapple juice for a fun twist.


Garnish the punch with fresh fruit such as slices of lemons, limes, oranges, or wedges of pineapple.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
91 Calories
1g Fat
21g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Amount per serving
Calories 91
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 21mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 15mg 76%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 90mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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