I’m going there.
I added pumpkin to sangria but chose not to pile on the spices — forgive me? It’s still plenty seasonal and balanced.
YESSSS.
This sangria is ideal for Halloween get-togethers or Thanksgiving. I used my pumpkin pie syrup from a pumpkin pie bourbon smash recipe as the flavor base. The syrup lends a clear pumpkin note without overwhelming the drink.
That said, I hoped the syrup would tint the sangria bright orange. It doesn’t — and adding more syrup makes the drink too sweet — but the color still reads a bit seasonal, which is enough.
I couldn’t bring myself to put actual pureed pumpkin into the sangria, so I found another way to make it feel festive: a cute pumpkin punch bowl. It’s prettier than I expected and perfect for fall entertaining. I use neutral pumpkin decor that lasts from September through the holidays, so I’ll get lots of use out of it.
I’ll serve this at Halloween, my daughter’s birthday and Thanksgiving — basically the fanciest-but-not-fussy pumpkin sangria you can make.
The glasses I used are a favorite, and simple apple and pear slices keep the fruit bright without competing with the pumpkin flavor. With the pumpkin pie syrup providing the main autumn note, I didn’t want to add too many fruits that might confuse the profile. The result tastes pumpkin-forward without veering into “autumn candle” territory. Success.
Now, if only I’d made pumpkin-shaped ice cubes.
Pumpkin Sangria
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Ingredients
- 2 apples thinly sliced
- 2 pears thinly sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bottle pinot grigio
- 1 bottle dry prosecco
- 1 bottle sparkling apple cider
- 1 1/2 cups club soda
- 3/4 cup pumpkin pie syrup recipe below
pumpkin pie syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Combine all the sangria ingredients in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Stir to combine, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.
pumpkin pie syrup
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For the syrup: heat the sugar, water, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice in a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer, remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in the vanilla, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to achieve a smooth syrup. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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We can put this in a to-go cup for trick-or-treat… ?