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Best Easy Cranberry Clove Wassail Holiday Punch Recipe

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This cozy cranberry clove wassail is the perfect holiday punch that comes together in under 30 minutes. Made with simple ingredients like fresh cranberries, whole cloves, and apple cider, it’s a crowd-pleasing drink that will have your guests asking for the recipe.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (about 200g) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons (about 30g) whole cloves
  • 3–4 cinnamon sticks (about 15g total)
  • 1 large orange, washed and sliced into rounds
  • 4 cups (about 1 liter) unsweetened or lightly sweetened apple cider
  • 2 cups (about 500ml) water
  • 1/4 cup (about 85g honey or 80ml maple syrup) honey or maple syrup, adjust to taste
  • 2–3 whole star anise (optional)
  • A 2-inch piece (about 50g) fresh ginger, sliced into thin rounds

Instructions

  1. Toast the Spices (5 minutes): Place whole cloves and cinnamon sticks in a dry pot over medium heat. Toast for 2-3 minutes, shaking occasionally, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
  2. Add the Liquids and Fruit (2 minutes): Pour in apple cider and water. Add fresh cranberries, orange slices, sliced ginger, and star anise (if using). Stir together.
  3. Bring to a Simmer (10 minutes): Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Cranberries will start to pop and soften.
  4. Sweeten and Adjust (5 minutes): Remove pot from heat. Remove orange slices and stir in honey or maple syrup. Start with 1/4 cup, taste, and add more if needed.
  5. Steep and Infuse (15 minutes): Let punch sit off heat for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Can steep up to 1 hour.
  6. Strain and Serve (5 minutes): Place fine-mesh strainer over serving pitcher. Pour punch through strainer to catch spices, ginger, and cranberry solids. Discard solids. Serve warm in mugs or heatproof glasses.
  7. Garnish (Optional, 2 minutes): Float fresh cranberries and a thin orange slice in each mug. Add a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

Notes

For best flavor, don’t skip toasting the whole cloves. A gentle simmer is key to keep the punch clear. Strain thoroughly to avoid serving whole spices. Can be made ahead and reheated. For a spiked version, add 1 cup dark rum or bourbon after straining. Slow cooker version: combine all ingredients (except sweetener) in slow cooker, cook on low 3-4 hours or high 1.5-2 hours, then stir in sweetener.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry clove wassail, holiday punch, warm punch, non-alcoholic punch, Christmas drink, Thanksgiving drink, easy punch recipe

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/best-easy-cranberry-clove-wassail-holiday-punch-recipe/