Description

This Warm Crockpot Christmas Punch is a festive and comforting holiday beverage perfect for gatherings. Made with a blend of apple juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and warming spices, it simmers slowly in a crockpot to develop deep, cozy flavors. Garnished with star-shaped green apple slices, oranges, and cranberries, this punch is sure to delight guests with its sweet, tangy, and spiced notes served hot throughout the celebration.

Ingredients

Scale

Juices

4 cups apple juice (or apple cider)
4 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
Juice of 1 lemon

Sugars

1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Spices

1 cinnamon stick
A few whole cloves
A few whole star anise
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger

Garnishes

Sliced green apple (cut into star shapes for garnish)
Sliced oranges
Cranberries

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Instructions

Combine Ingredients: Place the apple juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, whole star anise, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger into an approximately 4-quart slow cooker. This combination will create the flavorful base of the Christmas punch.
Cook the Punch: Set the slow cooker to low heat and let the mixture cook for 3 to 4 hours. This slow simmering helps the spices infuse and the flavors meld together perfectly.
Add Garnishes and Serve: Once cooked, add the sliced green apples shaped as stars, orange slices, and cranberries into the punch. Serve it hot directly from the crockpot. Keep the punch on the warm setting if needed for a couple of hours, but be mindful that the fruit may become too soft if left too long.

Notes

Use apple cider instead of apple juice for a more robust, traditional flavor.
Adjust the amount of sugar to your preferred sweetness level.
You can replace or omit spices if desired, but the warm spices give this punch its signature holiday aroma.
For a non-alcoholic festive drink, this recipe is perfect as is. For an adult version, you can add a splash of rum or brandy just before serving.
Be cautious about leaving the punch on warm too long after cooking, as the fruit garnish may become mushy.
Cutting the apple slices into star shapes with a cookie cutter is a simple way to add a festive touch.