Christmas Brunch Punch {nonalcoholic}

Sharing is caring!

Cheers to holiday brunches with your favorite people! Serve this easy and delicious nonalcoholic Christmas brunch punch so everyone can join the toast!

This Christmas brunch punch recipe is the bee’s knees, darlings! It’s beautiful, easy, sparkling, and celebratory! I mean, the wanton use of exclamation points should tell you something, right? But this is a fun recipe, and I love that it’s a nonalcoholic punch so everyone can enjoy it.

One of the absolute best things about the holiday season is gathering everyone around the table. It really is a gift to spend time with family and friends, not just a trite saying. And if we come out of this year sure of anything, it should be that we are better together and we need our communities.

But for now, as we go into a holiday season unlike any other, let’s celebrate with hope. Hope for a vaccine, hope for healing, and hope for a safer future for our children. I think that’s a great reason for us all to raise a glass!

Christmas Brunch Punch Ingredients

What keeps me from making punches very often is the ingredients. There’s usually a long list of ingredients we might not have. We mostly drink water (and coffee) at our house, so planning ahead for punch isn’t really my forte.

But, that’s why I’m a fan of this nonalcoholic punch recipe! You really only need 3 ingredients, and none require prep.

The first ingredient you’ll need is cranberry juice.

Darlings, have you seen the cranberry juice section at the store? It’s a little overwhelming. So many options!

To keep you from standing there 5 minutes looking as confused as I did, here’s what you’ll need. Look for a cranberry juice that doesn’t have another flavor mixed in. So no cranberry-blueberry. You will usually find a cranberry juice cocktail has a little apple juice blended in and that’s okay.

Go for a low sugar option if you prefer a less-sweet punch. The sparkling apple cider is already on the sweet side. If you just end up grabbing a regular cranberry juice, it’s fine. The orange juice helps balance everything with a little acidity anyway.

I’d avoid the no-sugar super tart cranberry juice though. If that’s what you grab, you might find you need to add a little simple syrup or sugar to your punch.

What kind of orange juice do I need?

I’m a Florida girl, so I will always tell you to look for 100% pure orange juice. The orange juice pairs so well with the cranberry, and like in these cranberry-orange bars, the flavors just feel “holiday”.

Pulp-free is the best choice here for texture. You want the bubbles to shine through in the punch, not bits of orange juice pulp.

If you’re mixing in a pitcher like I do, it also looks nicer.

Let’s add some sparkle!

It’s an instant celebration as soon as anyone breaks out the bubbly! To keep this punch non-alcoholic, pick up sparkling apple cider at the grocery store.

You’ll see the bottles in the juice section most of the time. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas though, some stores move them to the front or an endcap with other seasonal items.

If you are mixing this brunch punch ahead of time, don’t add the cider until just before you serve! Otherwise it will go flat, and while it will still taste good, the effect isn’t the same.

A few more Christmas brunch punch recipe notes…

You may mix this punch in a pitcher as I did, or in a large punch bowl. To fill a punch bowl or party dispenser, you’ll probably need to double the recipe. As written, it’s perfect for a group of 4-6 if everyone has 1-2 glasses.

If you’d like to garnish the punch, add a sliced orange and some (washed) fresh cranberries.

To make ahead, mix together the cranberry juice and orange juice in your serving container. You may also add the fresh cranberry garnish, but not the oranges. They’ll lose their color in the fridge overnight.

Cover and refrigerate until it’s time to serve. Add the sliced orange garnish (if using) and the bubbly just before brunch.

Cheers, darlings! To a safe, healthy, and beautiful holiday season.