This Christmas Sangria recipe is just perfect for the holiday season! It combines a simple syrup with red wine, juices, fruits, and more. Orange Cranberry Sangria is fresh, fun, and festive, great for parties.

orange cranberry sangria in a pitcher

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Orange Cranberry Sangria

You all know how much I love sangria. Any flavor, served warm or chilled, it doesn’t matter, I’m always happy with a nice glass of sangria. It’s the perfect cocktail for all occasions, including Christmas! 

I’ve made a Holiday Sangria recipe before, but one just isn’t enough. And after making an Orange Cranberry Pork Loin just before Thanksgiving, I realized it was such a festive flavor combination! So mix all those ideas together and I came up with this beautiful Orange Cranberry Sangria  for the holiday season.

This is the best Christmas Sangria recipe and it tastes absolutely delicious. It’s a chilled sangria which makes it extra refreshing and perfect for parties. Serve it at your holiday parties, on Christmas Eve, or on Christmas Day. 

Why You’ll Love this Christmas Sangria Recipe:

  • Easy: Sangria is such an easy drink to make. Whip up a quick simple syrup, then mix everything together and serve.
  • Festive: Cranberries are the perfect fruit to celebrate the holiday season, and they’re featured heavily in the flavor of this cocktail.
  • Party Drink: A pitcher of this sangria serves 8, and you can easily make more for larger gatherings.

Orange Cranberry Sangria is a tasty cocktail that’s perfect for the holidays. Make this your go-to Christmas sangria recipe and enjoy!

orange cranberry sangria in a pitcher, surrounded by glasses of sangria
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three glasses of orange cranberry sangria

Festive Christmas Sangria Recipe

With Christmas just around the corner, I knew it was time for another holiday cocktail! My favorite holiday punch is a mix of cranberry and orange juice, and that combination translates perfectly to this Christmas sangria recipe. It’s flavorful, it’s festive, and it’s so much fun!

short glasses of Christmas sangria recipe

Cranberry Sangria Ingredients

  • Red Wine: Use Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or your favorite dry red.
  • Cointreau
  • Cranberry Juice
  • Orange Cranberry Simple Syrup: I’ll show you how to make this in the recipe card, and you can save extra for other drinks and cocktails.
  • Lemon Juice
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • Orange Slices
  • Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries both work.
a pitcher of Christmas sangria next to three glasses of sangria
overhead view of sangria topped with cranberries and orange slices

This cranberry sangria is so simple to make. We start by making an orange cranberry simple syrup, then just mix that in with the other ingredients and let the sangria chill. Pour it over ice and it’s ready to serve!

How to Make Christmas Sangria

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

To make the simple syrup: 

  1. Combine water, sugar, cranberries, orange zest, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer until the cranberries soften (about 5-7 minutes).
  3. Pour the syrup mixture through a fine mesh strainer to separate the liquid from the solid ingredients.
  4. Set the syrup aside to cool.

To make the sangria:

  1. Mix the simple syrup, red wine, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and cranberries in a pitcher. Stir well.
  2. Refrigerate the Christmas sangria until ready to serve.

Super easy to make and so delicious! This sangria will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days, so you can easily store your leftovers or make it a bit ahead of time. 

glasses of orange cranberry sangria over ice
What is sangria?

At its most basic, sangria is red wine mixed with chopped (often spiced) fruits. But recipes will typically contain other liquors and sprits as well, in addition to spices, fruits, or juices.

What kind of wine is best for sangria?

I recommend using a dry red wine since the other ingredients will really sweeten things up. Cabernet, Pinot noir, or Merlot would all work fine.

Can I make Christmas sangria ahead of time?

Yes! Mix and refrigerate all ingredients, and it will keep in the fridge up to 3 days.

Can I use frozen cranberries?

Yes, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make this recipe.

glasses of Christmas sangria with Christmas lights in the background
a pitcher of orange cranberry sangria next to glasses

There is never a bad time for this fruity cocktail, so of course I have a sangria recipe for every season. Any holiday, any party, any season, any reason, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you. After you try out this Orange Cranberry Sangria, start testing out some of my other favorites!

short glasses filled with orange cranberry sangria

Try this delicious Christmas Sangria this holiday season and let me know what you think of it! I’m sure the orange cranberry flavor will impress anyone who tries it.

More holiday drinks and cocktails to try:

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Recipe Card

Christmas Sangria (Orange Cranberry Sangria)

4.53 from 113 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Becky Hardin
Orange Cranberry Sangria is fresh, fun, and festive. This Christmas Sangria recipe is just perfect for the holiday season!
Christmas Sangria is a mix of cranberry and orange flavors to create the perfect taste of the holidays.
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Ingredients 

For the Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup:

  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • Zest from 1 medium orange
  • 2 cinnamon sticks halved

For the Cranberry Orange Sangria:

  • Reserved Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup about 1 cup
  • 1 750ml bottle red wine (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or a Red Blend)
  • ¾ cup Cointreau
  • 32 ounces 100% cranberry juice
  • Juice from ½ lemon
  • 3 cinnamon sticks plus extra for serving
  • 2 oranges sliced plus extra for serving
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries plus extra for serving

Instructions 

For the Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup:

  • In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine water, sugar, cranberries, orange zest and cinnamon sticks. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer until the cranberries have burst and have softened, about 5-7 minutes. Pour the syrup over a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium mixing bowl and discard. Set the syrup aside until cooled.
    1 cup water, ½ cup sugar, 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, Zest from 1 medium orange, 2 cinnamon sticks

For the Cranberry Orange Sangria:

  • In a gallon container, pour the cooled simple syrup, red wine, Cointreau, cranberry juice, juice from ½ lemon, cinnamon sticks, orange slices and cranberries. Stir well.
    Reserved Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup, 1 750ml bottle red wine (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or a Red Blend), ¾ cup Cointreau, 32 ounces 100% cranberry juice, Juice from ½ lemon, 3 cinnamon sticks plus extra for serving, 2 oranges, 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries plus extra for serving
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, pour sangria in an ice-filled glass. Add an orange slice, cranberries and a cinnamon stick, if desired.
  • Cranberry Orange Sangria will keep up to 3 days refrigerated.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Becky’s Tips

Storage: Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve. Make this sangria up to 3 days ahead of time. 
Calories: 271kcalCarbohydrates: 41gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 282mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 130IUVitamin C: 29.6mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 0.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.53 from 113 votes (108 ratings without comment)
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14 Comments
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Mariah Eddins
Mariah Eddins
December 4, 2022 9:13 am

When you say cinnamon sticks halved, how do you mean?

Samantha Marceau
December 5, 2022 9:24 am
Reply to  Mariah Eddins

Just snapped in half so they’re not too long!

Joy
Joy
December 19, 2019 2:23 pm

Can I leave out the Cointreau??

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
December 23, 2019 6:27 pm
Reply to  Joy

Yes, absolutely!

Anna
Anna
December 9, 2018 10:29 am

We made this sangria for our holiday party! It was a HUGE hit!5 stars

Toni
Toni
December 9, 2018 9:22 am

I love orange and cranberry together and this Sangria is a perfect blend of both!5 stars

Sabrina
Sabrina
December 8, 2018 7:29 pm

Sangria is so perfect for when friends come over. I love this holiday twist!5 stars

Jamielyn Nye
Jamielyn Nye
December 8, 2018 1:23 pm

Such a pretty drink! Making virgin for my family this year with orange juice and cranberry juice.5 stars

Tara
Tara
December 8, 2018 8:26 am

Ooh, cranberry sangria is my FAVORITE! Love the orange in this version.5 stars