Thanksgiving 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 12/28/22
Tested by
Carrie Parente
Carrie Parente
Tested by Carrie Parente
Carrie is a freelance food stylist and culinary producer who loves having a table full of guests.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Refrigerate: 3 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Yield: 1 gallon

Make holiday entertaining a little easier by mixing up a flavorful Thanksgiving holiday punch. This nonalcoholic recipe offers a delicious combination of apple cider and blood orange with a delicate sparkle that's very refreshing. The seasonal taste is sure to please everyone, and you get the pleasure of mixing it up ahead of time.

Thanksgiving punch in a glass punch bowl with glasses of punch nearby

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

The punch's apple cider base is sweetened with a spiced syrup of your choice. Whether you choose a winter spice syrup with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg or a pumpkin spice syrup, it helps marry the cider to the brighter fruits. Much like a sangria, frozen cranberries and slices of apple and orange are added. When you're ready to serve, you'll simply pour in the sparkling blood orange and grape juices, which give the punch wonderful liveliness.

This is a large punch recipe that you can use for any autumn party. It yields about one gallon of punch, which is enough for 30 (4-ounce) servings.

“I love to have a festive nonalcoholic cocktail or punch when I’m entertaining. It makes everyone feel special, especially the kids. This punch is easy to throw together and so festive with the cranberries and sliced fruit. You can make most of it ahead of time and add the sparkling juices as your guests arrive.” —Carrie Parente

Thanksgiving punch in a glass garnished with cinnamon
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts apple cider

  • 1 cup spiced syrup

  • 2 cups frozen cranberries, divided

  • 1 medium apple, sliced

  • 1 medium orange, sliced

  • 2 (11.15-ounce) cans chilled sparkling blood orange juice

  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle chilled sparkling grape juice

  • Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Thanksgiving punch gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  2. In a large pitcher, combine the apple cider and spiced syrup. Stir well.

    Apple cider stirred in a pitcher with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  3. Add about half of the frozen cranberries and all of the apple and orange slices to the pitcher. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 to 4 hours) to allow the flavors to marry. Keep the remaining cranberries frozen.

    Cranberries added to apple cider in a glass pitcher

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  4. When it's time to serve, add the sweetened apple cider and all of the fruit to a punch bowl. Finish it off with the sparkling blood orange and grape juices. Stir to combine.

    For smaller punch bowls, mix only half of the 3 liquids in the bowl. Combine the remainder in the apple cider pitcher and store it in the fridge. When the punch bowl needs to be refilled, it will be chilled and ready for you to pour.

    Cider, fruits, and fruit juices added to a punch bowl for Thanksgiving punch

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  5. Ladle the punch into individual glasses, adding a few of the remaining frozen cranberries to each to keep the drinks cold. Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick as well.

    Thanksgiving punch laded into a glass

    The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Tips

  • All of the fruits like to float in liquid, especially the cranberries. By adding the apple and orange slices to the cider last, they'll weigh down the cranberries and ensure their flavor gets into the liquid as well.
  • The frozen cranberries replace the need for ice and prevent dilution. You can also freeze fresh cranberries before making the punch.
  • Sparkling blood orange juice is available from a few companies. San Pellegrino is probably the best known, and 11-ounce cans are often available at well-stocked grocery stores.
  • You can purchase a spiced syrup at most supermarkets, and the best selection tends to appear in the autumn months. Look for drink syrups in the coffee aisle.
  • It's very easy to make your own spiced syrup. This brown sugar spiced syrup can be customized to suit your taste or enhanced with a pumpkin pie spice mix. You can also go with ginger syrup. Either can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Recipe Variations

  • Use fresh-squeezed orange juice instead of sparkling blood orange. Make up for the lack of carbonation by adding a little club soda or ginger ale to the punch bowl.
  • Sparkling white grape juice can be replaced with ginger ale. A citrus-flavored Italian soda or sparkling water is a good substitute as well.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
114 Calories
0g Fat
29g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Amount per serving
Calories 114
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 11mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 70mg 348%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 234mg 5%
*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.)