Christmas Punch Recipe

What could be more simple than making this easy Christmas Punch recipe when you’re hosting a party?

This festive drink takes minutes to make and is so pretty. It deserves to be the centerpiece of any holiday table!

Cranberry and champagne punch with fruit Christmas decor.

Punch is one of the most popular drinks to serve at holiday parties so you already know it will be a huge hit!

You’ll want to serve cocktails, too, for those who don’t like punch. Silly guests! Offer a Goombay Smash, Mezcal Margarita, or a Salted Caramel Whiskey Cocktail.

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Why We Love this Champagne Punch

What’s not to love about a holiday punch at any kind of gathering? Just holding a flute champagne glass is more fun and gives any gathering extra holiday spirit!

This simple Christmas punch is light and refreshing and such an easy recipe to make by adding everything in a punch bowl.

Also known as jingle juice or holly jolly Christmas punch, it’s a holiday tradition you’ll be making every year.

What You Need To Make Christmas Punch

Cranberry juice cocktail
Orange juice
Vodka
Cointreau
Frozen cranberries
Fresh strawberries
Orange slices
Lime slices
Champagne or sparkling wine

Scroll down to the recipe card for the quantities and full instructions.

Equipment Needed

Pitcher or large Punch bowl with ladle

Variations and Substitutions

This really is the best Christmas punch recipe, and you can change up so much of it to make this big batch recipe to your liking.

Let’s start with the alcohol substitutions. I like using rum or vodka for this holiday drink as they have the least flavor, but you could use tequila or your favorite spirits.

You can also add more rum or vodka if you want to take the punch up a notch.

For the Cointreau, Triple Sec will give you the same results, as will Grand Marnier, though that’s a really nice (and more expensive) liqueur to add to punch.

You can substitute any of the juices for your favorite, though I just love the red color of the cranberry juice cocktail and how well cranberry and orange pair together. Feel free to use regular cranberry juice. Simply add simple syrup if it’s too tart.

Pineapple juice would be a nice touch as would pomegranate juice. White grape juice would be delicious and is a really popular choice.

Apple cider would make this a delicious punch for fall, especially with cinnamon sticks for garnish.

To make a non alcoholic Christmas punch, you could use the fruit juices along with ginger beer, lemon-lime soda, club soda or ginger ale, just to give it that fizz.

You could add just about any fruit to this Christmas drink. Think any kind of berries, any kind of citrus fruit, kiwi, or pomegranate seeds.

A couple of scoops of sherbet would make a refreshing Christmas punch, too.

How to Make this Christmas Punch Recipe

To make this festive holiday punch, begin by adding your juices, vodka, and Cointreau to a punch bowl. You can do this ahead of time (up to 24 hours) which is a good idea if you’re serving a crowd.

Cranberry and orange juice in glass punch bowl.

Add the sliced orange to the punch bowl.

Juice and sliced oranges in a punch bowl.

Continue adding the rest of the fruit to the bowl.

Juice and fruits in a glass punch bowl with Christmas greenery in background.

Just before guests arrive to the Christmas party, add a cup or two of ice cubes.

Glass bowl with juice, fruit, and ice cubes.

Immediately pour in the Champagne just until the bowl is full, a few inches from the rim.

Cranberry and champagne punch with fruit in a glass bowl with Christmas decor.

Give the punch a gentle stir.

Feel free to garnish with more fresh cranberries, orange slices, and strawberries. Don’t forget to add your punch ladle. If you’re looking for a more tropical drink, try this Jamaican Rum Punch recipe.

Top Tips for Making Holiday Punch

You can easily make part of the punch ahead of time and either refrigerate or freeze it. You will want to double the recipe or more for a big party. This serves 12 so consider how much you’ll need to make.

You could also freeze this mixture in an ice ring or ice ball molds which will help to keep the punch cold. If you use this method, make the punch at least 15 minutes before guests arrive so the alcohol will have started melting into the punch.

It’s a good idea to have extra bottles of bubbly on hand as the punch will start to go flat after a while. You’ll want to refill with all the ingredients. Remember, the first three ingredients of the punch can be made ahead of time, saving you time during the party.

To make a non-alcoholic Christmas punch, omit the alcohol and use a carbonated soda for the bubbles. This will make a holiday beverage for the whole family. This version would be nice for Christmas morning, too.

If you don’t want to use a punch bowl, you could pour all the ingredients for this refreshing holiday punch recipe right into a pitcher.

Drink dispensers are also really popular at parties and are simple to set up and use, as well.

FAQs

What’s the most popular Christmas drink?

Without question, egg nog is the most popular Christmas drink.

How should I serve this if I don’t have a punch bowl?

You can serve this in a pitcher if you don’t have a punch bowl.

How long can this punch keep in the refrigerator?

This punch will keep for 3-5 days, but it will no longer have bubbles. It’s best to make it in batches of just enough to drink and add more if needed as the champagne will eventually go flat.

Always serve food when serving alcohol. A few of our favorite recipes for Christmas eating are this Christmas Charcuterie Board, Cheesy Smoked Sausage Casserole, and this Brie Charcuterie Board.

These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Christmas Dessert Dip, and beautiful Chocolate Rolled Cake are all festive for dessert.