Christmas Morning Punch

With just 5 ingredients, this non-alcoholic Christmas morning punch is a festive and refreshing holiday cocktail that comes together in just 5 minutes. Made with cranberry juice and ginger ale, the easy mocktail is perfect for parties, too!

Non-alcoholic Christmas punch recipe

This Christmas morning punch is a party in a glass! It looks and feels festive while taking almost no time to make.

The brunch punch is ideal for sipping slowly while conversing with your family and loved ones. The perfect bubbly and refreshing cocktail to accompany your Christmas morning brunch or breakfast menu!

Since it’s so simple to whip up, this Christmas punch recipe is also an excellent cocktail for parties and holiday dinners.

We love the holiday season! There are lots of Christmas drink recipes on our site, but some of our favorites are Christmosas, cranberry mocktails, and condensed milk eggnog.

What is Christmas morning punch?

Combined with cranberry, pineapple, and ginger ale, this Christmas morning punch is a crowd-pleasing bubbly drink that’s a perfect match for your holiday breakfast or brunch. Or whenever you need a tasty non-alcoholic Christmas punch.

Why this recipe works

•  Refreshing: The fresh aroma of the juices and fruits in this cranberry pineapple punch is a refreshing change from the creamier and richer holiday drinks like hot chocolate or eggnog.
• Easy: It’s a simple, easy-to-make breakfast punch recipe with BIG FLAVOR! And it’s pretty quick to throw together.
• Simple ingredients: You can find every ingredient in this Christmas day punch at your regular grocery store.
• Family-friendly: My Christmas punch contains no alcohol, making it a delicious holiday mocktail every family member can enjoy.

Christmas punch ingredients

This easy Christmas punch recipe is made with just 5 ingredients, plus ice and a fruit garnish. Here’s your grocery list:

• Cranberry juice gives the mocktail its bright ruby color and refreshing tartness. Please see below for more tips!
• Ginger ale is a must in this breakfast punch! It adds a pleasant warmth and bubbly texture.
• Pineapple juice provides sweetness and pairs perfectly with the cranberry aroma. I prefer pure pineapple juice from a bottle or carton because the canned version sometimes has a metallic aftertaste.
• Orange juice adds a refreshing note. You can use freshly pressed or bottled orange juice – just ensure it doesn’t have any added sugar.
• Almond extract: A unique thing about this easy Christmas punch is that it contains almond extract. Almond extract might seem like a weird ingredient for a breakfast drink, but it perfectly blends with the juices and creates an incredibly festive flavor. You’ll see what I mean once you try it yourself!
• Fresh fruit (optional): A nice bunch of fruit is perfect for decorating this Christmas brunch punch. Fresh cranberries, lime rounds, and orange slices make a gorgeous garnish.
• Ice (optional) keeps the drink chilled. You may skip it if you refrigerate the other ingredients overnight.

Scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities. 

What is the best cranberry juice for this recipe?

You got 2 options when buying cranberry juice for this recipe: pure, unsweetened cranberry juice or a cranberry juice blend.

Pure cranberry juice

100% pure cranberry juice doesn’t have any added sugar and tastes very tart.

The ginger ale and pineapple juice will mellow the flavor, but the drink will still be somewhat sharp.

Use pure cranberry juice only if you love your drinks on the sour side. I enjoy the flavor, but my family finds it too intense.

Cranberry juice blend

A cranberry juice blend is a mix of cranberry juice and another juice like apple, cherry, pomegranate, or grape.

For example, Oceanspray offers Cran-Apple, Cran-Grape, Cran-Pineapple, or Cran-Mango, which are combos of cranberry and other fruit juices.

This type of cranberry juice tastes sweeter and is the option my husband and the kids prefer in their Christmas morning punch.

Substitutions

This is a baseline breakfast punch recipe that you can tweak to make it your own. You can use whatever juices you’ve got on hand, as well as try another extract.

• Pomegranate juice is a tasty alternative to cranberry juice.
• A 2-to-1 mix of mango juice and grapefruit juice can replace pineapple juice and orange juice. Mango adds sweetness and grapefruit tartness.
• Vanilla extract or rum extract can substitute almond extract.
• There really isn’t a great substitute for ginger ale. The next best thing you could try is lemon-lime soda.

How to make Christmas morning punch

This Christmas brunch drink is made in a punch bowl or drink dispenser. It’s easy to do and only needs a few minutes prep time!

#1: Blend juices

• Pour the cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and orange juice into a large punch bowl or drink dispenser.
• Using a spoon, swirl the liquids together until well combined.

#2: Add ginger ale

• Next, add the ginger ale and give the punch one quick stir.
• Don’t stir too much, or you may lose the carbonation from the soda.

#3: Garnish

• Optionally, add the ice cubes and garnish with fresh fruit such as cranberries, lime, and orange slices.
• Your non-alcoholic holiday punch is ready to be enjoyed!

#4: Serve

• Serve cold and enjoy!

Tips for the best Christmas punch

There aren’t many secrets to making a Christmas morning punch – the recipe is pretty straightforward! But, here are a few tips I recommend for the best holiday cocktail.

• Use 100% pure juices. Avoid juices labeled as “beverage” or “cocktail juice.” These products are very sweet and often contain only little of the actual fruit.
• Make it fresh. I recommend making this holiday punch right before serving so the ginger ale stays bubbly and the ice doesn’t dilute the flavors too much.
• Chill the ingredients. Chilling the ingredients in advance allows you to use less ice.
• Don’t over-stir the ginger ale, or you may lose the bubbly effect.
• Serve it cold. Whether you are making this Christmas punch with ginger ale right on the spot, or ahead of time, please be sure to serve it COLD.
• Add flavored ice. Instead of using plain ice, prepare flavored ice cubes by freezing some juice in ice cube molds. These juicy ice cubes won’t dilute the flavor as they melt.
• Add sugar if you prefer a sweeter breakfast punch. I love that this drink isn’t overly sweet. But in case you prefer it sweeter, dissolve 1/3 / 60 g / 2 oz granulated sugar (or another sweetener) in the cranberry juice and then prepare the Christmas morning punch as described.

Serving suggestions

• As mentioned, this punch with cranberry juice, orange juice, and ginger ale is best when chilled. So make and serve immediately. 
• You can fill the drink in a punch bowl, large pitcher, or drink dispenser.
• If possible, refrigerate your serving vessel, so it’s cold and doesn’t warm up the drink.
• If serving the holiday punch to children, remove the cranberries as they are a potential choking hazard.

FAQs

How many does the recipe serve?

My breakfast punch recipe makes 10 servings.

Can I double the ingredients to make a larger batch?

Absolutely! Simply double or triple the quantities if you need to serve a big crowd. 

Can I make a Christmas morning punch with alcohol?

Yes, you can make this Christmas morning punch with alcohol. For a spiked version, add rum, vodka, or bourbon.

Storage instructions

Store leftover breakfast punch in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Can I make Christmas morning punch in advance?

Because this breakfast punch should be bubbly when served, it’s best to prepare it fresh.

Luckily you’ll need only minutes to whip it up, so making it in advance isn’t really necessary.

The only thing you want to do ahead of time is chill the ingredients and ensure you have plenty of ice in your freezer.