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Crowd-Pleasing Spiced Wassail Punch Easy Homemade

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This spiced wassail punch is incredibly easy to make in a slow cooker, with a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. It’s a crowd-pleasing, aromatic drink that fills your home with holiday cheer.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 cups (1.9 liters) apple cider
  • 3 cups (710 ml) cranberry juice (100% pure)
  • 1 cup (240 ml) fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 whole star anise
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
  • 2 oranges (one sliced into thin rounds, one for garnish)
  • Fresh cranberries for garnish
  • Optional: 1/2 cup (120 ml) dark rum or bourbon per serving

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients (5 minutes): Wash the oranges thoroughly. Slice one orange into thin rounds, about 1/4-inch thick. Peel and slice the fresh ginger into thin rounds. Measure out apple cider, cranberry juice, orange juice, and honey.
  2. Combine liquids in the slow cooker (2 minutes): Pour the apple cider, cranberry juice, and fresh orange juice into your slow cooker. Add the honey and stir to start dissolving.
  3. Add the aromatics (3 minutes): Add the whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice berries, and sliced ginger to the pot. Drop in the orange slices from one orange.
  4. Set it and forget it (2 hours): Cover the slow cooker and set to LOW. Let it simmer for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours on LOW.
  5. Taste and adjust (2 minutes): After 2 hours, taste the punch. If too tart, add another tablespoon of honey. If too sweet, add a splash more cranberry juice.
  6. Strain (optional, 2 minutes): If you left spices loose, ladle the punch through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot or serving pitcher to remove cloves, ginger, and spent orange rounds.
  7. Garnish and serve (3 minutes): Pour the strained punch back into the slow cooker (set to WARM) or a serving pot. Float fresh orange slices and a handful of fresh cranberries on top. Serve warm in mugs, letting guests add their own splash of rum or bourbon if desired.

Notes

For best results, use whole spices instead of ground. Taste and adjust sweetness as apple cider and cranberry juice brands vary. Keep punch on WARM setting after cooking to avoid bitterness. Can be made a day ahead and reheated.

Nutrition

Keywords: wassail punch, spiced punch, slow cooker punch, holiday punch, easy punch recipe, crowd-pleasing punch

Find it online: https://dinadishes.com/crowd-pleasing-spiced-wassail-punch-easy-homemade/