This homemade vegan German Mulled Wine recipe is so quick and easy to make, perfectly spiced, and incredibly delicious! Transform it into a simple alcohol-free winter fruit punch version to serve for your kids, too!
Welcome the New Year with a mug of this fruity and spiced vegan German Mulled Wine! It is a warm and comforting alcoholic beverage infused with oranges, cranberries, and spices that you can easily make on your own. You can also make a kid-friendly version so your little ones can celebrate New Year’s Eve with you! Let the festive holiday aroma of this traditional wintertime beverage fill your home! Cheers!
What is German Mulled Wine?
Also known as Gluhwein or Spiced Wine, this alcoholic beverage originated from Europe and has gained popularity all over the world. It is especially popular during the winter holidays but can be enjoyed all-year-round. It is traditionally made by heating red wine mixed with oranges or lemons, and some “mulling spices” like cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel seed (or star anise), cloves, cardamom, and ginger among other things.
Ingredients Used and Substitutes
All you need to make this German Mulled wine are red wine, liquor, sweetener, fruits, and mulling spices. Once you get your hands on these, all that’s left is to do is mix and heat them up.
- Red wine: I recommend using fruity versions like Merlot or Chateau. However, if you are not into red wine, you can always use white wine.
- Rum: You can also spike your drink with other liquors like amaretto, brandy, bourbon, or cognac to add more dimensions to the drink. But if you want your Mulled Wine to be less alcoholic, you can omit this.
- Maple syrup: it adds a natural sweetness to the drink. You can opt to use other sweeteners like agave syrup, coconut syrup, date syrup, or brown sugar.
- Oranges and Cranberries: add a festive and citrusy tang to the drink. You can also use other winter fruits for variation such as apples, pomegranates, and mandarins.
- Mulling Spices: I used Cinnamon sticks, Cloves, and Star anise. Feel free to replace them with other spices that you feel will enhance the flavor more to your liking.
How to make Mulled Wine
As always I recommend watching the recipe video and checking out these step-by-step photos first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
- Simply pour the wine, rum, and maple syrup into a pot and stir briefly. Then add the oranges, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise.
- Warm the mixture over medium-high heat until it starts simmering, and then immediately switch to low heat. Cover the pot, and let the wine gently simmer for 15-20 minutes (or up to 1 hour).
- Remove the fruits and spices with a skimmer.
- Serve your winter punch warm with your desired garnishes. I love pairing this with a piece of vegan fruit and nut bread or cranberry orange bread or stone fruit galette.
Tips when making Mulled Wine
- Once the mixture starts steaming, let it simmer over low heat only. Do not bring to a boil as it will burn off the alcohol content.
- If you want your Mulled Wine to have a more intense flavor, let it simmer longer and leave the fruits and spices in.
- Do not get too excited with the spices! Refrain from adding too much initially so you don’t end up with an overly-spiced wine that you won’t be able to fix later on.
- If you enjoy this holiday winter drink and are looking for something similar, try my Vegan Eggnog.
Can I make Mulled Wine Gluten-Free?
All of the ingredients and spices for this recipe are gluten-free when used in 100% natural pure form. However, since there are ready-made mulled wine spice blends that may contain gluten, people with celiac disease should always check the package information first before using them.
How can I make a kid-friendly (non-Alcoholic) fruit punch?
All you have to do is omit the wine and rum and use either fruit tea or fruit juice. Try combining both, your kids will love it! Some suitable fruit juice options to make an alcohol-free winter punch are grape juice, apple juice, cherry juice, currant juice, or other berry juices.
How to Store Mulled Wine?
You can store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 days. Make sure to let it cool down to room temperature first before transferring it to a bottle and refrigerating. You can reheat using a small pot over low heat only.
Can I serve German Mulled Wine cold?
The simple answer is yes. However, I would still recommend serving it hot or warm because the flavors are much more potent and it is much more enjoyable on a cold winter day.
This Vegan Mulled Wine Recipe is:
- Quick and easy to make
- Fruity
- Flavorful
- Perfectly spiced
- Not overly sweet
- Delicious
- Comforting
- Warming
- The perfect festive drink for cold winter days during the holidays!
More drinks to try:
Looking for more cold or warm drink recipes to try? Be sure to check out the following:
If you try this homemade vegan German mulled wine recipe, please leave me a comment and rating because I’d love to hear your feedback! And if you take a photo of your winter fruit punch and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka to be sure I won’t miss your post! Enjoy! 😊
Mulled Wine
Author:Ingredients
- 750 ml red wine 1 bottle, such as Merlot or Chateau
- ¼ cup rum or amaretto or brandy (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup or more to taste
- 1-2 oranges + more to garnish (optional)
- ¼ cup cranberries optional
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 star anise
Instructions
*Note: Be sure to check out the recipe video + step-by-step photos above!
- Pour the wine, rum, and maple syrup into a pot and give it a stir briefly. Then add the oranges, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise.
- Warm the mixture over medium-high heat until it starts simmering, and then immediately switch to low heat. Cover the pot, and let the wine gently simmer for 15-20 minutes (or up to 1 hour). (Please do not let the wine boil or the alcohol will burn off).
- Remove the oranges, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise with a skimmer or sieve (or leave them in the wine longer for more intense flavor). Taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
- Serve warm in mugs with your desired garnishes!
Notes
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can add any winter fruit for variation, such as apples, pomegranate, or mandarins.
- If you’re not into red wine, you can use white wine.
- For an alcohol-free version, substitute the wine and rum with fruit tea or fruit juice (see blog post for suggestions).
- Please read my blog post above for variations and further information on this recipe.
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