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Caramel Apple Punch

Caramel apple punch made with chilled apple cider, ginger ale, and caramel-dissolved cider for a lightly sweet, bubbly drink. Features apple slices and cinnamon sticks plus caramel-rimmed glasses.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 240
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple cider base
  • 0.5 gallon apple cider Chilled
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce Plus more for rimming glasses
  • 2 liter ginger ale Chilled
  • 1 cup vanilla vodka Optional
Garnish and rimming
  • 2 apples Thinly sliced
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 0.5 ice As needed
  • 1 coarse sugar For rimming glasses

Method
 

Make the caramel cider
  1. Whisk caramel sauce into 2 cups of the apple cider until fully dissolved, using a steady circular motion to prevent streaks.
Build the punch bowl
  1. Pour the caramel cider and remaining apple cider into a punch bowl and add the vanilla vodka if using.
  2. Add the thinly sliced apples and cinnamon sticks to the punch bowl so they float on top.
Rim the glasses
  1. Dip the glass rims in caramel, then in coarse sugar so the sugar adheres in an even ring.
Finish and serve
  1. Just before serving, pour in the ginger ale and add ice to keep the punch sparkling.
  2. Ladle the caramel apple punch into the rimmed glasses, ensuring each glass includes apple slices and a cinnamon stick or two.

Notes

Best tip: keep the cider and ginger ale chilled until the last minute so carbonation stays lively. Store leftover punch (without adding ginger ale) covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days; add ginger ale and ice only when reheating isn’t needed because you’ll serve cold. Freezing is not recommended since ginger ale will lose its sparkle. For a lower-sugar option, use reduced-sugar caramel sauce and keep the coarse-sugar rim as optional.