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Cinnamon and mint garnished cups of Mexican Ponche.

Mexican Ponche Drink

This vibrant Mexican ponche is a traditional Mexican Christmas fruit punch. It is made with fresh and dried fruits, cinnamon, and cloves. The dried hibiscus flowers give this Ponche its bright red color.
5 from 10 votes
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 16 cups
Calories: 280kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • 2 dried tamarind pods husked and inner strings removed
  • 6 quarts 24 cups water, divided
  • 20 whole cloves
  • 1 orange cut into quarters
  • ½ of a jar 32 ounces of Tejocote, drained, about 14 pieces
  • 1 package 14 ounces frozen, thawed, guavas, peeled and quartered
  • 2 pilloncillo cones or 2 cups dark brown sugar
  • 10 ounces fresh pineapple chopped
  • 1 medium apple chopped
  • 1 medium pear chopped
  • 6 ounces pitted prunes chopped
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 3 Mexican cinnamon sticks
  • Rum or brandy optional
  • Long regular cinnamon sticks for stirring optional
  • Fresh mint sprigs optional

Instructions

  • Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil over medium-high heag and add the hibiscus flowers and husked tamarinds.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.   Remove from the heat and strain into a large pot, pressing down on the solids to remove excess liquid.  Discard the solids.
  • Pour the remaining water into the pot.
  • Cut the orange into quarters and push the sharp end of the cloves into the skin, then add to the pot.  
  • Add the Tejocotes, guavas, and piloncillos or sugar, pineapple, apple, pear, prunes, raisins, walnuts and the Mexican cinnamon sticks.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the piloncillo.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the pear is tender.
  • To serve: Ladle the poncho into serving mugs with a small portion of the fruit in each mug. Add rum or brandy if using and garnish with fresh mint and a long cinnamon stick for stirring. Serve warm or chilled

Notes

  • Simmer the ponche just until the fruit is slightly tender.  The longer it cooks, the softer the fruit gets and breaks up and makes the ponche cloudy.
  • Ponche, is a fruity Mexican Christmas punch that can be served either hot or cold but is most frequently served hot in Mexico.
  • Dried hibiscus flowers give the ponche a beautiful red color and can be purchased online or in a Mexican market. 
  • Dried tamarind pods add a subtle sour note to the ponche.  If unavailable, substitute with 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice.
  • Dried tamarind pods, jarred Tejocote's, frozen guavas, Mexican cinnamon, and pilloncillo cones can be found in Mexican markets or online.
  • Tejocote’s can be substituted with sour crabapples.
  • If fresh guavas are unavailable, you can use frozen.  They are easy to peel with a vegetable peeler when still frozen.
  • Any type of nut can be used in this ponche.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 24mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 45g