Chai Christmas punch is the perfect beverage for your next holiday party. Chai and ginger ale are blended with fruit juices to make a light and refreshing non-alcoholic punch.
Heather's recipe summary
Flavor: Light and refreshing spiced non-alcoholic punch that's perfect for the holiday parties.
Key ingredients: Brewed chai, ginger ale, cranberry juice, and apple juice.
Yield: 1 gallon (128 ounces)
Similar to: Grinch Punch and New Year's Eve Celebration Punch
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Apple juice - Can be substituted with apple cider (in the US, apple cider is an unfiltered apple juice that's non-carbonated). This will make your punch a little cloudy since apple cider is unfiltered.
- Cranberry juice - Cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail works in this recipe.
- Optional garnishes - Fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and sliced apple are all optional additions to your punch.
Tips and tricks
Use large ice cubes - If your punch will be set out in a serving bowl, it is important to keep it chilled for several hours. If adding ice to your punch, it is best to use large ice cubes. They melt slowly and do not dilute the punch as quickly as small cubes. Here's a set of large ice cube trays (Amazon) you can try.
Make a bundt cake ice ring - Did you know that you can make a large, ring-shaped ice cube in a bundt cake pan? Simply fill up partially with water, freeze, and you've got a giant ring sized ice cube. If you don't have a bundt cake pan, you can also use any smaller baking pan, like an 8 inch round cake pan or a loaf pan.
Add frozen cranberries - While this won't keep your punch cold as long, try freezing cranberries (or grapes) before adding them to the punch. They help keep your punch cold without diluting it.
Make ahead - Wait to add the ginger ale until just before serving. Otherwise, it can start to lose its carbonation when mixed hours ahead of time.
Frequently asked questions
For a shorter event serving only cake, you may need as little as 4 to 8 ounces of punch per person. For an event lasting several hours with appetizers and mingling, you may need up to 12 ounces of punch per person. Here is a helpful article: How to Calculate Punch for a Party.
For this recipe, you'll need a gallon-sized (or larger) punch bowl or a gallon-sized pitcher. If you have a larger punch bowl, say a two or three gallon size, you can easily double or triple this recipe to fit.
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📖 Recipe
Chai Christmas Punch
Ingredients
- 32 ounces hot water
- 4 chai tea bags
- 16 ounces apple juice
- 16 ounces cranberry juice
- 2 liters ginger ale
- 1 green apple, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cranberries
- cinnamon sticks, as a garnish, optional
Instructions
- Steep your chai tea bags in the hot water for 4-5 minutes, or according to the tea's package directions. Remove and discard tea bags. Allow tea to cool to room temperature.
- In a large punch bowl or gallon-sized pitcher, combine prepared tea, apple juice, cranberry juice, and ginger ale. Add cranberries and apple slices. Serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- If not serving immediately: Wait to add ginger ale to punch until just before serving so that the ginger ale does not lose its carbonation.
- Fun options: Freeze cranberries (or grapes) to keep punch cold while serving.
- Long party: Add an ice ring (made in a bundt pan) or large ice cubes to punch bowl to keep cold for several hours while serving.
- Sweetness: This punch is very light and low in calories. If you'd like a sweeter punch, I suggest adjusting the ratio of ginger ale to apple and cranberry juices (add less ginger ale and more fruit juices).
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