Ponche Navideño (Mexican Christmas Punch) 🎄 is a traditional Mexican fruit punch made with tejocotes, guavas, apples, sugar cane, piloncillo, cinnamon, and hibiscus. This warm, fragrant drink is especially popular during Las Posadas and Christmas celebrations.
I make my ponche with just the right balance of fruit, spices, and sweetness. You can easily adjust the sweetness by adding more water or sugar to suit your taste.
Also try another traditional Mexican Christmas drink: Champurrado.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Traditional Mexican flavors: Made with tejocotes, guavas, piloncillo, sugar cane, hibiscus, and cinnamon.
- Adjust the sweetness: Add more water if you prefer a milder punch, or sugar if you’d like it sweeter.
- Great for gatherings: One batch makes about 16 cups, making it perfect for Las Posadas and Christmas parties.
- Easy to make ahead: Ponche can be prepared a day ahead and gently reheated before serving.
-Maggie
📖 Family Story
Growing up, I wasn’t a big fan of Ponche Navideño. Whenever we visited family in Durango for Christmas, they would serve it warm, but I always thought it was too sweet.
Years later, I tried it again and realized that my family simply liked their ponche sweeter than I did. I started making my own version with less sugar so the fruit and spices could shine.
Now, making ponche is a Christmas Eve tradition in my home. My brother always adds a splash of piquete to his, and honestly, it’s really good!
☕️ Ingredients
- Hibiscus Flowers (or flor de jamaica)
- Piloncillo Cone
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Fresh Tejocotes
- Apple
- Caña (or fresh sugar cane)
- Guayaba
Traditional Ponche Navideño gets its distinctive flavor from fresh fruit, piloncillo, sugar cane, cinnamon, and hibiscus. Tejocotes are one of the most traditional ingredients, adding a slightly tart, fruity flavor to the punch.
Substitutions
- Substitute Crab Apples or Asian pears for tejocote.
- The caña (or fresh sugarcane) was sold already chopped and found in the refrigerated section. Or, look for a large piece in the produce area of the Mexican supermarket and chop at home.
- If you can’t find piloncillo, use dark brown sugar instead.
Optional additions
Plums, raisins, oranges, prunes, pineapple, blueberries, tamarind pods, whole cloves, Star Anise.
Recipe Variations
Different parts of Mexico have different recipes. In the south, for example, you will see this recipe with tropical fruits like pineapples and orange slices.
🥣 Instructions
- Add 8 cups of water to a large stock pot.
- This recipe will make roughly 16 cups, or 1 gallon.
- Add the cinnamon, piloncillo, and jamaica to a large stockpot.
- Boil on high heat until the piloncillo is fully melted. About 5 minutes.
If you are using star anise, tamarind, or cloves, add them here.
This beverage is usually made during the Holiday season along with atole de chocolate and atole de arroz.
- Strain hibiscus mixture from the stock pot.
- Leave the cinnamon sticks in the pot while the punch simmers.
- If you are using star anise, tamarind, or cloves, remove them from the pot.
- Wash and chop the tejocotes, red apples, and cana (or sugar cane sticks).
- If you can’t find tejocotes or cana, simply omit and add more of the other fruits.
Tejocotes (also known as Hawthorn apples, crabapples, or manzanitas) are a very traditional ingredient in ponche navideño. Mexican grocery stores and Latin markets will carry them around the Christmas holidays. However, this Mexican fruit can be difficult to find in the United States.
- Add the tejocotes, apples, and caña to the pot.
- Add the rest of the water and give everything a good stir.
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Wash and cut the guayaba in half.
- Add to the pot. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Fresh guavas will fall apart. There is no way around it.
The most important part is to taste it. Add more water if you want it less sweet. Or add sugar if you want it sweeter.
Use the largest pot you have in the kitchen. This recipe makes enough for a party. Adjust the recipe card ingredients for a smaller batch.
This drink is very popular at Las Posadas, the nine nights of Christmas celebrations in Mexico. Make a big batch days ahead of your celebration, and take out the day of the party. Warm up and serve! Multiply the recipe for larger parties.
Many people serve this hot beverage with traditional Mexican Christmas foods like Red Pork Tamales or my Menudo recipe.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Ponche Navideño is a traditional Mexican hot fruit punch served during the winter holidays, particularly around Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) and throughout the posadas from December 16th to 24th. It features a spiced fruit base simmered with fresh seasonal fruits, sugarcane, and piloncillo.
Tejocotes are small Mexican hawthorn fruits with a tart, slightly apple-like flavor. They are a traditional ingredient in Ponche Navideño, but they can be difficult to find outside of Mexico. If you can’t find them, you can substitute apples, pears, or crabapples.
Yes! Ponche actually tastes even better as the fruit sits and infuses the liquid. You can make it a day ahead, store it in the refrigerator, and gently reheat it on the stovetop before serving.
Adding alcohol to ponche is known as adding a piquete. Traditional choices include rum (ron), tequila, or brandy. Simply ladle the warm punch into mugs and let guests add a shot of their preferred spirit individually.
🫙 Storing Instructions
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- You can freeze ponche for longer storage, although the texture of the fruit may change after thawing.
🎄 More Mexican Christmas Recipes
Ponche Navideño is one of my favorite drinks to make during the Christmas season. Make a big pot for Las Posadas, Christmas Eve, or your next holiday gathering, and let everyone add a little piquete if they like.
¡Feliz Navidad!
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz piloncillo (1 stick)
- 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers (or jamaica)
- 2 cinnamon sticks whole
- 16 cups water divided
- 16 ounces sugar cane (or caña) chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 4 apples diced
- 1 lb tejocotes
- 8 guayaba cut in half
Instructions
- Add the piloncillo, hibiscus flowers, and cinnamon to a large stock pot.
- Cover with water. About 8 cups.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer until the piloncillo has fully melted.
- Remove the cooked hibiscus flowers.
- Add the sugar cane, apples, tejocotes to the pot.
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the guayaba. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- You can freeze ponche for longer storage, although the texture of the fruit may change after thawing.
I can see why you may have thought this was too sweet as a child. I love how our tastes change as we get older – and we get to enjoy traditional treats
Isn’t that funny? I used to avoid ponche. Now, I love it!
I’ve never tried Ponche Navideno. I love that you can make it in advance .
I love that part too. Hope you try it!
It’s really nice to learn more about how different cultures and countries celebrate the season. I wouldn’t mind giving that Punch a try!
it’s delicious. Hope you try it!
Looks and sound yummy. Reminds me of a mull I drink with red wine, warm.
My husband said the same thing about ponche. That it reminded him of mulled wine. LOL.
This sounds like an amazing idea to brew up for Christmas – I bet it tastes absolutely wonderful – I could definitely see myself trying some!
It’s amazing. Hope you try it!
I have a friend that used to make this for every holiday office gathering. It was always a hit. Always reminded me of a super sweet tea but it a treat because I know how difficult some of the ingredients were to find
It’s delicious. Hope you try this recipe!
That is a really different Christmas punch recipe! I like that it has cinnamon and cloves!
It’s amazing! Hope you try it