Looking for a fun, fast and fruity drink that everyone will love? Slicing the fruit is the hardest part of this super-simple and delicious Apple Pie Sangria recipe.
This Apple Pie Sangria recipe is refreshing on warm summer days and festive when made with seasonal autumn apples! The Moscato is sweet so pace yourself as the alcohol can catch up with you.
Where does Sangria come from?
Sangria is a wine punch from Spain and Portugal. It was introduced to the United States during the 1964 World’s Fair in New York and its popularity continues to grow. Just like any punch, there are countless sangria variations to choose from. Let this recipe serve as inspiration to create your own!
How to Make Apple Pie Sangria
Ingredients
- Gala apples—3 apples cored and sliced.
- Oranges—3 oranges peeled and sliced.
- Moscato—a standard 750 ml bottle.
- Fruit juice—2 cups each of apple juice and orange juice
Supplies
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Mixing spoon
- Clear pitcher
- Clear glasses
- Optional: citrus peeler or apple corer/slicer
Apple Pie Sangria Tips and Tricks
What is Moscato?
Now grown in wine regions around the world, using Moscato grapes to create sparkling wine originated in Italy. These sweet grapes taste a bit like lychee fruit, with a pear and citrus flavor. The wine has a mild and refreshing fizz and a low alcohol content—which can sneak up on you.
Can I substitute the Gala apples?
Yes! I use gala apples because they are mild in flavor, have a medium crunch, and are easy to find year-round. Feel free to substitute with any other firm apple.
- Granny Smith—while firm, you may not enjoy the contrast between how tart these apples are and the sweetness of the juice and Moscato. That is unless you enjoy sweet-tart!
- Honeycrisp and Northern Spy—both of these seasonal fall apples are firm and sweet, and a delicious addition to this recipe.
- Pink lady—a naturally sweet-tart apple that has a nice crunch. It’s less tangy than Granny Smith, so it works well in this recipe.
- Braeburn—a fairly firm apple with a mild citrus flavor that you can find most of the year.
What is an apple corer?
An apple corer is a round handheld device that cores and slices apples in one quick vertical slice. Yes, slicing and coring an apple only takes about a minute each, but with a corer it takes seconds!
Just be mindful of the size of your corer versus the size of the apples you buy.
Should I peel the apples first?
You can if you want to, but I typically don’t. Leaving the peel on adds to the overall texture. The peel also gives the slices a uniform shape.
Can I dice the apples?
If that’s what you prefer! It only takes a few minutes more to dice, unless you are using a multi-purpose veggie chopper—which takes seconds. You can also cut the orange slices into halves or thirds.
What kind of oranges should I use?
Use any kind of orange you want! Some of your top options include:
- Standard sweet orange
- Naval orange
- Mandarins
- Satsumas
- Clementines
- Jaffa orange
- Blood orange
What should I serve my Apple Pie Sangria in?
This is entirely up to you but think beyond traditional wine glasses. In fact, the weight of the fruit can be too heavy for ultra-thin stemware. I prefer to serve these in something clear and with a wide mouth. That way you can see the beauty of the fruit and easily spoon or sip out the slices. Feel free to double this recipe and serve it in a punch bowl.
For drinkware, consider:
- Punch bowl cups
- Stemless wine glasses
- Handblown glasses
- Shatter-free outdoor drinkware
- Insulated outdoor drinkware
- Disposable cups
Should I add ice to my apple pie sangria?
Sangria is served cold, but ice can water it down. To keep it cool while you sip, chill the ingredients ahead of time—even the fruit. If you’ll be outside on a humid day, use insulated drinkware to keep it cold.
You can also keep your sangria cold with oversized ice cubes, which melt slower than small and standard ice cubes. Oversized cubes can be added to individual glasses or your punch bowl and are a fun talking point!
Can I make this apple pie sangria the night before?
Cousin, you know I love to prep as much in advance as possible, but the fizz in the Moscato will start to fade within 4 hours of mixing. So, I either make this on the spot, an hour or two before, or I do a partial prep.
To partially prep:
- Slice the oranges and apples.
- Add the orange and apple juice to the pitcher.
- Stir in the orange and apple slices.
- Place in the fridge with a lid or plastic wrap.
- Stir in the Moscato just before serving.
Pro Tip—this partial prep isn’t just a time-saving hack, it infuses the fruit with the fruit juice for an added burst of flavor in every bite!
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can easily double or triple this recipe if you’re serving a crowd. Serve it in multiple pitchers or in a punch bowl. To make it easier to ladle, consider dicing or cutting the orange and apple slices in half.
How to store?
This Apple Sangria will begin to lose its fizz within 4 hours. If you prep it a few hours early, keep it chilled in the fridge with a lid over the pitcher or punch bowl.
How to make this recipe your own?
Fruit: experiment with different fruits and fruit juices.
Cinnamon: pop a cinnamon stick in each glass for a bit of warmth.
Other sparkling wines: use any other sparkling wine or even champagne!
Minimize the sweet: swap the Moscato for dry red wine and sparkling water.
If you enjoyed this Apple Pie Sangria, check out some of my other recipes!
Other Cocktails and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- Piña Colada Sangria
- Pineapple Henny-Rita
- Cherry Lime Vodka Slushie
- Watermelon Vodka Slushie
- Non-Alcoholic Cherry Limeade
- Non-Alcoholic Fruit Punch
Other Apple-Flavored Recipes
- Easy Homemade Apple Pie
- World’s Best Apple Crisp
- Cinnamon Apple Monkey Bread
- Caramel Apple Pull Apart Bread
- All-Purpose Apple Filling
Print the Apple Pie Sangria recipe below, and be sure to leave me a comment!
Apple Pie Sangria
Ingredients
- 3 large Gala Apples cored and sliced
- 3 large Oranges sliced
- 750 ml bottle of Moscato
- 2 cup apple juice
- 2 cup orange juice
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the sliced apples and oranges.
- Pour in the Moscato, apple juice, and orange juice.
- Stir to combine.
- Serve cold.
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