My go to drink for as long as I can remember when I’m getting something a little special is cranberry and orange juice mixed together. My mom got me hooked on the combination years ago and to this day, it’s still one of my favorites. It can be in a cranberry orange bread, cranberry orange muffins, or even just the actual juices combined in a yummy drink like this Thanksgiving punch. This drink recipe is actually inspired by one I had at a dessert party at Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash of all things. It’s not a Halloween punch by any means but it was so good I ended up getting like six refills and downing them all while we waited for the parade. It would totally make my best Disneyland food list! I asked the cast member what was in it because I loved it so much and she didn’t give me the recipe but she did tell it was cranberry juice, orange juice, Sprite, pineapple juice, and a little grenadine combined. No wonder I loved it – those are my favorite things to use to make drink recipes! So I went home and I played with various combinations and measurements and ended up with this recipe. It’s not exactly the same as the one at Oogie Boogie Bash, but it’s sure delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Super easy – you just need five ingredients that are readily available at any grocery store! No heating, no cooking, nothing – just mix and enjoy!Kid-friendly – everyone deserves a special drink every once in a while, including the kids! This Thanksgiving punch is a fun special drink that’s both delicious enough for the adults but also something kids will enjoy!Pretty color – the orange and cranberry juice combine for a gorgeous shade of red that really says fall or Thanksgiving to me, making it the perfect drink to serve for the fall holidays!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Orange juice – any orange juice works, I recommend pulp free just so it mixes a little better.Cranberry juice – I recommend 100% cranberry juice if you can get your hands on it without breaking your budget, but it’s been pretty tough to find these days. If you can’t find it, something like this 100% juice Ocean Spray cranberry juice (if you look on the back, it actually has other fruits…) is fine. I just recommend staying away from the cranberry juice cocktails as they have a totally different flavor. Sprite – I always prefer Sprite but you could also potentially use 7-UP or Sierra Mist as well if you can’t find Sprite.
In addition to the actual punch ingredients, you may want to grab some of these items to garnish your punch!
Fresh cranberries or you could even do sugared cranberriesOrange slicesSpray whipped creamSprinkles
How to Make Thanksgiving Punch
Okay so let me preface this by saying that I wrote this recipe to make enough for 4 eight servings of punch (12 to 16 oz glass with a little ice included). I made it for my family and didn’t want a ton leftover. If you are making this for a large group say as your Thanksgiving drink, I recommend doubling or tripling depending on how many people you are serving. As long as you stick with the same ratios, the punch should still be delicious! All you have to do is mix all of the ingredients together well. When I’m doing a small batch, I like to put it together in a drink shaker to really get the flavors mixed – just don’t mix too hard or the Sprite will make it explode! If you’re doing a larger portion, just pour everything into a pitcher or punch bowl and stir until the flavors are mixed well. Serve over ice, evenly dividing the mixture into four (or however you want) 12 to 16 ounce glasses. Then garnish with fresh cranberries and orange slices. If you’re doing it in a pitcher, you can add the garnishes right to the pitcher, but I don’t recommend adding ice to the pitcher so you don’t dilute the punch flavors! Or if you want to make it fancier, add a little whipped cream and sprinkles to the top right before serving. Spray whipped cream does go flat pretty quickly, so I recommend not doing it until the very last minute. This makes it a really fun drink, especially for the kids who typically get left out when it comes to fun drinks for the holidays! If you want something else to serve alongside this Thanksgiving punch, this caramel apple drink is also a great “fancy” option!
Expert Tips
Don’t make this punch until last-minute. It’s easy to make quickly and the Sprite in it will go flat if left too long or overnight. If you want something to cook ahead of time, I recommend this yummy spiced apple cider. Don’t add ice to the punch in a large pitcher. Let people add punch to ice in their glasses so the ice doesn’t melt and water down the flavors.
More Easy Thanksgiving Recipes
Pumpkin cupcakes with cake mix – the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert, these gorgeous pumpkin cupcakes are topped with a cheesecake frosting for a showstopping treat! Pumpkin delight recipe – four layers of delightful creaminess make this a perfect addition to any Thanksgiving dessert spread! No bake pumpkin pie – skip the traditional stuff and try this light and fluffy pumpkin pie that you don’t even have to cook! Homemade sausage stuffing – one of my favorite Thanksgiving sides of all time, this delicious stuffing is easy and delicious! Roasted root vegetables – gorgeous rainbow colored root vegetables make a great Thanksgiving side dish when they’re roasted and flavored like these ones!
