A glass of finished sangria with cinnamon stick and star anise garnish.

There are few things that are more of a crowd-pleaser than a batch of sweet and fruity sangria! Add in a boost of pumpkin spice flavor, and youโ€™ve got a fall cocktail that folks will cheer for at your Thanksgiving dinner, Friendsgiving dinner, or pumpkin carving party.

Iโ€™ve quadrupled this sangria to serve at our big family Thanksgiving dinner a few years in a row, and itโ€™s always empty by the time the leftover turkey is packed away. Letโ€™s show you how to make this fan favorite!

Overhead of a ladle full of finished sangria.

What is sangria made of?

Sangria is wine that is infused with fruit. Traditionally, that means apples, oranges, and pears, but any fruit that sounds good will work! For this fall sangria, we used apples and pears.

What are the best apples for fall sangria?

Any apples will do in this sangria. No need to look for specific varieties like you would with baking!

Two glasses of fall sangria sit on a kitchen linen surrounded by pumpkins and whole spices.

Whatโ€™s the best sangria wine?

Typically, sangria is made with red wine. But for this fall sangria, we are using a dry or semi-dry white wine to let the pumpkin pie flavors shine through.

Wholefully Protip

If you want a sangria that uses rosรฉ, try our Apple Autumn Rosรฉ Sangria!

Whatโ€™s in this fall sangria?

Weโ€™ve added some seasonal ingredients to make this into a cocktail that is perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or other fall celebrations. Youโ€™ll need:

  • Pumpkin spice syrup
  • Apple cider
  • Wine (of course)
  • Spiced rum
  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Cinnamon sticks and star anise pods for garnish

The star of this drink is our super versatile pumpkin spice syrup! Youโ€™ll want to keep this homemade syrup stashed in your fridge all autumn long for use on pancakes, in coffee, and in cocktails like sangria!

A hand pours pumpkin spice syrup into a large pitcher.

How long do I need to let it steep?

Once youโ€™ve mixed everything together, youโ€™ll want to let the sangria chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle. If you can make it at least two hours in advance, thatโ€™s even better!

How long is sangria good for in the fridge?

All together, youโ€™ll want to drink this fall sangria within a day. If you need it to last a bit longer, you can strain out the fruit, and the sangria itself will be fine in the fridge for up to a week.

Overhead of two full glasses of pumpkin pie sangria garnished with cinnamon sticks and star anise pods.

Whatโ€™s the best container for sangria?

My favorite container for serving sangria is a glass drink dispenser. You can see the beautiful sangria, and the spigot filters out all the fruit and spices when itโ€™s time to drink. If you donโ€™t have one of those kicking around, a punch bowl and ladle or a pitcher both work just fine.

 
A glass of finished sangria with cinnamon stick and star anise garnish.

Pumpkin Spice Fall Sangria Recipe

Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Sweet, spiced, and full of autumnal flavor, this Pumpkin Spice Fall Sangria is perfect for pumpkin carving, Thanksgiving, or anytime!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups apple cider
  • 2 (750ml) bottles chilled dry/semi-dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup spiced rum
  • 2 apples, chopped
  • 2 pears, chopped
  • 1 cup pumpkin pie syrup, plus more to sweeten to taste
  • Cinnamon sticks and star anise pods, for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine the apple cider, wine, rum (start with 1/2 cup and use more if you’d like the sangria stronger), apples, and pears.
  2. Add in 1 cup of the pumpkin pie syrup. Stir well, and taste the sangria, adding more pumpkin pie syrup until it reaches your desired level of sweetness and spice (I like about 1 1/2 cups). Stir well and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
  3. Ladle the sangria into cups, and garnish with the cinnamon sticks and star anise, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: About 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 189Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 64mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 3gSugar: 22gProtein: 1g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

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2 Comments

    1. Hi, Linda! You can definitely swap the wine for sparkling cider and leave out the rum for a non-alcoholic version! Let us know how it turns out if you try it =)