Non-alcoholic punch: recipe and interesting facts

A Non-alcoholic punch It’s easy to make: fruit tea, naturally cloudy apple juice, freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice, plus cloves and cinnamon – that’s the AOK’s recipe for around four cups. Here you’ll find the recipe, how much sugar it contains, and why a non-alcoholic punch isn’t allowed to be called ‘non-alcoholic mulled wine’.

The recipe: Children’s punch with fruit tea and apple juice

Ingredients for about 4 cups:

1. Bring 1 litre of water to the boil, pour it over the tea bags in a large saucepan and leave to infuse for about 10 minutes.
2. Squeeze the lemons and orange and add the juice to the tea.
3. Add the apple juice, cloves and cinnamon sticks and heat gently – the punch should not be allowed to boil.
4. Remove the spices and pour the punch into cups.

Temperature: The AOK advises that children’s punch should be heated to no more than 78 °C and left to cool before drinking, so that nobody burns themselves. It recommends using fruit tea or rooibos tea mixed with apple, orange, grape or redcurrant juice as a base for children’s punch.

How much sugar is in it?

The recipe contains no sugar. However, the juice does contain sugar: according to the US nutritional database, unsweetened apple juice contains 9.6 g of sugar per 100 g. Half a litre therefore adds just under 50 g to the pot, which works out at a good 12 g per cup when divided between four cups – and that’s without the juice from the citrus fruits.

To put this into context: the WHO classifies sugar in fruit juices as free sugars. The DGE, DAG and DDG recommend that no more than 10 per cent of one’s energy intake should come from free sugars; for a daily intake of 2,000 kcal, this amounts to a maximum of 50 g.

According to a report by the AOK, which cites Stiftung Warentest, ready-made children’s punch from the supermarket contains more sugar than many cola drinks or fruit juices. It is therefore worth checking the nutrition facts table on ready-made products.

What exactly is children’s punch?

There is no legally defined recipe for ‘children’s punch’; the drinks can vary in composition. According to the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES), what they all have in common is: no alcohol, festive spices and 25 to 100 per cent fruit juice. Some have sugar added, whilst others contain sweeteners.

LAVES regularly tests children’s punch. In 2020, 15 out of 59 pre-packaged products tested showed irregularities in their composition or labelling. Of 12 samples taken from Christmas markets in 2022, one was missing the label ‘contains sweeteners’, whilst another had been heated for too long. His practical tip for at home: heat one or more fruit juices with spices and untreated orange or lemon peel, and sweeten to taste.

Punch or mulled wine: the difference

Mulled wine is subject to strict legal regulations. It may only consist of wine, sugar and spices such as cinnamon and cloves, and must have an alcohol content of between 7 and 14.5 per cent by volume; water, tea or fruit juice are not permitted. The legal basis for this is the EU Regulation on aromatised wine products.

Punch, on the other hand, has no set recipe. Traditionally, it consists of arrack, sugar, tea or water, lemon and spices; however, drinks sold as punch may also contain fruit juice, wine, rum or other spirits. The name comes from the Hindi word for ‘five’ – referring to the five ingredients. English sailors discovered the drink in India and brought it back to Europe in the 17th century.

Is it acceptable to say ‘non-alcoholic mulled wine’?

This does not apply to hot drinks made from sweetened and spiced fruit juice: according to food safety authorities, terms such as ‘non-alcoholic mulled wine’ or ‘children’s mulled wine’ are not permitted. Such drinks may, for example, be called ‘non-alcoholic mulled punch’ or ‘children’s punch’. So anyone looking for ‘non-alcoholic mulled wine’ will usually find a punch at Christmas markets.

And in between?

The Consumer Advice Centre recommends drinking water, mineral water, diluted fruit juices and fruit or herbal teas as thirst-quenchers for children. Our ‘Still’ and ‘Sparkling’ varieties are table waters; Pink Grapefruit, Lime & Mint and Citrus contain neither sugar nor sweetener. Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate It’s not suitable for children because of the caffeine. You can find more non-alcoholic drinks in our Mocktails, Background information on non-alcoholic drinks at Non-alcoholic drinks and tips for January in the article ‘Dry January’.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. ACQUA REAPER: Product labels, 07–08/26.
2. Acqua Reaper: Product label for Energy Blackcurrant, as at 07/26.
3. AOK – Die Gesundheitskasse (magazine): Children’s punch: the best recipe with tea and apple juice, 16 November 2020. aok.de
4. Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES): Christmas in a cup: children’s punch, accessed 16 September 2026. laves.niedersachsen.de
5. Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre: What is the difference between punch and mulled wine?, as at 27 November 25. verbraucherzentrale.bayern
6. Borken District, Food Safety Inspectorate: Information sheet: Mulled wine and other hot alcoholic drinks served from open taps, accessed 16 September 2026. kreis-borken.de
7. Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Offices of Baden-Württemberg: Mulled wine – mulled punch – a light bulb?, 4 December 2015. ua-bw.de
8. Wikipedia: Punch, as at 17 February 26. de.wikipedia.org
9. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central: Apple juice, tinned or bottled, unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid (search for FDC ID 173933, SR Legacy), accessed 16 September 2026. fdc.nal.usda.gov
10. World Health Organisation (WHO): WHO calls on countries to reduce sugar intake among adults and children, 4 March 2015. who.int
11. DAG, DDG and DGE: Consensus paper: Quantitative recommendation on sugar intake in Germany, December 2018. dge.de
12. Consumer Advice Centre: Questions and Answers: Healthy Eating for Children, accessed 16 September 2026. verbraucherzentrale.de