Christmas Apple Pie Tea Punch
In my Southern family, we always had iced tea at every family function. Each family member had their own tea concoction that they prefer, but whether they preferred unsweetened or sweetened iced tea, hot tea, or Arnold Palmers, you can bet your bottom dollar that our pitchers of tea available were completely gone by the end of the event.
For our Christmas party this year, I decided to put a twist on our family’s favorite. Instead of serving traditional iced tea, I’m planning to make a delicious holiday punch combining the flavors of sweet tea and apple pie. I made a bowl to test this weekend, and oh my goodness, it is SO yummy and easy to make! Plus, it looks absolutely gorgeous in the stunning punch bowl my grandmother gave me. I just can’t wait to show her!
If you’re looking for the perfect non-alcoholic mocktail for your holiday party, today’s post is for you. Keep reading to learn how to make Christmas Apple Pie Tea Punch and find out where to buy the best tea at the best price (hint hint: two for $4)!
The thing I love about this recipe is that it’s delicious and impressive, but it could not be simpler to make. I was actually inspired to create this recipe when I tasted the scrumptious apple pie punch available at my dear friend Shannon‘s baby shower. Her mother graciously gave me the recipe, and I instantly thought of adding tea. A few months ago, I went to buy my favorite black tea lemonade at the coffee shop, and they were out of lemonade. They offered to make the drink with apple juice instead, and it was so insanely delicious. I just knew that the sweet apple pie flavor would be even better with homemade iced tea!
I immediately headed to our local Publix and picked up a box of the tea my family has used ever since I was a child, Lipton Organic Black Tea, and started testing a recipe. I was so excited that my favorite tea was on sale for two for $4 (excludes ready to drink tea) through December 21st, 2018, so I grabbed six boxes to stock up for the rest of the season! The finished product is sweet but not too sweet, festive but not too cinnamon-y, and fruity without tasting like plain juice. And the other beauty of this recipe is the versatility. I’ve included the proportions that my family prefers, but you can feel free to tweak the recipe as you please. I’d recommend adding each ingredient in small increments to find the perfect balance of flavors for your palette.
Another perk of this easy Christmas punch recipe is that it tastes amazing served warm or cold, so you can adjust the temperature to suit your preferences and your event’s temperature. You can adjust the proportions of all of the ingredients, but the one thing I wouldn’t change is using Lipton Organic Black Tea. It’s affordable and has amazing flavor, and right now, you can scoop up all of the boxes you need at Publix during their two for $4 sale on Lipton Tea (excludes ready to drink tea) from 12/8/18 -12/21/18.
The flavor of Lipton black tea is just right and includes a blend of teas sourced in part from the Kenyan Highlands to capture as much natural tea taste and aroma as possible! In addition to being delicious, black tea is surprisingly healthy! It’s been shown that consuming at least 400 mg of flavonoids each day can help you maintain a healthy heart, and one cup of Lipton Organic Black tea contains approximately 175 mg of flavonoids! Plus, I love that Lipton black tea is sustainably-sourced from Rainforest Alliance-certified plantations to ensure sustainable farming practices and provide access to education to the farmers.
And without further ado, here is my favorite Christmas party mocktail recipe!
Christmas Apple Pie Tea Punch
Serves 16 eight-ounce servings | Recipe adapted from i heart naptime
Ingredients
24 Bags of Lipton Organic Black Tea (or to your taste) – two for $4 HERE through December 21st, 20181 Gallon Apple Cider (refrigerated version is recommended)
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (or to your taste)
1 cup Salted Caramel or Caramel Syrup for Drinks (or to taste – available in the coffee aisle at Publix)
Sliced apples, cranberries, and/or cinnamon sticks for garnish
Directions:
Step One: Put four cups of apple cider in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add Lipton Organic Black Tea tea bags and remove from heat. Allow the tea to brew while you’re preparing the other ingredients.Step Two: While the tea is brewing, cut your apples into thin slices and set aside.
Step Three: Remove tea bags from the brewed tea and pour tea into a punch bowl. If serving warm, heat the remaining apple cider and add to the brewed tea. If serving cold, simply add the remaining apple cider and then add pumpkin pie spice and salted caramel syrup to taste. I’d recommend adding a few tablespoons at a time of the syrup to determine the level of sweetness you prefer.
Step Four: Once all of the items are combined, top with apple slices and cinnamon sticks and serve. You could also add cranberries for a pop of red!Enjoy!
This delicious apple pie tea punch is the perfect non-alcoholic drink recipe for your holiday party, but you can feel free to add the liquor of your choice if you choose to! You can also personalize this recipe by adding cranberry juice, flavored seltzer water, or different types of tea to really make the recipe your own.
While you’re shopping for your holiday punch, be sure to stop by Publix and take advantage of the two for $4 Lipton Tea (excludes ready to drink tea) sale from 12/8/18 -12/21/18. You can also buy Lipton Pure Green Tea, Lipton Soothe Your Tummy Tea, and Lipton Detox Tea at your local Publix, so you can stock up on all of your tea favorites on a budget! All of their teas are so delicious, and they’re perfect to serve on their own at your Christmas party too.
