caramel pumpkin sangria
A good sangria is an irreplaceable nugget to have in your repertoire, especially during this festive-ass season.
I’ve seen caramel apple sangrias out the wazoo, and for good reason. It’s a fucken genius idea and the main point of inspiration for this little twist on the traditional. I wanted a solid pitcher drink to offer for the season and especially for the holidays coming up, so what better than a flavorful, sweet, cozy sangria with pumpkin?
A good helping of pumpkin butter, specifically, sets this Caramel Pumpkin Sangria onto another pillar of autumnal excellence. A beautiful swirl of caramel vodka and apple cider infuses your choice white wine, and apples jazz up the aesthetics. For a chilled drink, it’s surprisingly warming, perhaps more out of sentiment than anything. J and I enjoyed glasses of the drink, bowls of my Pesto Gnocchi Zuppa Toscana, and watched the MLB playoffs to the chorus of pattering raindrops. A pretty idyllic scene, if I can say so myself.
Watch the Pitcher
Some sangria recipes are fairly complex, with homemade syrups or infusions, but this one couldn’t be simpler. Just mix up the wine, caramel vodka, apple cider, and pumpkin butter, then plop in a good handful of apple slices and some cinnamon sticks. Refrigerate for at least an hour, but I like to keep it in for two or three if I can.
As far as pumpkin butter goes, I really like Trader Joes’, and many folks have solid recipes posted online. I have yet to make one, surprisingly, unless you have some of my Apple Pumpkin Butter lying around, which would be wonderful as well. More apple-y in nature than pumpkin, so keep that in mind.
For the wine, you can honestly use the cheapest shit available. The beauty of sangria is its ability to mask crap wine. I usually buy a brand that’s okay but not one I’d keep around for special occasions, often in the $7-8 range. Pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc are my preferred styles.
I almost never serve sangria over ice since the drink comes pre-chilled, but I do love me some garnishes. I piled my glasses with apple slices and an extra cinnamon stick, and some rosemary sprigs for a bit of fragrance.
Now that I’ve this sangria out in the world, stay tuned for another spooky cocktail next weekend. Cheers!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Sangria sangria!
Cranberry Pomegranate Mulled Wine Sangria
caramel pumpkin sangria
Ingredients
- 1 bottle white wine
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup caramel vodka
- 1/2 cup pumpkin butter
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 2-3 mixed apples, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Place the apple slices and cinnamon sticks at the bottom of a large pitcher. Pour in the wine, cider, and vodka, then stir in the pumpkin butter. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour – 2-3 is better!
- When ready to serve, pile apple slices into each glass. Stir the sangria to mix in the pumpkin butter (sometimes it settles at the bottom) before pouring into glasses. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
