Need the Best Christmas Punch Recipe? This is it! Out of 1300+ recipes, this 4-Ingredient Holiday Punch is the MOST POPULAR recipe on my site 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 It:
- 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!
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!
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
- Orange juice
- Pomegranate juice
- Lemon-lime soda
- White rum (optional)
- Rosemary (for garnish)
- Ice
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!
How To Make Non Alcoholic Christmas Punch
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 bottles of vodka and rum next to the punch bowl so that we can make individual cups of the punch alcoholic really easily if we want to. Or, if it’s an adults-only party, add the alcohol in with the rest of the punch ingredients!
Holiday Punch Recipe Tools
- A punch bowl, large pitcher, or another drink dispenser for serving!
- 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.
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 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 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 Recipes Like This Christmas Drink
- 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!
This post was originally published in December 2016 and was updated in November 2019 for content.
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
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Christmas Punch (Alcoholic or Not)
Ingredients
- 1 orange sliced
- 1 cup cranberries
- 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.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend chilling all of your ingredients before prepping for the best results.
- 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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Comments & Reviews
Teresa Churchill says
I’m excited to try this recipe! I’m wondering what kind of cranberry juice you recommend. Cranberry juice that’s 100% juice but not all cranberry, OR 100% cranberry juice?
Rebecca Hubbell says
100% cranberry juice. You can use regular or unsweetened, not from concentrate. The later will give a deeper red color but will be more tart. However, there is lots of sugar in the other ingredients that help to balance it out so you can’t go wrong either way.
Karen says
Do you use white rum and whiskey in same glass?
I’m new at this.
Rebecca Hubbell says
If adding to the whole batch, we usually just add one. If you are keeping the alcohol on the side, we usually keep two to three options and let guests pick what they want to add.
Riana says
I have been using this recipe for the last few years and it’s a big hit!
Rebecca Hubbell says
I’m so glad you love it as much as we do and make it all season long! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! Enjoy!
Jordan says
Do you think this would be yummy with white or red wine as a substitute?
Rebecca Hubbell says
What part of the punch are you substituting? Other readys have substituted champagne for the lemon-lime soda with fantastic results.
Rebecca Hubbell says
If you were looking for a wine-based Christmas drink, you could also make my Christmas Sangria instead!
Karen says
Made a batch of the base, allowed for those who don’t drink alcohol to top their serving with Sprite and I had a bottle of prosecco for the rest of us! I didn’t taste with the Sprite but the prosecco was very nice! Your pomegranate seeds are going to sink to the bottom so after I added a few to the pitcher…I ended up just adding to the individual glasses! Too much work to get them to not have them visible! Of course, t he cranberries float.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad everyone loved it!
Carole says
I want to provide the option of alcoholic and non alcoholic to my guests. My thought is to have either gingerale or prosecco on the side as a “topper”. What are your thoughts on doing this?
Rebecca Hubbell says
I think that’s a great idea, we usually keep vodka and rum to the side but I like the idea of keeping the bubbles to the side!
jess says
wow – this drink was fanstastic and I cannot wait to make this again during my christmas festivities.
Jessica says
Yum! I chose to add a splash of vodka to this for a girls night and everyone loved it! Thank you!
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad they all enjoyed it!
Paula K says
We love this punch, both with alcohol for the adults and without for the kiddies!! So festive!
Rebecca Hubbell says
It’s always a hit!
Linda Kelly says
I made it and it tasted good but was a weird color, not festive red at all. ☹
Rebecca Hubbell says
Make sure to use 100% pure cranberry juice. I recommend Ocean Spray Pure Unsweetened variety. Also, make sure to use a high-quality pomegranate juice like POM as opposed to those that are shelf stable.
Michelle says
You can also make the ice cubes out of the beverages with the garnishes in them! 🙂
Carol says
Is the cranberry juice 100 percent cranberry juice ?
Rebecca Hubbell says
You can use whichever you prefer. I usually use 100% cranberry.
Therese Snyder says
The punch sounds delicious! Would you ever use sparkling water instead of ginger ale ?
Rebecca Hubbell says
You could, yes! Maybe try a lime or ginger flavored seltzer!
Megan H says
Hello! Thank you for the recipe, I’m excited to try it! Where I’m from it’s really hard to find pomegranate anything, so is there something else I could use? I was thinking of cherry juice and frozen cherries, but would that be too sweet and similar to cranberries?
Rebecca Hubbell says
Cherry juice would be a great substitute!
Mary Wismer says
Thankyou for the recipe! Is it better to use cushed ice or regular ice cubes
Rebecca Hubbell says
For punch recipes, it’s best to use larger cubes or chill all of the ingredients beforehand and add ice to the serving glasses.
Dana says
My family loved the drink and it was so pretty and festive! Can you tell me where I might find the footed glasses in the picture? Thanks!!
Rebecca Hubbell says
I bought them at Marshall’s years ago. These plastic ones on Amazon are similar: https://amzn.to/2SSKJEt
Jen says
We made this for a Christmas party and received many compliments from guests young and old. Thank you for sharing.
Rebecca Hubbell says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Maya says
When you make it with pineapple juice, how much do you add and do you change the amount of the remaining ingredients?
Rebecca Hubbell says
I usually add a 6-ounce can and I don’t change the other ingredient amounts. 🙂
Amanda says
Should all the juices listed in the ingredients be 100% or can concentrate be used? I bought pineapple juice but I just noticed it says “from Concentrate with added Vitamin C.”
Rebecca Hubbell says
It doesn’t have to be 100% juice. I’ve never made with the a frozen juice concentrate (not sure if that’s the kind you’re referring to. But any other juice should be fine.
linda says
sounds delicious!! will be making this for my party this weekend.Thank you