This Easy Fall Sangria with Apple Cider is a delicious medley of bold red wine, spirits, spices, and seasonal fruit. It’s a twist on classic sangria, elevated with warm fall flavors. Make this simple homemade cocktail ahead of time and serve it at your next gathering or holiday meal. It’s perfect for a crowd and super easy to make!
Do you have a taste for fruit-filled wine-based drinks? Try our Rosé Sangria Recipe, Mulled Wine, sweet Peach Wine Slushies, and Easy Frosé Recipe next!
When it comes to fall cocktails, apple cider sangria is at the top of the list because it brings together the best flavors of autumn! This sangria is the perfect balance of sweet, warm, and slightly boozy.
Cozy up with a glass of this crisp, deep red, sophisticated drink. Bold, fruity, and festive, this Autumn Sangria is the adult version of apple cider that you never knew you needed! Serve this to guests with a festive charcuterie board and everyone will be requesting it year-round.
You’ll Love This Fall Sangria! It’s:
- Easy to Make: Prepare this red sangria with no hassle in less than 10 minutes.
- Perfect for Special Occasions: This seasonal punch recipe is perfect for the holiday season! Serve it at Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a holiday party!
- Absolutely Delicious: It’s a fruity, festive cocktail accented with warm flavors from cinnamon, brandy, and fresh fall fruits like apples and pears.
- Easily Customizable: Because this is a mixture of alcohol and spirits, you can pick and choose what ingredients to include or omit.
What Makes This Sangria a “Fall Sangria”?
You may be wondering what the difference is between this easy fall sangria recipe and classic red sangrias. This drink is transitioned from summer to fall with the following ingredients:
- Spices: warm notes of cinnamon. You can also add star anise for a depth of flavor and to garnish the drink.
- Apple cider: This seasonal beverage is readily available in grocery stores during the fall.
- Fall fruits: Apples, pears, and pomegranates are popular seasonal fruits during the fall.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Sangria With Apple Cider
- Fresh Fall Fruit: Apples, pears, pomegranates, oranges, and cranberries. Make sure the fruits are fresh and firm since they will soften in the sangria.
- Spices: Cinnamon Sticks (add a couple of star anise and cloves if you would like).
- Wine: Use a full-bodied red wine. We used a red blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, and Cariñena.
- Spirits: Bourbon (whiskey) or Brandy work great in this drink. We used Bulleit Bourbon and it brought a deliciously smooth flavor to the drink. (And surprisingly was undetectable). If you want even more of a cinnamon flavor, try using Fireball whiskey.
- Orange Liqueur: Triple Sec or Cointreau are our top picks.
- Simple Syrup: You can use a store-bought simple syrup or make your own. Making simple syrup is easy and only takes about 5 minutes.
How To Make Fall Sangria
- MAKE THE SIMPLE SYRUP: In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and adjust the heat to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stir continuously until sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and let the simple syrup cool. Then pour it into a glass jar and use it as needed.
- MAKE THE SANGRIA: Add the fruit and cinnamon sticks into a large pitcher. Then, the remaining ingredients and give the mixture a stir. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- SERVE AND ENJOY: Pour into a wine glass and add some of the soaked fruit. Garnish with cinnamon sticks if you like. Enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Sangria
- Let it sit in the refrigerator for AT LEAST 4 hours for the flavors to marry.
- Use a red wine that you actually like. You don’t need to use an expensive bottle, but you certainly shouldn’t use the cheapest bottle you find. You can find great bottles to use for under $20.
- Feel free to try different liquors in the sangria. Rum, bourbon, and brandy all work very well. Apple or Pear Brandy are also great options.
- Serve it chilled and with a few pieces of the soaked fruit
- For presentation and added sweetness, rim the cup with either a cinnamon sugared rim or a mixture of pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
- If the sangria is too strong, then lighten it up with a splash of club soda or more apple cider when serving.
Common Questions
How long do I let my sangria steep?
Allow the sangria to steep for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. You can steep it overnight. The longer it steeps the better the flavor!
What kind of wine do you use for sangria?
For red sangria, robust wines like tempranillo, grenache, cabernet are excellent options. Choose a wine that you actually like and would want to drink, even on its own.
What is the best fruit to put in fall sangria?
Opt for seasonal fall fruits for the best flavor. Consider apples, pomegranates, and oranges.
I hope you enjoy this Easy Fall Sangria with Apple Cider recipe! Cheers!
If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments. Leave a quick review & star rating ★ below! Take pictures, tag #goodfoodbaddie, and share them with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen.
More Fall Drink Recipes To Try!
- Non-Dairy Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Best Apple Cake Ever (Moist, Fluffy, & Gluten-Free!)
- Healthy Maca Hot Chocolate
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Cold-Fighting Apple Ginger Tea
- Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate
- Dairy-Free Eggnog | Delicious, Easy Recipe!
Easy Fall Sangria With Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 1 Apple sliced, seeds removed
- 1 Pear sliced, seeds removed
- 1 Orange sliced
- ¼ cup Pomegranate seeds optional
- ¼ cup Simple syrup 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 3 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 750 ml Full-bodied Red Wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo)
- 2 cups Apple cider
- ⅓ cup Bourbon or brandy
- ¼ cup Triple Sec or orange liqueur
Instructions
- MAKE THE SIMPLE SYRUP: In a small saucepan over medium heat, Add the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and adjust the heat to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stir continuously until sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and let the simple syrup cool. Pour into a glass jar and use as needed.
- MAKE THE SANGRIA: Add the fruit and cinnamon sticks into a large pitcher. Then, the remaining ingredients and give the mixture a stir. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- SERVE AND ENJOY: Pour into a wine glass and add some of the soaked fruit. Garnish with cinnamon sticks if you like.
Notes
Tips For Making The Best Sangria
- Let it sit in the refrigerator for AT LEAST 4 hours for the flavors to marry.
- Use a red wine that you actually like. You don’t need to use an expensive bottle, but you certainly shouldn’t use the cheapest bottle you find. You can find great bottles to use for under $20.
- Feel free to try different liquors in the sangria. Rum, bourbon, and brandy all work very well. Apple or Pear Brandy are also great options.
- Serve it chilled and with a few pieces of the soaked fruit
- For presentation and added sweetness, rim the cup with either cinnamon sugared rim or a mixture of pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
I made this last year and it was a hit. I am just getting ready to make it again for this Thanksgiving. I love that it’s a red wine Sangria. I am sticking to the recipe this year but wonder if you could substitute Tuaca for the orange liqueur.
Hi Patty! I am so happy to hear it was a hit! Tuaca sounds like a great substitute! Happy Holidays 🙂
Hi. Is it supposed to be one quarter cup of Triple Sec or orange liqueur?
Yes, thank you for letting me know. It is 1/4 cup Triple Sec or Orange Liqueur