How to Make a Sangria – Just because you follow a clean eating diet does not mean you have to give up your fruity drinks! Clean eating simply calls for swaps, not restrictions!
Made with whole fruit and fresh ingredients, we’re here to teach you How to Make a Sangria the healthy way! Quick, simple, and requiring just 5 minutes, this Sangria with Fruit Recipe is perfect for entertaining, and a drink everyone will love!
Is Wine Good for You?
Before we get into further details, we should address the age old question: Is wine good for you?
While there are most definitely exceptions for those with specific reasons to stay away from alcohol, overall, we believe the scientific literature strongly supports that moderate consumption of wine can be healthy for most people. Around one or two glasses if you are a man. For women, one glass per day is a good amount for reaping health benefits, without going overboard.
There are numerous studies linking moderate drinking to greater overall health, increased longevity, positive impacts on heart health, decreased risk of strokes, and much more!
All-in-all, if you do not particularly love the taste of wine, or again, have a specific reason not to drink (a family or personal history of substance addiction or abuse, health issues that alcohol exacerbates, etc.), we aren’t saying you should start! Drinking on a regular basis is also not a great idea for those who deal with depression. The benefits simply don’t outweigh the risks!
What we are saying is that if wine helps you relax, and is something you enjoy, you shouldn’t avoid wine because you think it is only adding empty calories. Research just doesn’t support that. Enjoy your wine in moderation, and reap the health benefits it offers!
Sangria with Fruit Recipe
Perfect for entertaining, this festive easy Sangria with Fruit Recipe with wild blueberries, oranges and thyme takes just minutes to make and is delicious anytime of year.
Sangria is actually making a big comeback as the new “it” drink too. And for good reason! A large glass jar filled with wine and bobbing fruit always makes a beautiful presentation. Its such an easy-to-sip beverage, and you can always dilute with club soda if you have guests who want to keep their alcohol consumption down.
Fruity, sweet, and full of flavor, this is an adult beverage you can rest assured everyone will enjoy (even those who don’t typically love wine)! Whip this up for your next get together, and everyone will be asking you for the recipe!
While many sangria recipes are laden with refined sugar, our Sangria with Fruit Recipe is healthy, simple, and incredibly easy to make!
How to Make a Sangria Healthy
Because sangrias really are just wine, liquor, sugar, and juice, they aren’t all that difficult to transform into a clean, healthy version! With just a few simple swaps, you can enjoy your sangria, void of all the unnecessary and unhealthy additives.
Here are our simple swaps and passes…
Pass on the Added Sugar
With our Sangria Recipe already being full of a ton of whole fruit, there is simply no need for additional sugar! Pass on the added sugar, and we promise, you won’t even miss it.
Swap Juice for Whole Fruit
Even with 100% juice as an ingredient, unless it is made from the “whole” fruit, juice is a refined ingredient. Your body processes the sugar in juice very differently than the sugar from “whole” fruit.
Juice is most definitely not the worst thing you could do for your health. And while juice does offer some benefits, as a general rule, whole fruit is always best! This is why we have an abundance of smoothie recipes on Clean Cuisine, and no juice recipes without whole fruit (minus those with lemon or lime juice which contain very little sugar).
This recipe uses whole wild blueberries and oranges for a major punch of antioxidants, and plant-based nutrition.
The Secret to Sangria
Sangria really is incredibly easy to make and the variations are endless. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that it should be made around 12 hours in advance. A lot of recipes online will suggest making sangria 4 hours in advance. However, I’ve found that just isn’t enough time for the flavors to really deepen and develop. Everything needs to hang out for 12 hours or more if you want a flavor-rich sangria.
Ready to learn How to Make a Sangria Recipe from home? Let’s get into the details!
PrintHow to Make a Sangria
Made with whole fruit and fresh ingredients, we’re here to teach you How to Make a Sangria the healthy way!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry white wine
- 2 cups frozen wild blueberries
- 1/2 cup cognac, or brandy (sub for whiskey for SCD)
- Juice from 1 whole lemon
- 3 oranges, 2 sliced into thin rounds + 1 peeled and chopped (for blending)
- 7 fresh thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, add the wine, frozen blueberries and chopped oranges. Process until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a beverage dispenser or punch bowl.
- Pour in the cognac (or brandy) and lemon juice.
- Add the orange slices and thyme.
- Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. Serve chilled with a fresh thyme sprig.
Notes
If you are having a party, this sangria recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Keywords: How to Make a Sangria
Minica says
I love this! I’m not a fan of thyme in my drink (I had it recently), but I love the simplicity of this and what a nice alternative to “just” wine 🙂
Ivy Larson says
Awww, thanks Minica =) You can definitely just omit the thyme too!