An authentic Mexican Ponche Navideno recipe perfect for Christmas! This mulled tropical fruit punch will warm you with flavors of guava, citrus, and hibiscus. Serve it without alcohol or add a touch of brandy or añejo tequila to each cup!
This recipe was last updated in 2021, and now includes helpful new success tips.
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Mexicans know a thing or two about the comforts of a warm drink on a cold winter’s day.
There’s champurrado, atole but come Christmas Eve there is only one warm drink you’ll find in Mexican households—Ponche.
This Christmas fruit punch fills the whole house with a wonderful aroma of sweet fruit, warm spice, and citrus. This is my family’s recipe and if you’ve never made this delicious punch I hope you give it a try this holiday season.
Ponche Navideno is a Mexican Christmas punch made with fresh and dried fruit, sugar cane, and cinnamon sticks.
The markets in Mexico are loaded up this time of year with piles of guavas, oranges, apples, and tejocotes, a traditional fruit grown in Mexico that tastes something like an apple mixed with a pear and is essential to authentic ponche.
This drink along with buñuelos, sweet tamales, and steaming bowls of pozole are all Mexican Christmas favorites that are commonly eaten during Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration building up to Christmas.
This Month’s Challenge Ingredient!
Tejocotes are the star of this month’s challenge, and they truly make Ponche Navideño something special. These small, golden Mexican fruits—sometimes called Mexican hawthorn—have a tart-sweet flavor and a unique, apple-like texture that holds up beautifully when simmered in the warm, spiced punch.
Tejocotes aren’t just traditional; they’re a symbol of holiday gatherings across Mexico, adding authenticity and a hint of nostalgia to every cup of Ponche Navideño. If you’ve never cooked with tejocotes before, this is the perfect recipe to discover their charm and bring a taste of Mexican holiday spirit to your kitchen.
Finding tejocotes can feel like a treasure hunt, but it’s totally worth it for authentic Ponche Navideño.
During the holiday season, you’ll often spot them in Latin markets or Mexican grocery stores, typically sold fresh by the pound. If you don’t have a local source, many stores carry them frozen or jarred in syrup—both work well for this recipe.
Some online retailers also offer tejocotes when they’re in season, so don’t be afraid to get creative with your search. If you absolutely can’t find them, substitute Bosc pears.
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Buy Now → How To Enter The Challenge Ingredient Contest
To enter December’s Ponche Navideño Challenge, simply whip up this festive punch featuring tejocotes, email a photo of your punch to kate@holajalapeno.com and leave a comment in the recipe card below along with a star rating.
Each month, one participant wins a $150 Amazon gift card, so don’t miss your chance to join the fun, show off your creation, and maybe even discover a new holiday tradition. Check out the full contest rules and details here—can’t wait to see what you create!
How To Serve It
I love making huge batches of this drink for holiday parties because it is loved by children and, with a tipple of tequila in each mug, adults too.
Add some of the plump, cinnamon-infused fruit to each cup and garnish with a stick of canela.
Brandy or añejo tequila is pretty traditional, but we tend to finish off a bottle of Maker’s Mark pretty quickly when we have some ponche around. You can use dark rum too.
Leftovers: Any leftover ponche makes a brilliant glaze for breakfast sausage on Christmas morning!
more warm drinks to try!
- Mexican Mocha
- Vegan Atole {Warm Cinnamon and Corn Drink}
- Atole de Arroz
- Cinnamon-Vanilla Mexican Coffee
- Double Orange Kahlúa and Coffee
An authentic Mexican Ponche recipe perfect for Christmas! This mulled tropical fruit punch will warm you with flavors of guava, citrus, and hibiscus. Add a touch of brandy!
Ingredients
- 16 cups (1 gallon) water
- 7 (1 ounce) cones or 7 ounces piloncillo or substitute dark brown sugar
- 10 tejocotes or 2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and chopped *See notes
- 6 fresh guava, quartered
- 3 sticks canela or cassia cinnamon sticks
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 2 clementines or 1 orange, sliced
- 2-3 inches fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 (12 ounce) can sugarcane in syrup, drained or 12 ounces vacuum-sealed fresh, peeled sugarcane
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers, rinsed
- Brandy or Añejo Tequila, for serving
Instructions
- Simmer ingredients. Place all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Serve. Serve the punch warm with 2 ounces of liquor in each cup, if desired.
Notes
- Tejocotes: If you can’t find fresh tejocotes, frozen or jarred in syrup work just as well—just be sure to drain and rinse if using jarred.
- Hibiscus: Dried hibiscus flowers give the punch a beautiful color and tartness. Rinse before using to remove any dust.
- Piloncillo: This unrefined Mexican cane sugar adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness. If unavailable, substitute with dark brown sugar.
- Serving Tip: Be sure to scoop some fruit into each cup—it’s the best part!
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Combine all the ingredients (except the alcohol) in a slow cooker and cook on low for up to 10 hours.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 21mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 7gSugar: 35gProtein: 3g
Man, you outdid yourself with this recipe! I want some of it pronto!
Thanks Aida! I wish I could share some Christmas cheer with you!
These look absolutely divine! Que rico!
Thank you so much Ericka!
This is cozy holiday comfort in a mug! So full of fruity flavor and warming spice and so many ways to make it your own. So delicious!
This is my all time favorite drink! It smells good, tastes good, and brings back beautiful memories!