Holiday Frozen Sangria

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Holiday frozen Sangria is a captivating sweet and tart and wonderful and colorful festive slushy punch recipe. Enjoy it during winter parties or throughout the year! Tips are included to get the right flavor and consistency! {Gluten-Free} 

Oh, Spiriteds, this Holiday Frozen Sangria is a fun one. If you are looking for a slushy punch recipe that is different from the norm, then this one’s for you. In a word, Holiday Frozen Sangria is dramatic. It’s made with frozen fruit, red wine, lime juice, and orange liqueur. Because the fruit is front and center in the recipe, this sangria is sweeter than a traditional sangria.

Furthermore, the citrusy lime juice and orange liqueur elevate the flavors, so there’s something for everyone. Guests who like dry red wine will enjoy the oaky, spicy undertones that flow through the drink. And those who like sweeter flavors will appreciate the naturally sweet strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, and pomegranates.

Holiday Frozen Sangria is also just downright beautiful. Sometimes delicious recipes aren’t that much to look at on their own. However, this sangria is not one of those recipes. The purple-y, pinky red hue is stunning, no matter how you serve it Garnish with fresh or frozen fruit or leave it just as it is.  

But let’s address the elephant in the room. Can you also enjoy this for Christmas in July or just middle-of-the-summer July? YES and YES! There is no reason you can’t enjoy Holiday Frozen Sangria throughout the year. Change out the cranberries and pomegranates for other fruits that are in season.

So grab your blender, some frozen fruits, your red wine of choice, and together we’ll whirl up a batch of Holiday Frozen Sangria. It is stunning to behold!

Holiday Frozen Sangria ingredients

• Mixed berries. I like to buy fresh raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and cranberries and then freeze them myself. Why do this? You’ll get the best flavor fresh fruit has to offer, the flexibility to control which fruits you want to feature most prominently in the drink, and the ability to get the frozen texture you’ll need for this delightful beverage. I don’t freeze the pomegranate arils, but you can if you’d like to. I also freeze more than 3-4 cups, just in case I want to add more to the drink to thicken it, should it become runny during blending, or to use as garnishes.
• Mandarin oranges. Three is ideal. Just enough to pull the flavors together. I peel them first and freeze them right along with the other fruits.
• Red wine. Just about any red will do. I’ve made holiday beverages using basic red blends, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot. Any of those should work here, too. For soft, buttery flavors, stick with the cab or even the red blend. For something spicier, head for the merlot.
• Orange liqueur. About 1/3 cup is all you’ll need.
• Lime juice. I start with two tablespoons. But definitely feel free to adjust up or down to your preference.
• Sweetener. Of your choice. You can use a granulated sweetener, or you can use 100% pure maple syrup, 100% pure honey, or agave nectar. I do this to taste.

How to make Holiday Frozen Sangria

1. In a high-spreed blender, add the red wine, frozen fruit, frozen mandarin oranges, orange liqueur, lime juice, and sweetener. Blend on a LOW to MEDIUM setting so the ingredients are pulled together slowly into a sorbet-like, frozen treat consistency. Use a tamper, if your blender comes with one, to gently push the frozen fruit through the blender’s blades.
2. If needed, add another 1/2 – 1 cup frozen fruit to thicken the sangria.
3. Transfer to chilled drinking or champagne glasses. If desired, garnish with leftover fresh or frozen fruit.

Side note: On my high-speed blender, I use a setting of about 3 or 4 out 10 (10 being the fastest speed and 1 being the slowest speed).

Recipe tips

• Buy fresh fruit and freeze them yourself. Why go to the trouble? A few reasons. One, you have more control over the flavor. Fresh fruit that has just recently been frozen captures the essence of this recipe. It balances the sweet, fruity flavors with the frozen consistency needed for this beverage. Two, fresh fruit is often a little larger in size, which is great for preventing this drink from becoming runny. Three, not all berries work equally well in this recipe. Blueberry skins and blackberry seeds are hard to break down. So when I do add them, I usually do so in small quantities. That way I don’t over-blend the sangria just to break down the seeds and skins.
• Add more frozen fruit to thicken the drink (in place of ice cubes). If your drink runs thin, then add more frozen fruit. It will help keep the sangria cool, especially if you inadvertently over-blend the ingredients. Been there, done that.
• If you have leftovers, then store them in a wide-mouth, shallow bowl or container with a lid. This will make it easier to scoop the sangria when you’re ready for more!

So what if your Holiday Frozen Sangria turns runny? Well, if that happens, then grab a straw and slurp away! Even if the consistency isn’t quite right, the flavor will be. But I don’t think that will happen. If you keep some extra frozen fruit on hand, then you should be in good stead. And if you DO need to stream in more liquid because the blender blades are clogging, then stream in a little extra sweetener or wine VERY slowly to get the blades moving again. A tamper will be your best friend while making this recipe, if your blender comes with one.

More festive sips to share!

Holiday Frozen Sangria is but one of many delicious cocktails in our virtual recipe tin. Here are a few others to tuck away!

• Dairy-Free Eggnog
• Cranberry Pomegranate Cocktail
• Mulled Wine
• Cranberry Pomegranate Margaritas
• Simple Sorbet au Champagne

And if you would like to have mocktails on hand, too, then put your eyes on Cranberry Fizz Mocktail and 3-Ingredient Pineapple Fresca Mocktail. These are two beverages that are sheer delight and without any alcohol.

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. I’m so glad you’re here! 🩷

Holiday Frozen Sangria

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Holiday frozen Sangria is a captivating sweet and tart and wonderful and colorful festive slushy punch recipe. Enjoy it during winter parties or throughout the year! Tips are included to get the right flavor and consistency! {Gluten-Free} 

• Author: Spirited and then Some
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Varies
• Category: Mixed Drinks and Cocktails
• Method: Blender
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 1/2 – 4 cups frozen fruit
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/3 cup orange liqueur
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Sweetener, to taste (See Notes)

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Instructions

1. In a high-spreed blender, add the red wine, frozen fruit, frozen mandarin oranges, orange liqueur, lime juice, and sweetener. Blend on a LOW to MEDIUM setting so the ingredients are pulled together slowly into a sorbet-like, frozen treat consistency. Use a tamper, if your blender comes with one, to gently push the frozen fruit through the blender’s blades.
2. If needed, add another 1/2 – 1 cup frozen fruit to thicken the sangria.
3. Transfer to chilled drinking or champagne glasses. If desired, garnish with leftover fresh or frozen fruit.

Notes

• For the best flavor, buy fresh fruit (cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and/or blueberries) and freeze them the night before you plan to make your Holiday Frozen Sangria. I don’t bother to freeze the pomegranate arils, although you could, if you’d like.
• Freeze more than the suggested amount of frozen fruit in case you want to garnish your drinks or need more fruit to thicken the drink, should it become runny during the blending process.
• I keep the quantity of blackberries and blueberries on the lower side and let the other fruit dominate because there’s a risk of over-blending the sangria just to break down the blackberry seeds and blueberry skins.
• For sweeteners, you can use granulated options or 100% pure honey, 100% pure maple syrup, or agave nectar.
• Yields will vary, but will be in the neighborhood of about 5-6 cups of sangria.