Traditional Mexican Fruit Punch - Ponche Navideño, is a traditional hot drink during the Christmas Holidays, it is made using water, fresh and dried fruits like tamarind, prunes, hibiscus, sugar cane, cinnamon, and sweetened with Piloncillo. You can serve it with or without alcohol.
Ponche Mexicano
Christmas time in Mexico is a time to prepare the traditional Ponche Navideño/Christmas Punch. At family gatherings, some families will have a large pot simmering on top of the stove with that sweet liquid full of fruits, while the aromas of cinnamon and citrus fruits float in the air. The Christmas Punch is an essential part of Christmas in Mexico!
This recipe calls for some traditional ingredients, like cinnamon, tejocotes (a small yellow fruit that resembles crabapples), piloncillo (raw sugar cane), sugar cane sticks, and seasonal fruits. The seasonal fruits can include guavas, apples, pears, oranges, and dried fruits.
Additionally, this punch can also be found with different added fruits depending on the region in Mexico. For example, you can find Christmas Punch with acid fruits like oranges, Mexican sweet lime, or pineapple. As far as spices go, some cooks will also add anise star and chamomile, in addition to the cinnamon. This is the nice part about this drink, that you can add the fruits you have available and it will still come out fine!
I know that for many of us living outside Mexico, it is not easy to find the traditional main ingredients like Tejocotes or sugar cane sticks, but if you live close to a Latin or Asian Store, you might be able to find the canned version of sugar cane sticks, so look around! In some Latin stores, you can even find a jar that has several of the hard to find ingredients like guavas, sugar cane, and tejocotes all in a sweet syrup (you can also find it at our Amazon store). To my surprise, I found 3 brands that sell these jars, and they taste pretty good. Use them to complement your punch. I hope you try this recipe, and may your whole house be filled with Christmas flavors!
PONCHE NAVIDEÑO INGREDIENTS
How to make Ponche Navideño
DIRECTIONS:
- Place water in a large stockpot. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Add the piloncillo and cinnamon to cook for about 15 minutes. If you are using fresh Tejocotes, add them with the piloncillo and cinnamon, since they take longer to soften.
- Add the chopped guavas, apples, and prunes along with the rest of the ingredients like the sugar cane sticks, tamarind pods or hibiscus flowers. If you're using the canned version of the tejocotes, then add them in this step.
- Simmer for about 1 hour. Serve hot in mugs, ladling in some of the fruit and adding rum to your liking.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
There are foods or drinks that sometimes bring you memories of certain people, places, or moments in time. This punch reminds me of my younger brother, Alberto. What kind of food or dish brings back memories to you?
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Ponche Navideño!
More recipes:
Mexican Christmas Food Recipes
Receta de Buñuelos Mexicanos
📖 Recipe
Ponche Navideño
Ingredients
- 4 quarts of water 1 gallon
- 1 large piloncillo cone (or 12 oz. of brown sugar)
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 lb Tejocotes* SEE NOTES
- 1½ Lb. guavas about 12 guavas
- ¾ cup prunes chopped
- 1½ cup apples chopped
- 1 cup pear chopped
- ½ cup raisins
- 3 sugar cane sticks, about 5-in. long cut into four pieces each
- 1 cup of Tamarind pods peeled (or 1 cup of Hibiscus Flowers)***
- Rum to taste
CHECK THE RECIPE VIDEO
Instructions
- Place water in a large stockpot.
- Add the piloncillo (or brown sugar) and cinnamon to cook for about 15 minutes. If you are using fresh Tejocotes, add them with the piloncillo and cinnamon, since they take longer to soften. Ponche Navideno
- Add the chopped guavas, apples, and prunes along with the rest of the ingredients like the sugar cane sticks, tamarind pods or hibiscus flowers. If you are using the canned version of the tejocotes, then add them in this step.
- Simmer for about 1 hour. Serve hot in mugs, ladling in some of the fruit and adding rum to your liking.
Melissa
I forgot to leave a rating on my earlier comment. Great recipe! Easy to follow and turned out fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Melissa
I made this recipe yesterday and it turned out great! My kitchen smelled amazing! I found all the ingredients at a local market. I used about 4 tamarind pods since they were kind of odd shape to measure a cup. This recipe is a great balance of flavors and not too sweet.
Victoria Curtis
Hello!! I have your cookbook and absolutely LOVE everything about it! I am going to try this recipe for the holidays this year and am wondering if you have recommendations for it to cook in the crock pot? I’m also doing tamales 3 ways so any way I can save some time is the hope 🙂
Mely Martínez
Hello Victoria,
You can start the ponche in the crock pot by adding the cinnamon, and piloncillo first. Then after 2 hours in the low setting add the fruits that are a little bit harder, and after one hour the rest. Cook for two more hours.
David
Perfect, as I recall the taste. Thank you
Susan w.
So tasty. My boyfriend loved it. He said the flavors were the same as ponche at his mom’s house in Mexico.
Mari G.
This recipe is delicious! Thank you 🙂
Scott
How long will the punch last. The fruit is dropping from my tree in September
Mely Martínez
Hello Scott,
It could last up to 5-6 days if you simmer it for a little while everyday.
Rose Prince
Mely, It's cooking on my stove this very minute. Shortly after it started boiling, it began to make my house smell wonderful! So I couldn't wait till it was done, and just now took a little spoonful, to taste. OH MY! All my taste buds were exploding with delight! On a side-note, our annual family reunion is always at a beautiful campsite and it always has a theme. This years theme is "Christmas Around The World". We get to pick a Country and it's Christmas traditions. So we decorate our tents accordingly and have traditional foods and drinks from that country. Naturally, I chose Mexico. So I will be making this punch for everyone to sample. I'm also making your yummy Buñuelos recipe, which I've made before. Thank you for sharing your exquisite recipes!
Mely Martínez
Hello Rose,
Thank you for taking the time to share about family traditions. I hope they enjoy the Ponche Navideño, too! Saludos!
veronica
Very delicious
Abby
I have tried it and it is amazing especially the tejocotes
Shelby
Doubled this for a crowd of 30. Huge hit! I did not add pear. My Mexican friends use both hibiscus flowers and tamarind which I prefer. Buy jarred sugar cane and guavas, easy to find in well stocked Mexican grocer. Tequila is our choice add in. Great recipe!!
Orayda Clavel
What kind of Tequila you recommend to use?
Mely Martínez
Hello Orayda,
White tequila.
Shelby
Doubled this for a crowd of 30. Huge hit! I did not add pear. My Mexican friends use both hibiscus flowers and tamarind which I prefer. Buy jarred sugar cane and guavas! Easy to fit in well stocked Mexican grocer. Tequila is our choice add in. Great recipe!!