Danish cranberry gløgg | Alcohol free Christmas glogg

This Danish cranberry gløgg is a simple non-alcoholic Nordic hot glogg recipe to keep you warm during the colder months. The Nordics love easy hot drinks with warm spices to enjoy with friends and some gingerbreads during the holiday season or any time of year. Make sure to try out the white apple glögg and the deep purple hibiscus glogg too!

Danish cranberry glogg in Nordic glogg glasses with slices of. orange and a cinnamon stick.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • This is a great, simple from-scratch recipe to enjoy during the colder months.
  • The best gløgg recipe to make your own Christmas drink from scratch. 
  • You can use fresh ingredients and whole spices or spice powders depending on what you have in your pantry.
  • Cranberry gløgg is easy to make a head and give as a gift or heat up and enjoy when needed!
Bottle of Danish cranberry glogg on a dark weathered table with two glasses of red Danish cranberry glogg decorated with orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

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Insider: A peak into Nordic living

Glogg is a Scandinavian, or better to say Nordic hot drink that we most commonly associate with Christmas time. The high season for Glogg in Nordic countries is definitely in the winter season. It is a hot drink with warm seasoning, traditionally made from blackcurrant juice with Christmas spices and some alcohol like red wine or port wine that is added after infusing the spices into the juice.

The name of the glogg drink varies depending on the country: Danish and Norwegian gløgg, Swedish glögg, and Finnish glögi are all quite similar. Glogg has similarities with the German version of mulled wine called Glühwein.

For a Nordic the idea of cold months without a glass or two (or twenty-five!) of glögi is unbearable. The warming spices and the cozy feeling are just something heartwarmingly amazing. The darkness is nothing if you have hands around the warming glogg mug. 

Ingredients you need for Danish gløgg

  • Cranberry juice, unsweetened.
  • Star anise 
  • Cloves, use preferably whole cloves
  • Caster sugar with molasses, can be substituted with light syrup. You can also use some dark syrup, maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, and white sugar, but the flavor profile will change a bit.
  • Ginger powder, can be substituted with a few thin fresh ginger root slices.
  • Muscat powder, you can use a ready muscat powder or a freshly grated muscat.
  • Cinnamon sticks, use whole sticks of cinnamon or substitute withcinnamon powder.

You can find the exact measurements on the recipe card.

Flat lay of the ingredients needed for the Danish cranberry glogg with Cranberry juice in the pot and Christmas spices in tiny glass jars.

Tools you may need

  • Large pot, or a large saucepan, preferably stainless steel and at least 1,5 liters vast.
  • Measuring spoons
  • Ladle
  • Strainer
  • Funnel if you want to bottle the gløgg for later.

How to make Danish cranberry gløgg

Step one: Measuring and cooking

Pour the cranberry juice into the pot and put on the stove to medium heat. Measure all the seasonings and add to the pot.

Step two: Simmering

Let the cranberry gløgg simmer on low heat for 15-30 minutes.

A woman adding a cinnamon stick into the base of Danish cranberry glogg.

Step two: Steeping

To increase and deepen the flavors turn off the heat, let the gløgg steep and infuse the flavors for an additional 30 minutes. 

Cranberry glogg in a glogg mug with a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick.

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Step Four: Straining

Strain off the cinnamon sticks and star anise, using the strainer and the ladle, and heat up again to serve or bottle airtightly to store.

Serving the Danish gløgg

When you are serving the gløgg heat it on the stove on medium to medium-high heat until it is steaming and feels enough hot for your taste. Pour into the gløgg glasses and decorate beautifully with fresh orange slices or even lemon slices or orange peel and add a cinnamon stick to use for stirring.

Add a cup of raisins and almonds on the serving table so that everyone can add to their own drinks a pinch of raisins and almonds if they want. For more decorative portions add some fresh cranberries into the glasses to have a perfect winter day with your friends or family.

Danish apple glogg served with traditional Nordic glogg glasses and decorated with orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

Storage

You can store the gløgg airtightly in a glass bottle in the fridge for up to one or two weeks. You can freeze the gløgg in a freezer-friendly vessel for up to one year to the next winter season.

A hand holding a glass jar filled with Danish cranberry glogg in front of the glogg table setting with glogg mugs, almonds and raisins.

How to tweak this recipe

  • For more punchier gløgg, add 1/4 tbsp ground black pepper and 1/4-1/2 tbsp more ginger.
  • For a softer and sweeter result increase the sugar by half and decrease the ginger to 1/4 tsp.
  • Swap the sugar to change the flavor profile: for darker flavor use some dark syrup for more caramelized flavor use honey or honey syrup.
  • To get deeper flavors and boozed version add 1-2 dl (about 1/2 cup up to 1 cup) of port wine.
  • Swap the decorations: Try to make a beautiful strand of lemon peel with a vegetable peeler, or add some apple slices. 

Little Helper

Little helpers love to measure things in this recipe. There are many small spoonfuls to measure and count the star anise, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. As well adding some almonds and raisins to swim in the gløgg glass is always a delight.

What is your favorite hot drink for Christmas?

Do you enjoy the spicier drinks or sweeter hot drinks for the cold times? Let me know in the comments your ultimate Christmas drink favorites!

You can find the recipe card below!

Danish apple glogg served with traditional Nordic glogg glasses and decorated with orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

Danish cranberry gløgg (non-alcoholic)

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Steep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

This Danish cranberry gløgg is a simple non-alcoholic Nordic hot glogg recipe to keep you warm during the colder months. The Nordics love easy hot drinks with warm spices to enjoy with friends and some gingerbreads during the holiday season or any time of year.

Ingredients

  • 1 L cranberry juice, unsweetened
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1 dl caster sugar with molasses or light syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/4 tsp muscat powder
  • 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 tbsp cinnamon powder

Instructions

    1. Step one: Measuring the ingredients
      Pour the cranberry juice into the pot and put on the stove to medium heat. Measure all the seasonings and add to the pot.
    2. Step two: Simmering
      Let the cranberry gløgg simmer on low heat for 15-30 minutes.
    3. Step three: Steeping
      To increase and deepen the flavors turn off the heat and let the gløgg steep for an additional 30 minutes.
    4. Step four: Straining
      Strain the gløgg using the ladle and strainer into a bowl or a bottle.
    5. Serving the Danish gløgg
      When you are serving the gløgg heat it on the stove on medium to medium-high heat until it is steaming and feels enough hot for your taste. Pour into the gløgg glasses and serve traditionally with almonds and raisins.


    Storage
    You can store the gløgg airtightly in a glass bottle in the fridge for up to one or two weeks. You can freeze the gløgg in a freezer-friendly vessel for up to one year to the next winter season.

Notes

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 1gSugar: 68gProtein: 1g

These calculations are generated automatically by Nutritionix based on the ingredients shown in the recipe. The nutrition information is an estimation and may include errors. All nutritional information presented and written within this site (blueteatile.com) is intended for informational purposes only. The writer is not a certified nutritionist or registered dietitian and any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline only.

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