Name: Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups of pomegranate juice; 2 oranges; 1/2 cup of sugar; 1 inch of ginger sliced into 1/4 inch pieces; 2 cinnamon sticks; 4 whole cloves; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

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Pomegranate juice serves as the base for this virgin variation on the festive winter beverage, and is flavored with fresh oranges, ginger, a bit of sugar and, of course, mulling spices.

Two clear glass mugs of non-alcoholic mulled wine mocktail with orange slices and a cinnamon stick sticking out on a white surface and background, surrounded by orange slices, Christmas tree branches, pomegranate seeds and jingle bells.

In my opinion, mulled wine is one of the best drinks for the colder months, especially around the holidays! Like mulled cider, It’s perfect for cold nights on the couch, cozied up under a blanket (plus, it goes great with Christmas cookies, pumpkin pie and other sweet treats of the season). But who says only alcohol-drinkers should be able to enjoy this delicious beverage? Enter Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine.

This non-alcoholic version of the beloved beverage makes it accessible to everyone and just as easy to make as the classic recipe.

‘But why are you using pomegranate juice when grape juice is right there??’ You may be asking, but hear me out! Most grape juices tend to be way too sweet, which, to me, makes them less flavorful. Meanwhile, pomegranate juice is drier (aka not as sweet), meaning you get a lot more control of the sweetness level and sugar content. Also, because typical mulled wine recipes call for drier wines, using a juice that’s less sweet makes the flavor a lot more similar to the original version.

Why you should make this Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine

You could have been with any other recipe on the internet right now, and yet you’re here with this one. Here’s why it’s worth your time. This recipe is great because it:

Tastes more like the original: when compared to other non-alcoholic mulled wine recipes, you’ll be getting more of the original flavors minus the alcohol!

Can be enjoyed by everyone: because this beverage is just fruit juice, a little sugar and spices, anyone can drink it – including children (or anyone else who isn’t drinking alcohol), making it perfect for family holiday parties and other events.

Is versatile: Prefer to add different mulling spices? Prefer to use a different sweetener? Do you prefer super sweet grape juice? It’s your world, this recipe is just living in it.

Makes your house smell like the holidays: Glade has nothing on this mocktail!

Ingredients for Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine

measuring cup filled with pomegranate juice, measuring cup filled with white sugar, measuring cup filled with orange juice, measuring spoon filled with ginger and a small ingredient bowl filled with spices all together on a grey and brown marbled background.

Many of these ingredients are the same as they are in the classic recipe, you’re mostly just swapping out wine for pomegranate juice.

100% Pomegranate juice: see rant in intro re: my thoughts on grape juice for non-alcoholic wine drinks, though you could also use a dry grape juice, if you can find one
Oranges: they compliment the pomegranate juice perfectly
Sugar: you can also sub this our for maple syrup, honey or any other sweetener you prefer
Ginger: for a tiny bit of spice at the end
Cinnamon sticks: Yes, you can also sub ground cinnamon in, if needed
Mulling spices: I go for ground nutmeg and whole cloves. Star anise is also a popular mulling spice to use, but, personally, I don’t love the flavor

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine

If you can cut stuff, put it in a pot, turn on the stove and stir, you can make this recipe, cause, literally, that’s it.

Juice and cut oranges: Cut two oranges and juice them (it’s okay if there is some pulp). Then, slice another orange into rounds (about ¼ to ½ an inch thick) and cut each round in half. These will be used for garnish.

Grey pot filled with pomegranate juice and a hand holding a gold measuring cup with orange juice in it over the pot.

2. Assemble ingredients: In a medium-sized pot, pour in 2 cups of pomegranate juice, ½ cup of orange juice, ½ cup of sugar, 1 inch of ginger, peeled and sliced, 2 sticks of cinnamon (or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon), ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of whole cloves. Stir to combine

Grey pot on a grey marble background filled with pomegranate juice.

3. Heat: Place pot on stove top, turn heat on medium-high and heat pot until all sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot, stirring often.

Clear mug of non alcoholic mulled wine with two orange slices and a cinnamon stick coming out. Surrounded by pomegranate seeds, a cinnamon stick in the bottom right corner and pine tree branches in the background.

4. Serve: serve in mugs in mugs with sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks for garnish.

Storage

Store in a an airtight container, oranges, ginger and large spices (like cinnamon sticks and whole cloves) removed, for up to a week.

Top tip

You can control how much sugar you include in this recipe. To make it sweeter, add more sugar a quarter cup at a time. To make it less sweet, use a quarter cup of sugar. If adding sugar, ensure that you allow sugar to dissolve and mix it in before tasting to determine if you need more.

Yield: 4