Made with seasonal fruits and spices steeped in your favorite white wine, this Spiced Fall Sangria delivers the warmth and comfort of autumn in every sip!

It’s ever so slowly starting to cool off here in the south, and cinnamon brooms have arrived at every grocery store in the area, filling my world with the scents and feels of autumn.
Cue the dreamy sigh.
If you’re a fan of sangria and spice and everything nice, then my crazy obsession will benefit you!
And if not, well. Hang on. It’ll be over soon enough.
For the time being, pull up a chair and a wine glass, and share a few sips of this Fall Sangria with me!
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. There is also a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page if you’d rather not exercise your scrolling finger!
I’m a self-proclaimed sangria-holic, y’all.
I’ve actually got one for every season! Whether it’s winter, spring, or summer, I believe there’s a perfect blend of wine and fruit to enjoy on the porch or in front of the fire.
Of course, we’re talking fall, here. Autumn goodness, my friends – who loves it? Who’s with me?!
Why you’ll love this fall sangria
- It’s a quick and easy cocktail to throw together – something that can be prepped in only 15 minutes!
- Made in a pitcher, this sangria is a real crowd pleaser, yielding about 6 glasses. It can easily be doubled and served up in a punch bowl or spouted beverage dispenser.
- This sangria presents a unique way to use up any extra apples and pears leftover from fall pie baking.
Ingredients
My original 2014 version of this fall sangria recipe was a bit more involved, and required simmering extra spice in apple cider. The more I’ve experimented with it over the years, the more of a “less is more” approach I’ve taken to it. In this iteration, you throw together all of the ingredients in a pitcher and forget about it for a day, while the fruit soaks up all the delicious fall flavors!
- Apple cider – homemade is the best! But store-bought is also great in a pinch.
- Dry white wine – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or your favorite! See my tips & tricks section below to find out which wines I rec for my sangrias!
- Cinnamon whiskey or bourbon – instead of the usual brandy that sangrias usually include, I opted for something a little harder-hitting here.
- Fresh apples – I use Honeycrisp and Granny smith, but you can truly use any variety of apple.
- Fresh pears – I use Bosc, but again – any pear will do!
- Fresh black mission figs
- Fresh caramabola – the adorable little star fruit from my original recipe made the cut! If you can’t find it or simply leave it out, it won’t affect the flavor of the sangria at all.
- Cinnamon sticks
- Sparkling water – for you fizzy sangria lovers! Feel free to play around with flavored water, as well.
- Maple syrup and cinnamon sugar – I’m obsessed with using this as a rim for all of my fall cocktails. Just try it!
For exact ingredient measurements and recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
How to make Fall sangria with white wine
Throwing together a pitcher of sangria is such a quick and easy task. It’s no wonder this cocktail is such a popular party choice all year long. This autumn version of the Spanish drink will be perfect to enjoy on Halloween, Thanksgiving – and any sweater-clad day in between!
- Place prepared fruit and cinnamon sticks in a large pitcher.
- Pour the apple cider, wine, and whiskey into the pitcher, then stir it all together well.
- Refrigerate the sangria for at least 2 hours. For best results, I suggest allowing it to steep overnight.
- When you’re ready to serve, rim the edges of your wine glasses with a bit of maple syrup, then dip them in cinnamon sugar.
- Fill the glasses with sangria, adding some of the wine-soaked fruit to snack on.
- If you like a fizzy sangria, top off each glass with sparkling water just before enjoying.
Sangria Tips & Tricks
- Fruit: choose your fighter. In any type of sangria, it’s best to start with fresh produce that’s ripe, but not too firm or too soft. The fruit, specifically apples and pears, softens a bit while steeping, and anything too soft will begin to dissolve in the fall sangria.
- Also, feel free to substitute in your favorite seasonal fruits! Don’t like figs? Use plums. Can’t find caramabola? Sprinkle in some pomegranate arils. Sangria is all about flavor, but there’s something to be said about the colors, too!
- Use a wine you would drink on its own. There’s a misconception that sangria is for those bottles of gifted wine that you can’t stand. But why would you think adding fruit to that would make it taste better? That said, the wine you use doesn’t need to be expensive! Just pick up an extra bottle or two of your favorite white wine and go to town.
- Like sweet sangria? Pick up a fruit-forward Moscato, Riesling, or Pinot Grigio.
- Prefer it dry? Opt for an oaky Chardonnay or crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
- Like it red?! Hey, I’m not going to judge you – this tastes great as a red sangria, too!
- Brandy is dandy, but whiskey is frisky! Most sangria have brandy or some other type of liqueur included. But fall is about warmth, and there’s nothing warmer than a little hint of whiskey!
- Use something like Fireball or Jack Daniel’s Fire for a punch of cinnamon flavor. If you prefer something smoother, regular whiskey or a barrel-aged bourbon is a great choice. You can also rum if you prefer.
- Don’t skip the steeping step! Sangria tastes best when the flavors have had time to mingle and blend. Give it at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, but try to hold off for a full day before serving.
- Sweeten it up! If you like your sangria on the sweeter side, don’t be afraid to add a little sugar! Simple syrup or agave syrup from the store are great in this, but try adding a bit of homemade Brown Sugar Syrup for an even more on-point fall flair.
- Bubbles! I love fizzy sangria, but it’s not for everyone! I always have some type of sparkling water on hand, but you could even use soda for a punch of extra sweetness. Lemon-lime soda or ginger ale will add an extra layer of flavor to any glass, and it also makes the sangria stretch. You could even top your glass off with a hard cider if you really like it boozy!
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Spiced Fall Sangria
Ingredients
- 2 cups spiced apple cider homemade or store-bought
- 1 bottle dry white wine Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or your favorite
- ½ cup cinnamon whiskey or bourbon
- 2 Honeycrisp apples sliced
- 1 Granny Smith apple sliced
- 2 Bosc pears chopped
- 3-4 black mission figs quartered
- 1 caramabola (star fruit) sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup sparkling water
- Maple syrup for garnish
- Cinnamon sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Place prepared fruit and cinnamon sticks in a large pitcher. Pour in apple cider, wine, and whiskey, and stir well.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving in syrup and cinnamon sugar rimmed glasses. For best results, allow it to steep overnight. Top off each glass with sparkling water just before serving, if desired.
Nutrition
This fall sangria post was originally published on September 22, 2014. It was updated with a new recipe, new photography, and updated information on October 3, 2023.
Skye @ Planet Jinxatron says
My mom would have been a lot less stressed out if the sangria her cousin brought to my mom’s last party was this color instead of red! ๐
erica acevedo says
Hahaha, yeah, red wine makes me nervous too, tbh! But they’re both so delish!!
Anna S. says
This looks so good! I would love to make those this weekend!
erica acevedo says
It’s super easy and delicious!!
xiomara meeks says
I love sangria. I always order it when we go out to eat. I’ve pinned it to make it soon. Thanks for sharing.
erica acevedo says
Thank you for the pin! Sangria is one of my faves, also. It’s extremely versatile!
Natalie V. says
I love sangria, and this looks like a delicious take on it. Pinned for later! ๐
erica acevedo says
Thank you, Natalie! Hope you try it!
Sarah @ 12 Twenty Seven says
I love sangria so much so I’m definitely pinning this for my girl nights!
erica acevedo says
I hope you and your girlfriends like it!!
Christina Thomas says
What a delicious way to welcome Fall, especially for us in Florida. Cheers!
erica acevedo says
It really is! It’s rolling in slowly, but this is a great way to get in the mood!
Maria says
Great post and recipe! I saw an apple tree for the first time last week when visiting my husband’s family in IL. So, I’ve been craving apples in every way! This looks so refreshing and appropriate for us in Florida. Thank you!
Maria
http://www.theclassifiedchic.com
erica acevedo says
Thank you, Maria! Ohhhh I have been waiting for Honeycrisp season, I’d love to go pick my own one day!!! So happy it’s fall!
Slim Pickin's Kitchen says
12 things: 1. I *ADORE* cinnamon brooms! Aren’t they the best?!? 2. This sangria looks incredible, and I can’t wait to try it…even though I’m in NC and it’s still hot as Hades here as well. C. What a cute blog! Just ran across it for the first time this morning (Yay, Foodgawker!). 4. I’ll definitely be back! Thanks for the recipe ๐
erica acevedo says
I have so many dried out, scentless cinnamon brooms from over the years, I could start a used car lot for witches, LOL. Trust me, the drink doesn’t care how hot it is! ๐ Thank you soso much for stopping by! I totally checked out your blog, as well…and I’m pretty sure we might be soulmates, basked on the Harry Potter/Pumpkin obsessions…just sayin’ ๐
Slim Pickin's Kitchen says
Thanks, guuuuurl! Just an FYI, if you subscribe and confirm your subscription you’ll get a *FREE* copy of my newly published Pumpkin Lover’s eBook! No pressure!
erica acevedo says
Girl, I’m already on it. <3 Those short ribs and horchata sound to good to pass up!!!
Rosemarie Maldonado says
I need to make one gallon of this. How much does your recipe make? I appreciate your response. Excited to make this!
erica acevedo says
You get about 6.5-7 8 oz. cups per recipe, so a double recipe will get you just under a gallon. Might as well triple it! LOL let me know how it turns out, Rosemarie!
allisondarie says
looks delicious but i have a silly question – is this two separate recipes or do you use spicy cider for the sangria? thanks!
erica acevedo says
Not silly at all, Allison! You make the spicy cider and use it IN the sangria itself. I can see how the instructions would be confusing, since I left out the directions to add it in the pitcher, and I appreciate you pointing it out to me!
marlafamilyfreshcooking says
Fabulous cocktail!!
Christen says
Any suggestions for subbing the Ginger Brandy/Bourbon? I can’t find it at any of our local liquor stores. Thinking of using regular brandy and ginger ale instead of club soda maybe?
Erica says
I would imagine that substituting regular brandy and ginger ale/beer would work just fine!
Sabrina says
wonderful recipe, love it, and may try with red instead if white, if you don’t mind, love the cinnamon, cloves and other fall spices, thank you for this recipe!
Rebecca says
This looks awesome. I made 2 batches for girls Glamping weekend. I used 750 ml wine, hope that is what you consider a bottle. Did not add as much fruit, as it stands my jar is 1/2 fruit so not sure I did everything correct. We shall see!
Erica says
Hi Rebecca! Indeed a 750ml bottle is the right size! Don’t worry about the fruit ratio, either – that’s a personal preference. I just like to nibble it after it’s been soaking for a while. ๐ Enjoy your glamping trip, and thanks for commenting!