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Caramel Apple Punch

Caramel apple punch with a caramel-dissolved cider base, apple slice garnish, and a ginger ale pour for fizzy sparkle. Rimmed glasses add a sweet crunch before the chilled, golden punch hits.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple cider
  • 0.5 gallon apple cider chilled
  • 2 cup apple cider portion for dissolving caramel
Caramel
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce plus more for rimming glasses
Ginger ale
  • 2 liter ginger ale chilled
Vanilla vodka (optional)
  • 1 cup vanilla vodka optional
Apples
  • 2 apples thinly sliced
Cinnamon sticks
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
Ice
  • 1 ice for serving
Coarse sugar
  • 1 coarse sugar for rimming glasses

Method
 

Make the caramel cider base
  1. Whisk caramel sauce into 2 cups of the chilled apple cider until fully dissolved, creating a smooth caramel-cider mixture with no streaks.
  2. Pour the caramel cider back into a punch bowl, then add the remaining chilled apple cider and vodka if using.
Add fruit and warm spice
  1. Add the thinly sliced apples and cinnamon sticks to the punch bowl so they float through the caramel-cider base.
Rim the glasses and serve
  1. Dip the glass rims into caramel, then roll or sprinkle them in coarse sugar for a sweet, crisp edge.
  2. Just before serving, pour in the chilled ginger ale and add ice to turn the punch fizzy and cold.
  3. Ladle the punch into the rimmed glasses, keeping apple slices and cinnamon sticks in each serving.

Notes

Pro tip: rim the glasses right before serving so the coarse sugar stays crisp. Keep the caramel cider base (without ginger ale) refrigerated up to 2 days; add ginger ale and ice only at serving for best fizz. Freezing isn’t recommended because carbonation will be lost. For a lighter version, use reduced-sugar caramel sauce (and omit vodka for a nonalcoholic option).