Christmas Sangria Recipe (Orange Cranberry) - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

Christmas Sangria Recipe (Orange Cranberry) - The Cookie Rookie® (1)

By: Becky Hardin

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This Christmas Sangria recipe is just perfect for the holiday season! It combines a simple syrup with red wine, juices, fruits, and more. Orange Cranberry Sangria is fresh, fun, and festive, great for parties.

Christmas Sangria Recipe (Orange Cranberry) - The Cookie Rookie® (2)

Table of Contents

Orange Cranberry Sangria

You all know how much I love sangria. Any flavor, served warm or chilled, it doesn’t matter, I’m always happy with a nice glass of sangria. It’s the perfect co*cktail for all occasions, including Christmas!

I’ve made a Holiday Sangria recipe before, but one just isn’t enough. And after making an Orange Cranberry Pork Loin just before Thanksgiving, I realized it was such a festive flavor combination! So mix all those ideas together and I came up with this beautiful Orange Cranberry Sangria for the holiday season.

This is the best Christmas Sangria recipe and it tastes absolutely delicious. It’s a chilled sangria which makes it extra refreshing and perfect for parties. Serve it at your holiday parties, on Christmas Eve, or on Christmas Day.

Why You’ll Love this Christmas Sangria Recipe:

  • Easy: Sangria is such an easy drink to make. Whip up a quick simple syrup, then mix everything together and serve.
  • Festive: Cranberries are the perfect fruit to celebrate the holiday season, and they’re featured heavily in the flavor of this co*cktail.
  • Party Drink: A pitcher of this sangria serves 8, and you can easily make more for larger gatherings.

Orange Cranberry Sangria is a tasty co*cktail that’s perfect for the holidays. Make this your go-to Christmas sangria recipe and enjoy!

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Festive Christmas Sangria Recipe

With Christmas just around the corner, I knew it was time for another holiday co*cktail! My favorite holiday punch is a mix of cranberry and orange juice, and that combination translates perfectly to this Christmas sangria recipe. It’s flavorful, it’s festive, and it’s so much fun!

Cranberry Sangria Ingredients

  • Red Wine: Use Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or your favorite dry red.
  • Cointreau
  • Cranberry Juice
  • Orange Cranberry Simple Syrup: I’ll show you how to make this in the recipe card, and you can save extra for other drinks and co*cktails.
  • Lemon Juice
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • Orange Slices
  • Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries both work.
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Christmas Sangria Recipe (Orange Cranberry) - The Cookie Rookie® (8)

This cranberry sangria is so simple to make. We start by making an orange cranberry simple syrup, then just mix that in with the other ingredients and let the sangria chill. Pour it over ice and it’s ready to serve!

How to Make Christmas Sangria

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

To make the simple syrup:

  1. Combine water, sugar, cranberries, orange zest, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer until the cranberries soften (about 5-7 minutes).
  3. Pour the syrup mixture through a fine mesh strainer to separate the liquid from the solid ingredients.
  4. Set the syrup aside to cool.

To make the sangria:

  1. Mix the simple syrup, red wine, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and cranberries in a pitcher. Stir well.
  2. Refrigerate the Christmas sangria until ready to serve.

Super easy to make and so delicious! This sangria will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days, so you can easily store your leftovers or make it a bit ahead of time.

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What is sangria?

At its most basic, sangria is red wine mixed with chopped (often spiced) fruits. But recipes will typically contain other liquors and sprits as well, in addition to spices, fruits, or juices.

What kind of wine is best for sangria?

I recommend using a dry red wine since the other ingredients will really sweeten things up. Cabernet, Pinot noir, or Merlot would all work fine.

Can I make Christmas sangria ahead of time?

Yes! Mix and refrigerate all ingredients, and it will keep in the fridge up to 3 days.

Can I use frozen cranberries?

Yes, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make this recipe.

Christmas Sangria Recipe (Orange Cranberry) - The Cookie Rookie® (10)
Christmas Sangria Recipe (Orange Cranberry) - The Cookie Rookie® (11)

There is never a bad time for this fruity co*cktail, so of course I have a sangria recipe for every season. Any holiday, any party, any season, any reason, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you. After you try out this Orange Cranberry Sangria, start testing out some of my other favorites!

  • Sweet Tea Sangria
  • Red Sangria
  • Grapefruit Vodka Sangria
  • Pink Champagne Sangria
  • Apple Pie Sangria
  • Honey Bourbon Fall Sangria
Christmas Sangria Recipe (Orange Cranberry) - The Cookie Rookie® (12)

Try this delicious Christmas Sangria this holiday season and let me know what you think of it! I’m sure the orange cranberry flavor will impress anyone who tries it.

More holiday drinks and co*cktails to try:

  • Spiced Pear Cider with Ginger
  • Jingle Juice
  • Easy Christmas Punch Recipe
  • Hot Cranberry Apple Spiced Cider
  • Mulled Wine Margaritas
  • Sparkling Holiday Flirtini
  • White Christmas Tequila Sours

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Recipe

Christmas Sangria (Orange Cranberry Sangria)

4.53 from 113 votes

Author: Becky Hardin

Prep: 20 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

Christmas Sangria Recipe (Orange Cranberry) - The Cookie Rookie® (13)

Serves8

Print Rate

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Christmas Sangria is a mix of cranberry and orange flavors to create the perfect taste of the holidays.

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Ingredients

For the Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup:

  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • Zest from 1 medium orange
  • 2 cinnamon sticks halved

For the Cranberry Orange Sangria:

  • Reserved Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup about 1 cup
  • 1 750ml bottle red wine (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or a Red Blend)
  • ¾ cup Cointreau
  • 32 ounces 100% cranberry juice
  • Juice from ½ lemon
  • 3 cinnamon sticks plus extra for serving
  • 2 oranges sliced plus extra for serving
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries plus extra for serving

Instructions

For the Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup:

  • In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine water, sugar, cranberries, orange zest and cinnamon sticks. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer until the cranberries have burst and have softened, about 5-7 minutes. Pour the syrup over a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium mixing bowl and discard. Set the syrup aside until cooled.

    1 cup water, ½ cup sugar, 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, Zest from 1 medium orange, 2 cinnamon sticks

For the Cranberry Orange Sangria:

  • In a gallon container, pour the cooled simple syrup, red wine, Cointreau, cranberry juice, juice from ½ lemon, cinnamon sticks, orange slices and cranberries. Stir well.

    Reserved Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup, 1 750ml bottle red wine (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or a Red Blend), ¾ cup Cointreau, 32 ounces 100% cranberry juice, Juice from ½ lemon, 3 cinnamon sticks plus extra for serving, 2 oranges, 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries plus extra for serving

  • Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, pour sangria in an ice-filled glass. Add an orange slice, cranberries and a cinnamon stick, if desired.

  • Cranberry Orange Sangria will keep up to 3 days refrigerated.

  • Enjoy!

Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!

Becky’s tips

Storage: Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve. Make this sangria up to 3 days ahead of time.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 271kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 41g (14%) Sodium: 9mg Potassium: 282mg (8%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 37g (41%) Vitamin A: 130IU (3%) Vitamin C: 29.6mg (36%) Calcium: 38mg (4%) Iron: 0.8mg (4%)

Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!

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FAQs

What brandy for sangria? ›

"When choosing a brandy, it is best to go toward a Spanish one made with Spanish grapes," said Trujillo. "I find Carlos I Solera Gran Reserva Brandy to be perfect for sangria." This brandy was aged in American oak casks and has notes of vanilla and caramel.

Should I make sangria the night before? ›

Yes, sangria is often prepared in advance to allow the flavors to meld together. It is recommended to let the sangria sit in the refrigerator for at least a few hours or overnight to allow the fruits and other ingredients to infuse into the wine. This enhances the overall flavor and makes it more intensely fruity!

What is the best base wine for sangria? ›

The best wine for sangria is Garnacha (also called Grenache) or Pinot Noir. Garnacha comes from Spain, so it's my top pick for authentic Spanish sangria! Choose an inexpensive wine (under $20) that you would enjoy on its own. Why Garnacha and Pinot Noir?

What are the basic ingredients for sangria? ›

Image of What are the basic ingredients for sangria?
Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines.
Wikipedia

What white wine is best for sangria? ›

When it comes to choosing the white wine for your sangria your best bets are dryer, more acidic, and crisp fresh whites like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, or Grenache Blanc. An Albariño, Moscato, or rosé would be nice too. But also, we live by the rule, pour what Paso Robles wine you like!

How much alcohol is sangria? ›

Sangria's alcohol content can vary widely, depending on whether it is made from red or white wine and how much brandy or liqueur has been added. Here is a rough guideline: EU law says bottles from Spain are limited by law to less than 12% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Is sangria watered down wine? ›

The locals, looking for refreshment, made fruit-infused, watered-down drinks from the hefty red wines of the region. We know that the tradition of wine consumption at the time was to dilute wine with water, so this makes sense. One theory states that the drink was simply called “sangria” after the color of blood.

Does fruit soak up alcohol in sangria? ›

Classic Spanish sangria is made with red wine, fruit, a little sugar and brandy. Once all of the ingredients are combined, they allow the sangria to sit for a few hours, usually overnight. This allows the fruit to soak up the wine and flavor the sangria.

What's the difference between red wine and sangria? ›

Sangria is a wine punch, also known as an aromatized wine. It combines wine with fruit, fruit juices, and other aromatic ingredients like herbs and spices. Traditionally, the mix of ingredients depended on local custom — each region had a unique recipe, but the classic mix is Spanish red wine with oranges.

How long does homemade sangria last? ›

Even when prepared the right way, sangria can go bad if stored improperly. When purchased from a store and refrigerated unopened, sangria can last up to three months. When prepared yourself, if stored in an airtight container and refrigerated, it may last up to seven days.

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