Ready for a summer mock-tail that the whole family can enjoy? This post will show you how to make the most delicious (and Instagrammable) Virgin Sangria with fresh fruit, sparkling water, and some juice if you prefer!
Sun’s out, y'all. So bring out the TALL pitcher of delicious, ice-cold sangria! Dustin and I wanted everyone in the family to enjoy this cool summer special, so we decided to mix up a batch of Virgin Sangria. No kid left behind, no one out of place! It’s quite refreshing and the flavors are still spot on. So, we adults were more than happy to compromise.
Wait, what? Virgin Sangria? You mean like a virgin drink, no alcohol mixed in it?
Where’s the fun in an alcohol-free cooler?”
Hear me out! I promise you'll want to try this fruit-filled, tasty as heck, and equally thirst-quenching version before reaching for that bottle of red wine. Although, this recipe can be easily tweaked to your preference.
What Is Sangria Made of?
Sangria is a drink mixed with wine, fresh fruit, and juice. it all originated with The Sangria, a Spanish wine cocktail. It gained popularity and spread like wild fire because the fruit soaks delicious flavor into the wine and juice. You'll recognize sangria by it's fruity, refreshing and alcoholic taste. Red wine is typically used as the base. But some variations make use of white wine or rosé. Some people even add some brandy for flavor. Not us though, we're going alcohol free!
Is Sangria Healthy?
Depending on your health goals, Sangria can be a healthier choice when it comes to alcoholic beverages. There are certain health benefits to having an occasional glass of wine or two (such as a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke).
The good thing about our virgin sangria is that it's undisputedly healthy! Especially if you eat the fresh fruit. You'll get a good dose of vitamins and minerals from that. A word of caution though. If you're adding the optional fruit juice, keep an eye on the sugar content.
Does Virgin Sangria Contain Alcohol?
Nope! Virgin Sangria is non-alcoholic. It’s still made with a whole lot of fresh fruit, soaked in sparkling water (or grape juice if you prefer) to swap out the wine. It’s super kid-friendly and a great non-alcoholic alternative for events like a baby shower, your kid’s birthday bash, quality time with family and friends who don’t drink (or maybe can’t drink at the moment because they’re pregnant or taking medication), or even at a daytime office potluck.
With this virgin sangria there is no need to worry about getting a little tipsy, drunk from having one glass too many, or even worse, waking up to a hangover the next day. Is it just me or do hangovers get a lot worse as you get a little (older) wiser?
How To Make Virgin Sangria?
To make Virgin Sangria, you’ll need to mix a batch in advance and let it chill overnight in the fridge. I know, I also don't like waiting! But it'll be worth it once you take that first refreshing sip. But just in case you’re pressed for time for some last-minute mocktails, you can get away with preparing it three hours before serving.
To begin making Virgin Sangria, you’ll need the following things from your kitchen:
- A sharp kitchen knife
- Chopping board
- Clear glass pitcher
- Liquid measuring cup
Here’s what you’ll do:
Step 1: Slice your fruit thinly, with the peel still on. Slicing thin will allow your liquid base to really soak through the fruit. This might ring familiar if you've made any of my Easy Infused Water Recipes.
Step 2: In the pitcher, mix together the sparkling water with any extra juice you'd like to add.
Step 3: Add your sliced fruit into the pitcher. Careful not to spill!
Step 4: Keep the pitcher in the fridge and let the mixture rest overnight so that all the yummy flavors infuse together.
Step 5: When it’s ready to be served, top up your pitcher with extra carbonated water or juice. Pour it into a glass filled with some ice, and enjoy your Virgin Sangria!
More tips to keep in mind when making Virgin Sangria:
- Make sure you use pure juice, not concentrated stuff from the supermarket. It’ll add unwanted sugars into your mix and we’d rather keep it as clean as we can, am I right?
- Speaking of juice, you could also choose to add some cranberry juice or pomegranate juice. Tweak according to your taste!
- There’s no right or wrong in the type of fruits you want to use. Try some sliced peaches or pineapples if you like. You can go seasonal on your picks to keep it fresh and interesting!
- Take it one step further and make your Virgin Sangria extra cool by serving it with frozen seedless grapes. Because it’s still fruit, it won’t water down the flavors.
- Make sure you use a clear glass pitcher so that the colorful, festive fruit shows through.
- If you or your guests still prefer to have alcohol in your drink, perhaps you could top it off per glass instead of mixing it into the whole batch.
How Do I Store Virgin Sangria?
You can keep leftover virgin sangria in the fridge, in an airtight container. If you’re not drinking it all right away (really??) it'll last for a couple of days. You can also freeze your virgin sangria! Just pour it into an ice cube tray (or a popsicle mold) and you and your kids can enjoy it as a frozen fruity treat.
If you’re a fan of virgin drinks and your kids get excited trying some of the “adult stuff”, then this recipe will be right up your alley. It’s pretty simple to follow and easy to make. The more fruit you add, the better it will taste!
More Virgin Drink Recipes
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Virgin Sangria
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon thinly sliced, with peel
- ½ lime thinly sliced, with peel
- 1 medium orange thinly sliced, with peel
- 1 small apple cored, sliced into 8ths, with peel
- 1 small black plum thinly sliced, with peel
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup water
- 5 cups sparkling water
Optional
- 1-2 cups Fruit Juice (grape, apple, etc.) For more flavor, replace some of the sparkling water with a low-sugar fruit juice.
Instructions
- Combine the fruits and water in a large pitcher.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight preferably, to allow for flavors to combine.
- Prior to serving, add mineral/carbonated water and stir together.
Elbie
Kindly mention in your ingredients list the red grape juice and apple juice. I didn't watch your video and just printed the recipe and made it and it didn't come out at all like your pictures.
Renato E
I am so excited to see this!!! We have mocktails and are always looking for things for us adult kids who want “fun fancy drinks” - like virgin daiquiris, mockaritas... and this will be awesome to have!
Nikki
Looks tasty! I can’t drink because of a medication I’m on, so I’m gonna give this a whirl, thanks for the idea.
Kaethe Ward
Can you make this recipe without grape juice or cranberry juice?
Brianna
Hi I am looking to make this later today for a get together. What size pitcher did you use? I have a 2 quart pitcher and would like to fill it up all the way, wondering if I have to make any adjustments to the recipe so I can make more to utilize the whole pitcher.
Liz
I made this for a party that had kids and adults who don't drink alcohol. It was a huge hit and everyone told me how they could drink the entire pitcher on their own. Thanks for sharing the awesome recipe!
Monica
I Really want to try this recipe for a baby shower but I would like the recipe for more people.
Maha Khan / sooperchef.pk
Wow This Is great recipe.I love Your Way of making Recipe.I am going to make this recipe for my family now.
Stephanie
I'm starting a new catering business, and will be using this. It sounds absolutely amazing! Thank you! Im making it for a gallon and a half. Any easy way to change the ingredients for a gallon?
Cindy
Thanks for the recipe. I made this for Thanksgiving yesterday just as recipe states. It was very good!
MelodyReverie
Ooh, this sounds delicious! I don't like alcohol, but every time my friends order or make sangria, it just looks so delicious and refreshing! i'm gonna have to try this out. thanks!
Lacey Baier
Hi Melody! I'm so glad you've now found a way to enjoy a sangria 🙂
nidhi@ whats cooking mom
Thanks for this amazing recipe. I made it recently and it was such a huge hit with my family.I have posted it on my blog with link back to you.:-)
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks so much for the blog love. I'm glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Sophia
Hi, how many people does this recipe serve??
Lacey Baier
Depending on the size of your glass, it will serve about 4 people, Sophia.
Cathy K
Do you happen to have a version with alcohol?
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I'm sorry, I don't. If you run across a good one, please feel free to share any tips or the link though. Good luck!
Teresa
Wow! Thanks so much. I just said to my husband that I wished I could find a great alcohol free recipe for Sangria. Neither of us drink alcohol anymore but there are times when we would like something a little "dressier" to serve to our friends. This is perfect!
Lacey Baier
Woohoo. And DONE 🙂
Nicole
Can't wait to try this!! My family and I don't drink and I've been looking for a fun drink all day and this is perfect!
Lacey Baier
Yay 🙂
Michelle @ Ten June
Awesome recipe! I'm preggo, so this is perfect for me this summer : ) I'm actually sharing on my blog today... thanks so much!
Lacey Baier
Awesome, thanks so much for the share. And congrats!!
Luxe Calendar
Thanks for the recipe. I made this for Thanksgiving yesterday just as recipe states. It was very good!
Luxe Calendar
Hi, how many people does this recipe serve??
Ryutaro
I'm exchange student from Japan, and I'm used this recipe as a part of my power point assignment in my Culinary Art class. Not commercial use. Also I use to cook a lot in Japan, so when I find this I was so exited that I found this grate recipe and your Free recipe book.
Thank you very match!!
Lacey Baier
Very cool. You're very welcome 🙂
Chefholly
Thanks for sharing! I am throwing a baby shower for my sister this weekend and am excited to give this a try. I'm a pastry chef from Wisconsin with 3 small kids and a wonderful husband, I've enjoyed checking out your site and will definatly be returning for seconds! Thanks!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Perfect! 🙂
Phyl Badenhorst
At Christmas time it is so nice to have such a nice recipe for Sangria as we have small grandchildren who like to share the day with us and also able to have a special drink with the adults, our babies range from 2 to 10. Sooo thank you so much. I live in a town called Uitenhage in South Africa. Special Christ-mas Blessings to you and yours. Fond regards Phyl.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks for sharing, Phyl! I;m happy to help out with the holiday festivities 🙂
Tori White
This is perfect for my Spanish One project considering i think putting alcohol in our sophmore/freshman spanish class sangria would get us n loads of trouble. THANK YOU!!!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Haha! You're welcome, Tori. Good luck with your project.
Tim .N
I am also using this for my Spanish final presentation. Thank you so much for the recipe! Now I just need to find the history...
Lacey Baier
That's awesome! Good luck on your presentation!
Tai
wow, thanks soo much, this made my birthday party amzing, turning 15 on sunday and it was just perfect xxx
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Happy birthday, Tai! I'm happy to hear the sangria was a hit.
Lydia
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it for a girlfriends baby shower. It was delicious!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yay -- happy to help, Lydia 🙂
DeAnn
Sounds divine! My girlfriends and I are true Sangria lovers. I am having a mid-afternoon get together this weekend and figure the "unleaded" version would be a much better choice. Thanks for posting! BTW, your photographs are gorgeous!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks so much, DeAnn! Enjoy!
Patty
I absolutely love your pictures! This sangria is just what I need for this hot weather. 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thank you SO much, Patty! 🙂
Kyla
Thanks a lot for posting this recipe! I am making it for my friends and I at my Graduation Party tomorrow! Obviously we can't drink, but we can feel mature and adult-like with our virgin Sangrias!
Thanks!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
How cool, Kyla! Congrats on your graduation -- I hope you all enjoy the sangria 🙂
Kiran
Thank you for coming up with this recipe! I was just complaining on Sunday about how much I wish I could be drinking Sangria. Alas, pregnant with my fourth so none of the real thing for me. I will make some of your recipe this weekend. It should be the perfect thing to get me through to August. Yay!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I SO understand, Kiran 🙂 And you are most welcome. Congrats on the new lil' one 🙂
Hetal
Hi Lacey!
I had made this amazing drink for my friend's surprise birthday party and everyone LOVED it! Everyone asked me for the recipe. Even the kids loved it a lot!
Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
It has become my kids' favorite drink!!
Please share more virgin drink recipes. :))
Joyce
Thanks just what I needed for our office potluck.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yay! Glad I could help. Enjoy!
Hetal
Hi Lacey!
How many glasses does this yield? Your pictures are amazing!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks so much, Hetal! Well, I suppose it depends on your glasses. It makes one full pitcher of sangria and I believe we get a good 4-5 glasses out of it.
Jacqueline
Thanks so much for sharing this. I have three daughters all nursing babies and when we get together for parties they always feel left out. And I've been suffering from iron deficiency and need lots of vitamin C - this recipe is my solution.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yay, Jacqueline! I'm so glad you and your daughters can all use this recipe! Enjoy!
Charlotte
I have had Sangria while in Spain with the family, and (being underage) it's nice to be able to enjoy it in the States as well.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
So jealous of your time in Spain, Charlotte! I hope you enjoy this sangria recipe too. 🙂
Debs
Lovely, non alcoholic sangria. I can't drink so much alcohol these days after being diagnosed with cancer; so this version sounds great to me.
Good luck with the new baby, hope it happens very soon.
BTW Thanks for stopping my blog too.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Debs! Of course, I love checking out other people's blogs -- especially when they comment on my site! Heehee. I'm glad you can like this non alcoholic sangria... but I'm sorry to hear about your cancer, however.
Adam
Great looking Sangria and beautiful photos. Found you on taste spotting and what a wonderful treat. My wife, Joanne, and I just made a watermelon martini but there is always room for a sangria.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Adam! I agree -- there IS always room for sangria! Watermelon martinis sound yummy, too! Thanks for stopping by!
Juliana
Lacey, this sangria looks so refreshing...perfect for the Summer 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Juliana! My thoughts, exactly!
Deborah
Hi Lacey, I'm a reader from Singapore and just chanced upon your blog while looking for recipes and I just wished I had discovered this earlier! Your photos are beautiful and so vibrant! Thank you for sharing your delish recipes and life with us.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Deborah! Welcome! I'm so glad you found my site, too! Thanks for your kind words about my photos -- I love to hear you like them! See you around!
delicieux
This looks so delicious and healthy!! You have me wishing I could put my hand into my laptop screen and grab a glass.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hahaha, wouldn't that be so great if we could do that? Heehee.
Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
Oh, I love this! I'm not a drinker but hate to miss out on flavors. This is lovely.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks for stopping by, Julie! I agree with you: the fruit flavors are wonderful in sangria.
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
I love your non-alcoholic version! (Perfect for the designated driver- that would be me!)
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Betty! I'm glad you like it 🙂
Donald
this is right up my alley as i have given up the booze, but i do love sangria.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
See, Donald? Then this recipe is perfect for you! My husband doesn't drink either, so it's always nice to share something like this with him.