Children’s Fruit Punch with the Thermomix® takes 15 minutes and makes 4 cups (about 110 kcal per cup). 600 g water plus 2 fruit tea bags plus 150 g orange juice plus 150 g cloudy apple juice plus cinnamon, cloves, anise and 2 tbsp honey. The gentle stir setting at 70°C is the key here: hot enough to bring out that Christmas market warmth, cool enough for little mouths.
We make this punch every year during Advent, when children want something from the Christmas market stall just as much as the adults want their mulled wine. Filling a flask to take along on a sledging trip or a stroll around the Christmas market turns a winter afternoon into something special.
Children's Fruit Punch with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 8 ✓
- 600 g water
- 2 bags fruit tea
- 150 g orange juice
- 150 g cloudy apple juice
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 1 pinch ground anise
- 2 tbsp honey
Instructions 0 / 3
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1
Heat the water.
Pour the water into the mixing bowl and heat for 10 min / Varoma / speed 1. Add the tea bags and leave to steep for 5 minutes with the measuring cup in place.
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2
Add the juices.
Remove the tea bags, then add the orange juice, apple juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, anise and honey and heat for 10 min / 70°C / gentle stir setting.
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3
Serve.
Pour the punch through a sieve.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why 70°C and not hotter
Christmas market punch is often served at 75-80°C. That is dangerously hot for children (risk of burns in the mouth). At 70°C the punch is hot enough to release the winter spice aromas, but cool enough for a 4-year-old to drink without burning themselves.
The gentle stir setting (rather than normal speed 1) stops the cinnamon stick or cloves from being caught and broken up. They stay whole and can be strained out easily afterwards. The gentle stir setting is also the standard for all delicate soups and sauces where you want to keep pieces intact.
Why honey instead of sugar
2 tbsp honey (about 40 g) sweetens just as effectively as 50 g sugar, but also adds a floral note that works beautifully with the winter spices. As a bonus, honey contains trace elements and is safe for children from 1 year of age (not suitable under 1 year due to the risk of botulism).
If you prefer not to use honey or want a vegan version: maple syrup (40 g) works just as well. Agave nectar at around 30 g (slightly sweeter). Brown sugar (50 g) gives a caramel note. For a sugar-free version: 1 tsp stevia powder or a splash of pure apple concentrate.
Which fruit tea: hibiscus, rosehip, berries
Standard fruit tea mix from the supermarket works perfectly well and is cost-effective.
Pure hibiscus tea: intense red colour, tart and fruity. The classic choice for Christmas market punch.
Rosehip tea: mildly fruity, higher in vitamin C, a lighter flavour.
Berry mix: raspberry, strawberry and blackberry, gives more berry flavour.
Rooibos vanilla: no acidity (some children prefer this), with a subtle vanilla note.
Important: do not use black tea or green tea, as both contain caffeine.
Variations: apple and cinnamon, berry vanilla, orange and ginger
Apple and cinnamon punch: 300 g apple juice instead of 150 g, no orange juice, plus 1 cinnamon stick AND 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Sweeter and less sharp.
Berry vanilla punch: berry tea instead of fruit tea, add 1 vanilla pod scraped of its seeds. Deeply fruity, almost dessert-like.
Orange and ginger punch: add 1 tsp freshly grated ginger. Warming from the inside, great at the first sign of a cold.
Pomegranate version: 100 g pomegranate juice (instead of 100 g apple juice) plus fresh pomegranate seeds as a garnish. A premium-style punch.
Adult mulled wine version: replace the apple juice with dry red wine (300 g), increase honey to 4 tbsp. Keep at 70°C, no hotter (otherwise the alcohol evaporates).
Serving: orange zest, cinnamon stick, apple wedge
Pour into heatproof glasses or cups. The garnish makes the difference between a school-canteen cup and a proper Christmas market drink:
Orange zest: use a peeler to cut thin strips, then place on top of the punch.
Cinnamon stick as a stirrer: stand a cinnamon stick in each cup. It looks elegant and intensifies the aroma.
Apple wedge on the glass rim: cut in like a cocktail garnish.
Floating star anise: one whole star anise per cup looks festive.
For birthday parties: small cups with a straw and marshmallows on top. It turns the punch into a real occasion drink.
Keeps for 2 days, reheats well
Keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed bottle. Strain out the spices first, otherwise they become too intense (cloves can turn bitter after 24 hours). To reheat: 10 minutes at 70°C on the gentle stir setting in the Thermomix®, or in a saucepan over medium heat.
For a flask: pour in hot (no need to pre-warm the flask at 70°C), and it will stay warm for 4 to 6 hours. Ideal for sledging trips or winter walks.
Goes well with: cinnamon stars, gingerbread and speculoos biscuits.
