10 Non-Alcoholic (and Festive!) Holiday Drinks

Grinch-Inspired Hot Chocolate

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk (or unsweetened cashew milk)
• 4 ounces white chocolate (chopped)
• green food coloring
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• whipped topping

This grinch-inspired recipe is great for kids, or basically anyone that loves the grinch! Make sure to heat up the milk and add the green food coloring at the beginning. This one is fun because you can top the whipped cream with heart-shaped sprinkles for an extra nod to the grinch movies.

Related Link: When Your Recipe Calls for Alcohol 

Pumpkin Butterbeer

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 bottles of cream soda
• 1 tsp imitation butter extract
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
• 2 cups of Apple Cider
• ice

If you are a Harry Potter fan, this is the holiday drink for you. This recipe combines two of the most famous drinks of the wizarding world: butterbeer and pumpkin juice. On top of that, it is also a great thanksgiving dinner drink.

Winter “Sangria”

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 qt. pomegranate-juice blend (pomegranate-cranberry or pomegranate-cherry. Just look for 100 percent juice) 
• 2 cups elderberry juice 
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced 
• 1 lime, thinly sliced 
• 1 ripe pear, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, seeded and diced
• 1 cup red grapes, cut in half
• 4 cups sparkling water

If you would like, you can chill this blend overnight and add the sparkling water right before you serve it. This will keep it cold, without the drink being flat. Frozen cranberries or other frozen fruits make great “ice cubes” because they won’t water down your drink.

“Oriental” Punch

Yield: 8-10 servings

• 1 large can of frozen orange juice (reconstituted)
• 1 large can of frozen lemonade (reconstituted)
• 1 liter 7-Up or Sprite (or diet 7-up)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond flavoring

This crowd-pleasing punch is a must-have for the holidays. It is a great option if you are on a diet or are trying to stay healthy during the holidays. As far as non-alcoholic holiday drinks go, this one is a winner. The secret is the added flavorings. They add an exotic touch but no one can figure out why.

Christmas Cranberry White Russian Mocktail

• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup dry sparkling cranberry soda
• 2 teaspoons Kalua flavored syrup
• Fresh cranberries
• Fresh rosemary sprigs

Caramel Apple Pie Mocktail

• 2 apples
• 6 Rosemary sprigs
• 1/2 cup caramel syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• brown sugar (for rimming glasses)
• 6 cups apple cider
• 3 cups sparkling water

Hot Wassail

• 8 cups apple cider
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 4 whole cinnamon sticks
• 12 whole cloves or 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cook this mixture on low heat for 45 minutes and then it’s ready to be ladled into a mug. I have seen this recipe cooked in a crockpot, the pot was left on a warm setting throughout dinner so that the wassail was always hot.

Thanksgiving Punch

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups Pear Nectar
• 2 cups Ginger Beer 
• 3 cups ice
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Optional garnishes
  • rosemary
  • cranberries
  • pear slices
  • cinnamon sticks
  • nutmeg

This recipe is also known as “Spicy Pear Punch” but it is perfect for the holidays. You could also substitute 1 cup of the Ginger Beer for 1 cup of seltzer water if you wish.

Christmas Punch

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 cups cranberry juice
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup Ginger Ale

This beverage is best served cold so either put it in the fridge before serving or add a few cups of ice to the mixture. You can even top this with mint leaves or add frozen cranberries instead of ice cubes.

Frost Bite Mocktail

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

Which of these drinks will you try this holiday season? Share in the comments.