If you’re looking for the perfect fall drink, this is it! This apple cider punch is a mouthwatering combination of all your favorite fall flavors infused into a festive non-alcoholic drink everyone will love.
This is one of my Drink recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Now that we’re heading into Fall, I’m diving head first into all of my favorite things about my favorite season.
So bring on the apples, pumpkin, baked goods, game day foods, soups, and more!
Starting with this apple cider punch. Sweet apple cider is combined with lemonade, orange juice, and maple syrup, then infused with cinnamon, oranges, apples, and rosemary!
It’s perfect for any party, since it’s non-alcoholic, and it makes about a gallon!
If you would like to add some alcohol, I’ve detailed our favorite types to add in the FAQ section further down in the post.
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Apple cider – this is the sweet base, full of fall flavors.
- Lemonade – the acidity of the lemonade works with the cloyingly sweet cider.
- Orange juice – the perfect blend of acidity and sweetness.
- Maple syrup – maple and apple are perfect together.
- Rosemary – the woodiness of this hearty herb works really well with the apple flavors.
- Apples – this helps infuse the punch with more apple flavor.
- Oranges – perfect as a garnish, as well as infusing the punch.
- Cinnamon sticks – it wouldn’t be a fall drink without the sweet cinnamon flavor.
- Sparkling water – this adds a wonderful bubbly touch.
Helpful Tip!
This recipe makes approximately 1 gallon of punch, so you’ll need a large capacity pitcher. If you don’t have one big enough, you can split the infused apple cider mixture between two pitchers. This recipe can also be easily halved if you don’t need a larger batch.
Variations of this recipe
- Cider – in place of apple cider, you could use apple juice (although it will have a less bold flavor).
- Orange juice – we prefer to use bottled OJ (100% juice and pulp free), but please feel free to use what you like best.
- Syrup – if you’re using maple syrup, I highly recommend real maple syrup. If you’re using simple syrup, you can either buy it, or make your own by combining equal parts water and granulated sugar in a saucepan and bringing it to a low boil. Boil until all the sugar has dissolved, then cool and use.
- Herbs – we love the use of herbs in drinks like this, but you can certainly omit the rosemary, or you could try some thyme instead.
- Apples – you can use any apple variety that you love, and you can slice them into wedges, or slice them into thin circles (whichever you like the look of).
- Other sparkling options – instead of the sparkling water you could try seltzer, club soda, or some ginger ale.
FAQ’s
You can swap out some of the sparkling water for wine or sparkling wine, or you could replace some of the water with spiced rum, bourbon, or vodka.
Absolutely! If you’re not a fan of carbonated drinks, you can use regular tap or filtered water instead of sparkling.
Making punch ahead of time
By nature, this punch is a natural make ahead recipe since it has to infuse for several hours. If you don’t let it infuse, the flavors won’t be as pronounced and harmonious.
You can prep a bit though and have some of the fruit sliced ahead of time.
Storage
Leftover punch should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Drink it within a few days for the best flavor.
The sparkling water will go flat, so when you serve it, just add a splash of new sparkling water to each glass.
My Favorite Pitcher!
The pitcher pictured in this post was a gift, so I can’t find the exact one to link to, however I do also have this pitcher, which I love. It holds over 100 oz and the lid is a great extra feature!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 5 cups apple cider
- 2 cups lemonade
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or simple syrup
- 4 medium apples cored and sliced
- 1 medium orange sliced
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 cups sparkling water
Garnishes (all optional)
- sprigs of rosemary
- apple slices
- orange slices
Instructions
Combine
- In a large pitcher (or container), add the apple cider, lemonade, orange juice, and maple syrup and stir until combined.
Infuse
- Add sliced apples, sliced orange, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary sprigs to the pitcher.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight, to infuse.
Mix and serve
- To the infused cider mixture, add the sparkling water and stir. Serve over ice, with desired garnishes.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- This recipe makes approximately 15 (8 oz each) servings, but can easily be scaled down if you need a smaller batch (just halve all the ingredients).
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Catalina says
This punch looks so refreshing and perfect for Fall! Love the color!
Sandra says
This is so good! Such a perfect drink for fall!
Erin says
Such an amazing drink! Can’t wait to make this!
Beth says
This is fall in a glass, and I love every drop of it. I mean, seriously, it does not get more fall than this. We’re having a party next weekend, and this is going to be on the menu.