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Caramel Apple Punch

Caramel apple punch with chilled apple cider, ginger ale, and caramel-rimmed glasses for a sweet sparkling sip. Thin-sliced apples and cinnamon sticks float through a golden punch bowl.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Caramel 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
  • 2 count apples Thinly sliced
  • 4 count cinnamon sticks
  • 0.5 ice As needed
  • 1 coarse sugar For rimming glasses

Equipment

  • 1 punch bowl

Method
 

Make caramel cider
  1. Whisk 1/2 cup caramel sauce into 2 cups of the chilled apple cider until fully dissolved, with no caramel streaks visible.
  2. Pour the caramel cider and the remaining chilled apple cider into a punch bowl, then add vanilla vodka if using.
Add fruit and warm spice
  1. Add the thinly sliced apples and cinnamon sticks to the punch bowl so they float and perfume the drink.
  2. Dip the rim of each glass into caramel, then into coarse sugar to coat the edge.
Finish and serve
  1. Just before serving, pour in the chilled ginger ale and add ice so the punch stays sparkling.
  2. Ladle the punch into the rimmed glasses, keeping apple slices and cinnamon sticks in each serving.

Notes

Keep all liquids chilled until the last step so the ginger ale stays fizzy. Refrigerate the apple cider mixture (without ginger ale) up to 24 hours; add ginger ale and ice right before serving. No freezing for best carbonation. For a lower-sugar option, use reduced-sugar caramel sauce and keep the rest the same.