Cinnamon Ponche Navideño is a hot, Mexican drink traditionally served during Christmas and made of various sweet fruits and spices.
The amazing scent of fruits, cinnamon, and cloves will fill your house when you make this festive drink.
I have fond memories of sipping on Ponche Navideño on Noche Buena (Christmas Eve). It is the perfect, comforting drink for the holidays.
What is Ponche Navideño?
Ponche Navideño, literally meaning Christmas punch, is a sweet, warm fruit punch traditionally served during the Christmas season in Mexican households.
The punch is made of various fresh or dried fruits, almost a cross between a sangria and hot cider. It cooks long and slow on the stove, filling up the home with a sweet aroma as it simmers.
Unlike cider, the fragrant liquid and pieces of the soft fruit are served together in mugs and garnished with a sprinkle of pecans. So a spoon is always a good idea so you can also eat the fruit.
This ponche can be served with or without alcohol. “Con piquete o sin piquete?,” (spiked or not spiked) my mom would always ask as she would ladle the punch and fruit into festive mugs every Christmas Eve. Although my mom did not drink alcohol, she always made sure there was wine, rum or tequila for those who wanted it. All three are great compliments to this delicious drink.
The alcohol is optional and added at the end to individual servings. I actually prefer the punch without it, sipping on a mug or two as we spend Noche Buena making tamales and enjoying the Christmas festivities.
The Ingredients
The list of ingredients for this punch will vary from one household to another. At my house, we always prefer having a base of cinnamon to flavor the water and then build upon it with the rest of the ingredients. The following are the ingredients that we use in my family’s version of Cinnamon Ponche Navideño.
Tejocotes (Hawthorne Apples)
This ingredient is used in pretty much any version of this tasty drink. Tejocotes are a small, round fruit with a yellow flesh and tart flavor. I wouldn’t recommend eating them raw, but when cooked their sweetness comes through an adds an amazing flavor to the punch.
You can find tejocotes in the produce section of Latin American and Mexican supermarkets. To choose tejocotes, choose ones that are free of blemishes and a deep yellow color with some red. If you are unable to find fresh ones, look for frozen ones or jarred ones.
Click here to learn more about tejocotes.
Guava
This delicious tropical fruit is another necessary ingredient for this traditional drink.
Choose guavas that have a yellow skin without blemishes. They should feel firm and not mushy. Again, if you have a hard time finding fresh guavas, look for frozen ones.
Piloncillo
This Mexican ponche is usually sweetened with piloncillo, an unrefined whole cane sugar that has a sweet, caramel-like flavor. You can find piloncillo (sometimes called panela) at Mexican and Latin American markets. Look for the ones that come in medium-sized cones.
If you are unable to find piloncillo, you can substitute dark brown sugar.
Mexican Cinnamon
You can use regular cinnamon, however Mexican cinnamon (known as canela) has a mild, sweet flavor and is preferable for this recipe.
The rest of the ingredients are much more self-explanatory and include:
- Whole Cloves
- Water
- Apples
- Oranges
- Raisins
- Pecans
- Red wine, rum, or tequila (optional)
How to Make Cinnamon Ponche Navideño (Mexican Christmas Punch)
Begin by adding 12 cups (3 quarts) of water to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and add 2 sticks of cinnamon and one cone of piloncillo (or 1 cup of brown sugar).
Simmer for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, wash and prepare the fruit.
Leave the tejocotes whole, only cutting off the ends. Then trim the ends of the guavas and cut them in half. Slice the apples and oranges into half moons.
Add all of the fruit and a 1/2 cup of raisins, and 3 cloves to the simmering cinnamon water.
Continue to simmer for 45 minutes.
Taste and add another half of a piloncillo (or additional brown sugar) if a sweeter punch is preferred. Allow the piloncillo to dissolve.
Ladle the punch and some of the fruit into mugs, garnishing with chopped pecans.
If desired, add red wine, rum or tequila to your serving.
Storing and Reheating
Mexican Christmas Punch can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass container from 2 to 5 days. The juice will get more concentrated and sweet as it sits. You can always add a little bit of water if it becomes too sweet for you. The fruit will also become softer and some may even start falling apart if left for too many days, so it really is best to try to drink the punch within the first 2 days.
Warm up your leftover punch on the stovetop or in a mug in the microwave.
I hope you enjoy!
Please leave me a comment below if you make this or tag me on Instagram @everydaylatina.
Check out these other great recipes:
Cinnamon Ponche Navideño (Mexican Christmas Punch)
Equipment
- Stockpot
Ingredients
- 3 quarts water
- 2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
- 1 large piloncillo cone plus more to taste (or 1 cup of dark brown sugar)
- 12 tejocotes, left whole with ends trimmed
- 8 guavas, ends trimmed and quartered
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 red apples, sliced
- 1 orange (optional), sliced
- 1/2 raisins
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- red wine, rum, or tequila (to taste, optional)
Instructions
- Add water to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and add cinnamon and one cone of piloncillo (or the brown sugar).
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add all of the fruit, the raisins, and cloves to the simmering cinnamon water. Continue to simmer for 45 minutes.
- Taste and add another half of a piloncillo if a sweeter punch is preferred (you can either cut or grate the piloncillo). Allow the piloncillo to dissolve in the punch.
- Ladle the hot punch and some of the fruit into mugs, garnish with chopped pecans.
- If desired, add red wine, rum or tequila to your serving.
Notes
- See post for notes about the ingredients and where to find them.
- Store in the refrigerator in a glass container from 2 to 5 days. The juice will get more concentrated as it sits. Add a little bit of water if it becomes too sweet.
- Warm up your leftover punch on the stovetop or in a mug in the microwave.
Cinnamon Ponche Navideño (Mexican Christmas Punch)
Equipment
- Stockpot
Ingredients
- 3 quarts water
- 2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
- 1 large piloncillo cone plus more to taste (or 1 cup of dark brown sugar)
- 12 tejocotes, left whole with ends trimmed
- 8 guavas, ends trimmed and quartered
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 red apples, sliced
- 1 orange (optional), sliced
- 1/2 raisins
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- red wine, rum, or tequila (to taste, optional)
Instructions
- Add water to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and add cinnamon and one cone of piloncillo (or the brown sugar).
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add all of the fruit, the raisins, and cloves to the simmering cinnamon water. Continue to simmer for 45 minutes.
- Taste and add another half of a piloncillo if a sweeter punch is preferred (you can either cut or grate the piloncillo). Allow the piloncillo to dissolve in the punch.
- Ladle the hot punch and some of the fruit into mugs, garnish with chopped pecans.
- If desired, add red wine, rum or tequila to your serving.
Notes
- See post for notes about the ingredients and where to find them.
- Store in the refrigerator in a glass container from 2 to 5 days. The juice will get more concentrated as it sits. Add a little bit of water if it becomes too sweet.
- Warm up your leftover punch on the stovetop or in a mug in the microwave.
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