Enjoy the festive cheer with this Alcohol-Free Mulled Wine, made with cranberry, apple, and orange juices and infused with classic mulled spices. It’s the perfect warm Christmas drink for family gatherings, kids, and anyone looking for a cosy, non-alcoholic alternative to traditional mulled wine.
May we also call it Mulled Wine for drivers!
Every year, I visit Christmas markets across Europe, and the traditional red mulled wine (Glühwein) is always the drink I reach for in those cosy festive mugs.
So when I’m hosting a family gathering, I love recreating that same warmth at home with my easy alcohol-free mulled wine—a fantastic alternative that still captures all those classic flavours (inspired by Carl Jung Glüh'chen).
It’s perfect for kids and for anyone who prefers to skip the alcohol, especially the designated drivers in the family. And because I like offering more than one warm drink, I often make a batch of Instant Pot apple cider alongside it.
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Top Tips to Make the Best Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine
- Pick the right juice base: I love a mix of cranberry, apple, and orange for a balanced sweet–tart base, but you can keep it simple with just cranberry, grape, or pomegranate if you prefer something richer.
- Use spices that build warmth: I usually go bold, but a classic combo of star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves gives you that cosy mulled wine flavour without overdoing it.
- Simmer low and slow: Don’t boil.
- Adjust sweetness at the end: Taste before serving and add more sweetener like honey, sugar, or maple syrup towards the end.
What are The Mulled Spices Used to Make Non Alcoholic Mulled Wine?
I go for the classics like bay leaves, cardamom, star anise, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg—perfect for a cosy, warm flavour.
For a variation, you can switch things up! Try adding Allspice and vanilla based on the juice you're using.
How to Make Easy Alcohol-Free Mulled Wine?
Step 1: Combine juices, sweetener, and spices in a saucepan. Then simmer until slightly syrupy for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Strain spices, reserving the orange, cinnamon, and star anise. A super simple and delicious Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine is ready.
Serving Suggestions
- Pair this easy non-alcoholic mulled wine with air fryer roasted peanuts or oven roasted cashews or air fried chestnuts.
- Pair this mulled wine with a selection of festive cookies like red velvet crinkle cookies, holiday chocolate crinkle cookies, peanut butter cookies or eggless chocolate chip cookies.
- They are also delicious with a curated cheese platter featuring a variety of cheeses, crackers, and fruits.
Storing
- To store Alcohol-Free Mulled Wine, let it cool completely, then transfer it to a mason jar or glass bottle. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days and gently reheat before serving.
- If you can them using the canning method, the mulled wine will keep well up to three months too.
Recipe FAQ's
Absolutely. It’s made entirely with juices and spices, with no alcohol at all, so it’s completely safe to drink before driving.
It keeps well for 3–4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight or covered container. Reheat gently before serving to bring the flavours back to life.
Absolutely, simply swap the juices for 1 litre of white wine.
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Ingredients
Ingredients
- 600 ml Cranberry juice
- 250 ml Apple juice
- 150 ml Orange juice
- Oranges Sliced
- 2 teaspoon Honey or Sugar (optional)
Mulling spices
- 2 Inch Cinnamon
- 2 Star anise
- 10 Cloves
- 2 Bay leaves
- 30 g Dried Ginger
- Orange peel zested
- ⅕ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 5 pods Cardamom
Instructions
- In a large pot, add all the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the flame and let them rest for a minimum of 15 minutes for the spices to infuse.
- Strain the spice mix, reserving cinnamon stick, orange slices and star anise for garnishing. Ladle the alcohol-free mulled wine into the glasses, add the reserved garnish and serve warm.
Notes
Variations
- Use Allspice mix instead of mulled wine spice.
- Use fresh ginger instead of ginger powder.
Expert Tips
- Pick the right juice base. I love a mix of cranberry, apple, and orange for a balanced sweet–tart base, but you can keep it simple with just cranberry, grape, or pomegranate if you prefer something richer.
- Use whole spices whereever possible. And strain them later.
- Simmer low. Don’t boil. Gentle heat helps the spices infuse beautifully while keeping the juice fresh and bright. Let it infuse for a minimum of 15 minutes. Longer they infuse, more the flavors.
- Adjust sweetness at the end.Taste before serving and sweeten only if needed. Different juices vary, so add honey, sugar, or maple syrup sparingly.
Nutrition
Update - Post First Published in June 2016
Swati P says
Hello thank you for the recipe , just a question do we warm it up before serving?
Sandhya's Kitchen says
you can warm the alcohol free mulled wine before serving if you like.
Michael says
We make our non alcoholic mulled wine with black currant or blueberry juice and it tastes delicious. Thank your for this great recipe.
Wendy says
How much sugar? Has anyone actually made this? It says add sugar but there doesn’t appear to be any in the ingredients list. Also with all that juice I’m not sure sugar is needed. Can anyone help?
Sandhya Hariharan says
Hi Wendy,
Thank you for your message. Sugar is mentioned by accident. We have used Honey for the recipe. Hope this helps.
Johnny Soares says
Hi. Can this Non alcohilic Mulled wine be kept for 6 months for future use??
Sandhya Hariharan says
I have stored it for 3 months+ for sure. I may not be able to comment about 6 months.
Janani Rakesh Kumar says
Lovely recipe sandhya! stunning clicks! gorgeous!