There’s no better way to enjoy the flavors of fall than with a glass of Sweet Apple Sangria. With sweet apples, seasonal spices and red wine, this recipe is perfect for afternoons spent at home or to serve as an easy party drink.
This delicious Sweet Apple Sangria recipe is flavorful enough to serve at your next fall party–or just a relaxing night in with friends. With red wine and seasonal spices, it’s refreshing and cozy.
I first found this recipe in the cookbook 101 Sangrias and Pitcher Drinks by Kim Haasarud. It’s a really great book when you’re looking for tasty cocktails to serve at parties.
It is lovely and refreshing, but still perfect for cozying up with indoors with this fall.
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Why I love this recipe
Fall is around the corner! And so are all the holiday parties! This easy fall sangria recipe is the perfect thing to make for all of them.
Apples and cinnamon are a match made in heaven and work perfectly with the red wine as an awesome fall cocktail. The cloves and vanilla push it over the top!
And apple sangria with red wine is awesome because it can be made well ahead of time and can sit out during the party.
With a little bit of prep work, this wine-based cocktail comes together quickly leaving you to enjoy your guests. That’s a win-win.
AND the sweet smell of apples and cinnamon fills your home with seasonal scents as this delicious drink simmers on the stovetop.
This recipe is great for Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving as well as any other type of party you want to throw all season long!
I created this Blackberry Apple Sangria for fall on Momtastic. You should check that out too. And if you’re a red wine fan, you’ll also want to check out these easy Red Wine and Tequila Cocktails.
And if ther flavor combination of apple and cinnamon appeals to you, you’ll want to try my Apple Butterscotch Cookies. So yum.
Ingredients
While I’m usually a white wine sangria fan (this pear sangria, so yum!) a fall sangria practically begs for red wine. Use something that is fruity, like a Pinot Noir, but really anything will work.
A red apple and a green apple give this the perfect sweet and tart flavor. While I like this combo best, you can do 2 red or even 2 green if you prefer. I’m a huge fan of Honeycrisp so I could see using that also.
I used apple juice but you can also use apple cider or even a fresh-pressed juice.
Cinnamon, cloves and vanilla give this apple spice sangria all the flavor. Feel free to add more flavors like cardamom or even a little ginger to suit your flavor preferences. You can use a vanilla bean if you have one but they’ve been really hard to find lately.
Simple syrup helps to balance out all these flavors and make it super easy to drink. Or make a cinnamon vanilla simple syrup to use instead and give it a second layer of cinnamon flavor.
Or you can leave it out if you don’t love sweet drinks and add sweetness to your glass if you find you need it.
If you want to amp this up for a party, you can add ½ cup of cognac. It will also add some complexity to the flavor. If you don’t have cognac, don’t sweat it. You’ll still get a super delicious apple sangria.
For a party, you can garnish with apple slices or cinnamon sticks or even a cinnamon sugar rim.
Directions
In a saucepan, combine the chopped apples, apple juice, whole cloves and cinnamon over low heat. If you are using simple syrup, you can add it now.
If using vanilla bean, you will scrape the insides into the pan and then leave add the bean pod to steep as well.
Stir the apples while cooking. They should cook down and start to caramelize in about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the apples from the heat and add a splash of vanilla (if you couldn’t find vanilla beans) then stir to combine.
Let it cool completely.
Scrape the cooked and cooled cinnamon apples (and all juices) into a large glass pitcher. If using, add the cognac and stir well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This will help all the flavors to develop and the wine to infuse with that yummy apple flavor.
To serve, add ice to a glass and top with Apple Sangria. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or apple slice.
When serving at a party, you can set out the pitcher for guests to serve themselves. Or if you are serving a lot of people, you can make a few batches ahead of time and serve out of a large punchbowl or another large glass container.
I love to use cute mason jars for my parties. You can easily pick them up from just about any store (including thrift stores!) and they make everything seem more down-home and casual. No stuffy wine glasses here!
Tips and Tricks
- Add pears, persimmons, figs, or other fall fruits to the apples in this recipe to create a unique version of this sangria.
- If you wanted to make a non-alcoholic version you could remove the red wine and play around with grape and cranberry juices.
- If you want to try to get out a few more servings for a party, you could top each glass with a bit of club soda. It will add fizz, make it extra refreshing and sneak out an extra serving or two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pinot Noir is a fruity red wine that is easy to find at most stores. Grenache is another great pick and is a great value. I used a Cabernet Sauvignon since that’s what I prefer.
Yes! Since the fruit soaks in the liquid for several hours, it will soak up some delicious flavor. You can eat the fruit if you want to.
You’ll be able to enjoy it longer if you make sure to separate the soaked fruit from the sangria. You can freeze the fruit and use it for wine smoothies or other cocktail recipes. You can keep the sangria liquid in the fridge for a few days.
A few more easy recipes you might also enjoy!
- White Pear Sangria
- Sangria Margarita Recipe with Citrus
- Easy Non Alcoholic Sangria with Grape Juice
- Sweet Iced Tea Sangria Recipe
- White Wine Sangria Cupcakes
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Apple Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 red apple cored and cut into chunks
- 1 green apple cored and cut into chunks
- 1 cup apple juice
- 15 whole cloves
- 4 dashes of cinnamon
- 1 vanilla bean cut lengthwise or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 bottle red wine
- ½ cup cognac optional
- ⅓ cup simple syrup optional
- cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the chopped apples, apple juice, whole cloves, and cinnamon over low heat. If using the vanilla bean, scrape the middle into the saucepan and add the pod to steep.
- Cook, stirring fairly constantly, until apples just begin to caramelize about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside. If using vanilla extract, add it now and stir to combine.
- Let cool.
- Combine the wine and cognac in a large ceramic or glass container.
- Add the apple-spice mixture and stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Serve over ice and garnish with cinnamon sticks.
Notes
- Add pears, persimmons, figs, or other fall fruits to the apples in this recipe to create a unique version of this sangria.
- If you wanted to make a non-alcoholic version you could remove the red wine and play around with grape and cranberry juices.
- If you want to try to get out a few more servings for a party, you could top each glass with a bit of club soda. It will add fizz, make it extra refreshing and sneak out an extra serving or two.
- If you end up with leftover sangria, separate the soaked fruit from the liquid. You can freeze the fruit and use it for wine smoothies or other cocktail recipes. You can keep the sangria liquid in the fridge and drink for a few more days.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on September 9, 2021, and has now been updated with updated links, and more information and instructions!
kim.byers says
This is so yummy and a beautiful shot!
Poppychic says
Thank you! This sounds like the perfect fall sangria…yummo :) I think I'll give it a try this weekend.
coolkids says
mmm I need to make this for our halloween party!