This Melting Witch Halloween Punch is a green non-alcoholic Halloween Punch that is the perfect Halloween potluck or witch-themed party recipe, especially for kids! It has key lime sherbet (or sorbet), soda pop, chocolate cookie witch hats, marshmallow licorice brooms, and candy eyes. It's a kid's dream come true!
It's very popular at Halloween time for Halloween parties or any time of year for a witch-themed party! If you are looking for Halloween Punch recipes, you will LOVE this one! It was also the inspiration behind my Melted Witch Halloween Bark Recipe!
Jump to:
- Why does ice cream float on soda?
- 🥘 Ingredient Notes
- 📖 Variations & Substitutions
- 🍽 Equipment
- 🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Witch Halloween Punch
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 👪 Serving size
- ❔ Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🎃More Halloween Recipes
- 📋 Melting Witch Halloween Punch (non- alcoholic) Recipe
If you're looking for more Halloween drinks, my Witches Brew Halloween Hot Chocolate (with gummy worms) is another non-alcoholic spooky drink kids love! And this Blood Bag punch
Sometimes I am just blown away by science. Like, for instance, it still blows my mind that we humans have actually managed to get huge hunks of metal to fly through the air! And every time I fly in a plane, I am in complete awe of this.
I know it's just basic physics, but it still amazes me. And I have to admit that I was even a little amazed that my little chocolate cookie witch hats stayed afloat in this Halloween Punch recipe. After all, it's punch!
I know ice cream, or Sherbert in this case, floats on soda, but I've made far too many assumptions about food science and structure as a young and inexperienced cake decorator to get too cocky. But I was curious about the science behind this - why does ice cream float on soda?
Why does ice cream float on soda?
The reason that ice cream floats on soda has to do with density .Ice cream floats on soda pop because it is less dense, due to the fat, ice crystals, and trapped air within it. The ice cream also traps the carbon dioxide bubbles released from the soda, causing a large, stable foam that forms on top. The rough, uneven surface of the ice cream provides numerous "nucleation sites" for the carbon dioxide bubbles in the soda to form and grow, causing a lot of fizzing. I was simply thrilled that my little witch hats didn't sink.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
If you are looking for green Halloween punch recipes, this is THE ONE! The lime sherbert makes this punch green.
For this non alcoholic witches brew drink recipe, you'll need:
- Lime Sherbert. I found this harder to find when I made this the second time, several years later. You can use a regular ice cream that is green. You could also use an orange ice cream. *Do NOT use Sorbet (I tried this), as it has no fat, so it won't float and create the foundation for the witch hats and brooms
- Lemon-lime soda. You can use any brand of Sprite or 7 Up.
- Frozen limonade. Make sure it's from concentrate (in the freezer section of the grocery store near the juice and lemonade).
- Lemon lime sparkling water (no sugar or sweetener). I use Perrier water.
- Royal icing. You don't have to use royal icing for this witch punch recipe, but I do recommend you do. It's basically a very strong edible glue that dries hard. It will save you the frustration of having your pieces of witch brooms and witch hats come apart (and it holds up remarkably well in the liquid). You can buy it premade or make it yourself. The royal icing recipe I use for my gingerbread house is easy to make and very strong. Make sure you follow the directions carefully for both making, working with, and storing royal icing!
- Mini yellow marshmallows. I buy a package of rainbow marshmallows and pick out the yellow.
- Candy eyes. I bought the red candy eyes at Michael's Arts & Crafts, but had a hard time finding them again.) However, Walmart's website shows them. You can use any type of candy eyes. Or you can use cinnamon candies (like Red Hots) and add the center of the eyes with a black edible marker.
- Green food coloring (optional). I recommend a gel food coloring (used for frosting). I use Wilton Kelly Green.
*Please see recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Royal Icing - You could use melted chocolate or melted candy melts instead.
- Adult version (alcoholic) - Replace some or all of the sparkling water with prosecco or a lemon-lime flavored vodka. Just remember to clearly label it as an alcoholic version if kids are around.
🍽 Equipment
A large punch bowl (affiliate link) is ideal for this non alcoholic Halloween drink recipe, but you could also use a trifle bowl (I did this for my Easter Punch and it works great!) or any large bowl with a very wide rim.
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Witch Halloween Punch
I made this green non alcoholic punch for my daughter's Girl Guides Halloween party this year, and it was a hit! However, transporting it to the party was challenging. I had to drive VERY slowly. It's best to put it together when you arrive at the party (but I didn't have that option, as I had to photograph it before leaving).
- Step 1: Make the Witch Hats: With icing, "Glue" Hershey kisses to the top of cookies by adding a little royal icing to the bottom of the Hershey's kiss and placing it on top of the Oreo thin cookie. Set aside
- Step 2: Make the Witch Brooms: Cut marshmallows into broom ends by using small scissors (reserved for food only) or a small paring knife, and making small snips(about 4) into one end of the marshmallow.
- Step 3: Then cut licorice in half, then in half again (lengthwise) to make it thinner.
- Step 4: With a dab of royal icing "Glue" licorice to marshmallow (uncut end) with a dab of royal icing, pushing it gently into the uncut marshmallow side. Set aside.
- Step 5: If you can't find red candy eyes, you can make them by drawing a black pupil with an edible black marker on the red candy. Alternatively, just use the white candy eyes or a combination of both.
- Step 6: Make the punch: In a punch bowl, add sparkling water, soda (Sprite or 7-up), and frozen concentrated limonade. Stir.
- Step 7: If you want to make it greener, you can add food coloring here. However, it will be greener once you add the lime sherbert. But if you can't find lime sherbert, you'll want to add green food coloring.
- Step 8: Add ⅓ of a container (946 ml) of key lime sherbert. Mix.
- Step 9: Add the remainder of the sherbert in scoops to the top of the punch (so it floats on top). Decorate the punch: Place witch hats and brooms on mounds of sherbert, then add candy eyes. Serve immediately.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Assemble just before serving: Add the sherbet and decorations right before serving so the foam stays fresh and the witch hats and brooms don't get soggy.
- Pre-chill your ingredients: For the frothiest, coldest punch, make sure the soda, sparkling water, and lemonade concentrate are well chilled before mixing. This helps the sherbet stay firm and float better.
- Prep decorations in advance: You can make the witch hats and brooms 1-2 days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. This saves time on party day and prevents sticky or soft cookies.
- Use royal icing for best results: Royal icing dries hard and holds up beautifully in the punch, keeping your candy decorations and edible props intact. Regular frosting or melted chocolate can soften in the liquid.
- Adjust sweetness to taste: If you prefer a less sweet punch, replace half of the lemon-lime soda with additional sparkling water. You'll still get the fizz without the extra sugar.
- Keep it cold longer: Instead of using ice cubes (which dilute the punch), freeze extra soda or sparkling water into ice cubes or use small scoops of frozen sherbet as "ice."
- Don't use Sorbet: Sorbet doesn't contain fat, so it won't float properly and create a foundation to hold the decorations.
- Make it your own: Change up the theme by using orange sherbet and grape soda for a "Pumpkin Witch" look or use blue raspberry sherbet for a "Frozen Witch" twist.
- Serve with a ladle or cup scoop: Since the foam can be thick, a ladle makes it easier to serve both liquid and a bit of sherbet in every cup.
- Make it easy to transport: If you're bringing it to a party, transport the liquid base in a sealed container and the decorations separately. Assemble the punch on-site for the best presentation.
- Double for a crowd: If you're hosting a big Halloween bash, this recipe easily doubles - just make sure you have two large punch bowls or a cauldron-style container to fit it all!
👪 Serving size
This non alcoholic Halloween punch recipe serves about 20 (and the amounts are right for a typical punch bowl), but if you want more or less, simply change the servings on the recipe card, select the number you want, and the amounts will adjust accordingly. I would recommend you simply half or double the recipe. If you double it, you'll need 2 punch bowls.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes! For smaller parties or classroom events, you can portion the punch into clear plastic cups. Add a small scoop of sherbet to each cup and decorate with mini witch hats and candy eyes just before serving for a fun presentation.
Freeze extra lemon-lime soda or sparkling water in an ice cube tray, and use those cubes instead of regular ice. This keeps your punch cold without diluting the flavor. (I buy a 1 litre bottle of Sparkling water and use about .5 litres for the ice curbes, as you only need .5 litres for the punch).
Prepare the lemonade-soda mixture and store it in a large jug or sealed container. Keep the sherbet, hats, brooms, and candy eyes separate, then assemble and decorate the punch at the party location for best results.
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This green punch is spooky, fun, green, and the perfect Halloween punch for your Halloween celebration!
And in retrospect, I guess I should have been confident that if my fellow humans can get metal to fly through the air, I can certainly get chocolate cookie witch hats to float on punch. But after my past experiences, I take nothing for granted when it comes to food and science.
Happy Halloween!
And if you're looking for Halloween potluck food, check out these 25 Halloween Potluck Foods!
🎃More Halloween Recipes
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📋 Melting Witch Halloween Punch (non- alcoholic) Recipe
Ingredients
Punch:
- 1.5 Litre container of key lime sherbert 946 ml
- 2 litres lemon lime soda/Sprite or 7 up
- 1 285 ml can of frozen limonade, concentrated
- .5 litre lemon lime sparkling water (no sugar or sweetener)
- ¼ teaspoon green food coloring (gel) (optional)
Hats:
- 12 Hershey's chocolate kisses
- 12 Oreo cookies (thins) sandwich cookies
- 1 teaspoon royal icing * you could use any icing (royal icing is just stronger) - I buy pre-made at local grocery store
Witch Brooms:
- 12 mini yellow marshmallows
- 3 pieces black licorice
- 1 teaspoon royal icing you could use any icing (royal icing is just stronger) - I buy pre-made at local grocery store
- 24 candy eyes
Instructions
Witch hats:
- With icing "Glue" Hershey kisses to the top of cookies. Set aside
Witch brooms:
- Cut licorice in half, then in half again (lengthwise) to make it thinner.
- Cut marshmallows into broom ends by using small scissors (reserved for food only) or a knife, and making small snips into one end of the marshmallow.
- With icing "Glue" licorice to marshmallow (uncut end) with a dab of royal icing. Set aside.
- In a punch bowl, add sparkling water, soda (sprite or 7-up) frozen concentrated limonade and add about ⅓ of a container of key lime sherbert. Mix.
- Add the remainder of the sherbert in scoops to the top of the punch (so it floats on top).
- Place witch hats and brooms on mounds of sherbert, then add candy eyes. Serve immediately.
Terri Gilson
Big hit at the Girl Guide's party!
natasha cain
Really cute meant use for a class project
Terri Gilson
Thanks!
Karly
Cute idea!
Terri Gilson
Thank you!