Carrageenan Free Hot Spiced Cranberry Drink
Warm, deeply spiced, and fragrant with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel, this is the kind of drink that makes a cold evening feel instantly cozier. Many bottled cranberry cocktails and flavored juice drinks sneak in carrageenan as a stabilizer or texture agent, so checking labels can become an exhausting habit — this recipe sidesteps all of that by starting with 100% cranberry juice and whole spices you can see and trust. Maple syrup brings a gentle, natural sweetness that you can dial up or down to your liking, which means no two mugs have to taste exactly the same. The technique is simple: a slow, gentle simmer coaxes every bit of flavor from the allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel without rushing the process or boiling off the brightness. Straining everything through a fine-mesh sieve at the end leaves you with a beautifully clear, jewel-toned drink that looks as impressive as it tastes. Serve it in your favorite mug with a fresh orange slice and an extra cinnamon stick, and it's practically a centerpiece on its own.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 4 cups cranberry juice (100% juice, no added sweeteners)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 3 strips orange peel (about 3 inches each, pith removed)
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For serving
- orange slices, for serving (optional)
- cinnamon sticks, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cranberry juice, water, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel strips, and ground ginger in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- 2
Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edges, about 8–10 minutes. Do not bring to a full boil.
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