Ponche Navideño (Mexican Christmas Fruit Punch)
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on Dec 21, 2020, Updated Nov 02, 2024
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If you are in need of a delicious Christmas beverage, look no further than this traditional Ponche Navideño, a Mexican Christmas Fruit Punch. Filled with delicious and unique ingredients, this recipe is sure to transport you somewhere a little warmer during the holiday season.
Warm and tart, filled with sugar and spice and everything nice, this Ponche Navideño is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Add a nip of brandy or tequila to make this a very merry way to celebrate this Christmas.
This Mexican punch recipe is published in Latin Twist, and it is delicioso!
What Is Ponche Navideño?
Ponche Navideño, which is also sometimes known as Ponche Mexicano, is a traditional Mexican fruit beverage. Ponche, which means punch, is essentially a warm fruit punch.
Think of it like the Mexican version of Spiced Apple Cider. Except instead of only apples and oranges, the punch is also made with some pretty cool Mexican fruits that you might not yet be familiar with.
Ponche can be served with or without alcohol. It is most often consumed during the holiday season, generally during Las Posadas. On chilly nights, this warm and fragrant infusion warms you from the inside out. My grandma used to make a very similar calientito (warm drink) around the holidays.
Ingredients & Substitutions
While it is likely that you’ll need to make a special trip to your local supermercado to find the ingredients needed to make this yummy Christmas ponche Navideño, I promise it’s worth the extra effort!
- Water – If possible, start with filtered water for the purest taste.
- Canela Sticks – If you can’t get your hands on Mexican cinnamon sticks, regular cinnamon sticks will do just fine.
- Whole Cloves: Cloves add a lovely warmth.
- Tamarindo – Tamarind pods have a very unique tart flavor and gives the punch its rich, warm color. Tamarindo pods can be purchased online, if you are unable to find them locally at a store. Or, you can replace with a handful of hibiscus flowers to give the punch a beautiful crimson color.
- Tejocotes – Tejocotes (a.k.a. Hawthorne Apples) have a sweet and sour taste, which is reminiscent of something between a plum and an apricot. If you do not have access to tejocotes you can substitute with crab apples or one extra apple.
- Guavas – When green, they look like limes and are ripe, when yellow, they are over ripened, soft, and very sweet. This fruit is soft and they dissolve in the water and add a uniquely sweet taste to the ponche.
- Apples and Pears – Red apples and pears, of your choice.
- Sugarcane – Fresh sugar cane really adds a lovely sweetness to this punch that is not cloying. Plus, the sugar cane sticks make a delicious garnish.
- Orange – Orange slices add a bright, citrusy note.
- Prunes and Raisins – These dried fruits give this Christmas punch a rich, sweet, and slightly tangy flavor.
- Piloncillo – Piloncillo is a special type of raw cane sugar that has a delicious caramel flavor. It is often sold in cones, and for this recipe you’ll need one. Piloncillo can be purchased online. No piloncillo? Simply substitute dark brown sugar instead.
- Brandy or Tequila – Brandy or tequila can be added, making it ponche con piquete (punch with a sting). If you’re in my house over the holidays, my ponche will sting like a bee, but make you float like a butterfly – that’s a promise!
How To Make Ponche Navideño
This Ponche Navideño is actually quite simple to make once you have found the necessary ingredients.
Step 1: In a large pot, over high heat, boil water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, tamarind, and tejocotes. After it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the tejocotes are soft.
Step 2: Remove the tejocotes from the heat, peel, remove hard ends, cut in half, and deseed. Return them to the pot.
Step 3: Add guavas, apples, pears, sugar cane, prunes, orange slices, and piloncillo.
Step 4: Reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring gently. Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves.
Step 5: Ladle into cups, making sure each cup gets some chunks of fruit. Add brandy or tequila to each cup (optional). This addition makes it ponche con piquete (punch with a sting).
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Unable to find tejocotes, guavas, and sugarcane? Start with this jar of Ponche Navideño en Almibar (Fruit Punch in Syrup).
- Have some fruit that’s on the way out? Making a warm cocktail like this ponche, my spiced mulled wine, or homemade apple cider is a great way to give your fruit new life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The longer this drink sits, the better the flavors meld. Make this ponche a day or two before and refrigerate it in a large glass jar.
On the day you want to serve, put the drink in a slow cooker and set it on low about 45 minutes before guests arrive, and the drink should be ready to serve as your party gets started.
While the ingredients for this ponche navideño recipe are not likely to be on your regular supermarket shelves, it is very likely that you’ll be able to find them all at your local Latin market or International market. Amazon is also a great resource for some of the unique ingredients.
Storage & Heating Instructions
- This ponche Mexicano will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Need more holiday drink inspiration?
Check out these other delicious warm recipes:
If you made this Ponche Navideño, please rate and review it below so I know how it turned out for you! I’m curious to know what you and your guests made of it.
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Ponche Navideño Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 whole cloves
- 5 long tamarind pods, husk removed, and seeded or boil the entire pod to make removing easier
- ½ pound tejocotes or crab apples, left whole
- 6 large guavas, peeled and cut into large bite-size chunks
- 2 red apples, of your choice, peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks
- 1 pear, of your choice, peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks
- 2 4-inch sugarcane sticks, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 1 cup pitted prunes
- 1/2 cup dark raisins
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 cone piloncillo, chopped or 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ounce brandy or tequila per cup, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, over high heat, boil water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, tamarind, and tejocotes. After it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the tejocotes are soft.
- Remove the tejocotes from the heat, peel, remove hard ends, cut in half, and deseed. Return them to the pot.
- Add guavas, apples, pears, sugar cane, prunes, orange slices, and piloncillo.
- Simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring gently. Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves.
- Ladle into cups, making sure each cup gets some chunks of fruit.
- Add brandy or tequila to each cup (optional).
Notes
- If you are unable to find fresh sugarcane at your local store you can even purchase a jar containing some of unique ingredients like tejocotes, guavas, and sugarcane: Ponche Navideño en Almibar (Fruit Punch in Syrup).
- Tamarindo pods can be purchased online, if you are unable to find them locally at a store. Or, you can replace with a handful of hibiscus flowers to give the punch a beautiful crimson color.
- If you are unable to find tejocotes, add one extra apple.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Jenna Sparks
This recipe is also published in Latin Twist.
Made this for my family because it reminded me of my stay in Mexico. It’s Fantastic! I normally don’t do fruit punch but this is delicious! Thanks so much!
This punch looks like a great idea to serve at my Christmas party. It gets really cold here during the winter and this would be awesome. Thanks so much for sharing this.
This is the best!! I love making ponche all dec/jan. The house smells amazing!
Me too Vianney! I LOVE the smell of canela simmering and with all these additional ingredients it’s just amazing. Mmmm!
Mmmm this sounds so good 🙂
Gracias Rachel!