there is something so nostalgic about a big punch bowl or pitcher of festive punch during the holidays. this one boasts better-for-you ingredients, no refined sugar and the subtle sweetness of hibiscus tea. I’ve also made some beautiful ice cubes to keep the punch cool and looking beautiful- with colors of crimson and emerald green. You could serve this sparkling hibiscus holiday punch as is or even finish with champagne for an adult treat. cheers!
sparkling hibiscus holiday punch ingredients:
- hibiscus tea: a gorgeous floral herbal tea boasting flavors of tart cranberry.
- natural sweetener: I lightly sweeten the tea with pure organic stevia.
- concord grape juice: accentuates the crimson hue of the hibiscus tea and provides sweetness.
- apple juice: another natural sweetener.
- lime juice: helps cut through and balance the sweetness with a nice tartness.
- sparkling ginger ale: I’m obsessed with these better-for-you sodas that are good for your gut, have clean ingredients and are refined sugar-free. Their ginger ale is my favorite and provides a great holiday fizz.
- oversized decorative ice cubes: to help keep your punch cold & crisp and add a gorgeous decorative touch.
oversized decorative ice cubes:
I love the idea of freezing a decorative ice mold into a large bundt pan to look like a wreath, but we were short on freezer space. I opted for small silicone bundt cake molds to make whimsical oversized ice cubes full of festive flair. i used these darling silicone molds on amazon but you can use any individual silicone molds you have- even a muffin mold! These are the ingredients I used:
- concord grape juice & filtered water
- a mix of fresh cranberries, raspberries & pomegranate seeds
- fresh sage and rosemary leaves
holiday serving ideas:
- holiday brunch: serve punch alongside baked French toast, egg casserole, bacon & a fruit platter.
- Christmas Eve dinner party: serve punch alongside my grain-free spaghetti pie bake, my greek salad with pistachios and my “candy bar,” date bark.
- christmas lunch: serve punch alongside locally-purchased tamales, my orange peel guacamole, fresh bakery pastries and holiday ham with rolls and accoutrements.
- new years eve: serve punch alongside bacon-wrapped dates, caviar with blinis and accoutrements, my classic ploughman’s lunch and a variety of mini desserts.
Sparkling Hibiscus Holiday Punch
Equipment
- 3 silicone mini bundt pans (6-count each) I purchased these on Amazon linked in blog post above.
Ingredients
- 12 cups filtered water
- 10 hibiscus tea bags
- 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia
- 1.5 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 4 cups apple juice
- 1.5 cup concord grape juice
- 3 cans Olipop ginger ale
Oversized Ice Cubes:
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 6 oz raspberries
- 4 oz pomegranate seeds
- 1 bundle each of fresh rosemary and sage leaves
- 1 cup concord grape juice
- 5 cups filtered water
Instructions
- Begin by making oversized decorative ice cubes. Combine grape juice and filtered water in an easy-to-pour pitcher or decanter. Arrange silicone molds on a sheet pan that will slide into your freezer with ease.
- In each mold, arrange a combination of fresh cranberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, sage leaves and rosemary sprigs, filling garnishes to the top. Slowly add liquid to the tops and freeze, ideally overnight.
- The day before your event, begin by making your hibiscus tea. In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil, remove from heat then add hibiscus tea bags to steep. Remove bags after 15 minutes, stir in stevia and let cool completely.
- After tea has cooled, combine tea with remaining juices, excluding the canned ginger ale. Let chill until ice cold, preferably overnight to allow flavors to develop.
- To serve, add hibiscus punch to a large punch bowl and stir in canned ginger ale. Finish with decorative ice cubes and serve.
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