Shirley Temple Punch gives the classic Shirley Temple mocktail a multi-serving makeover. The perfect nonalcoholic party punch recipe for holidays, summer parties, and pot-lucks!
Shirley Temple Party Punch
Our easy Shirley Temple Punch recipe turns the timeless childhood mocktail into a fruity, fizzy beverage that’s ladled from a large punch bowl and made suitable for any age crowd, although it can be spiked for adults. With its sweet, refreshing taste and pops of color from fresh fruit floating on top, this is the perfect cold sip for the under 21 crowd or even the kid at heart.
What Is A Shirley Temple
A Shirley Temple is a non-alcoholic drink named after iconic child actress Shirley Temple. The original Shirley Temple drink recipe called for ginger ale and a splash of grenadine, and then garnished with a maraschino cherry.
It is rumored that when she was out to dinner at a nice restaurant with her parents, the bartender made her a special nonalcoholic drink so she could feel fancy too.
Ingredients Notes
- Orange juice: I used Tropicana (pulp-free), not the concentrate brand. If you use fresh squeezed or pulp-filled orange juice, it can give your Shirley Temple punch a cloudier look. It will still taste delicious, but the punch will be a little cloudier in appearance.
- Lemon lime soda: I suggest using a name brand lemon-lime soda as it turns out with a better flavor. However, any lemon-lime soda will do the trick. Sprite, 7-Up, ginger ale, flavored sparkling water, lemon (Limonata) San Pellegrino, or a combination of ginger ale and lemon-lime soda will taste great in this recipe.
- Grenadine syrup: Adds a deep red color and sweet, fruity flavor to the punch. It’s a key ingredient in Shirley Temple drinks, providing the signature pink hue.
- Ice cubes: Instead of using ice, consider adding frozen fruit or frozen orange juice cubes to avoid diluting your drink.
- Navel orange: These provide a decorative touch to the punch and can add a hint of fresh orange flavor to each serving.
- Maraschino cherries: Offer a pop of color and sweet cherry flavor. They’re a classic garnish for Shirley Temple drinks and add a fun element to each serving.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Shirley Temple Punch
- Make The Mixture: Stir together the orange juice, lemon-lime soda, and grenadine syrup.
- Add The Ice: Add the ice to the liquid and garnish the surface with orange slices and maraschino cherries.
- Serve: Garnish individual serving glasses with an orange slice and a skewer of cherries. Pour the punch into garnished glasses and serve. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This shirley temple punch is best served immediately after mixing as the lemon-lime soda will still have carbonation to it and the ice will not have watered down the punch.
Shirley Temple Punch with Sherbet
Simply pour the punch over sherbet scoops and you’ll have a punch bowl filled with floating froth. Check out my Sherbet Punch or Grinch Punch recipes for inspiration — it’s a fun drink for a Grinch-themed party, Christmas celebration, or St. Patrick’s day feast.
Tips & Variations
- Don’t Dilute The Drink: Be sure to completely chill your orange juice, lemon-lime soda and grenadine syrup in the refrigerator prior to adding it to the punch bowl. Having your ingredients cold before adding the ice will help to slow the melting of the ice cubes in the punch as it sits. Alternatively, you can mix the punch and omit the ice cubes, allowing guests to add ice to their personal cups and then ladeling the undiluted punch over the ice in their individual glasses.
- Swap The Soda: You can substitute ginger ale for half, or all of the lemon-lime soda. Be mindful that it will alter the taste of the punch slightly, but ginger ale is commonly used in traditional Shirley Temple cocktails as well. You can even use a cherry-flavored soda to put an extra cherry on top! Or, use cola to make it a Roy Rogers punch (the male version of Shirley).
- Spike Your Sip: You can make a grown-up dirty Shirley version of this kiddie cocktail by spiking it with vodka, rum, or another boozy beverage. You can even make a dessert drink by pouring the punch over a scoop of ice cream, like my Dirty Shirly Float, or serve it in solid form like my Dirty Shirley Jello Shots.
Proper Storage
- To Store: As long as you do not add the soda and ice to the punch, you can keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add the lemon-lime soda and ice when you are ready to serve.
More Easy Party Drinks
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Shirley Temple Punch
Ingredients
- 52 ounce bottle pulp-free orange juice Tropicana not from concentrate brand
- 2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime soda (Sprite)
- 1 cup grenadine syrup
- 6 cups ice cubes
- 1 navel orange cut into 6-8, ¼ inch thick, slices (plus more for garnish)
- ½ cup maraschino cherries liquids drained (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- To a large (3 gallon maximum capacity) punch bowl add the pulp-free orange juice, lemon-lime soda and grenadine syrup. Gently stir to incorporate without creating too many bubbles from the carbonated soda.52 ounce bottle pulp-free orange juice, 2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime soda, 1 cup grenadine syrup
- Add the ice to the punch bowl and garnish the surface with navel orange slices and maraschino cherries.6 cups ice cubes, 1 navel orange, ½ cup maraschino cherries
- Garnish individual serving glasses with a slice of naval orange and a skewer of maraschino cherries if desired. Ladle the punch into garnished glasses as needed.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: As long as you do not add the soda and ice to the punch, you can keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add the lemon-lime soda and ice when you are ready to serve.
- Don’t Dilute The Drink: Be sure to completely chill your orange juice, lemon-lime soda and grenadine syrup in the refrigerator prior to adding it to the punch bowl. Having your ingredients cold before adding the ice will help to slow the melting of the ice cubes in the shirley temple punch as it sits. Alternately, you can mix the punch and omit the ice cubes, allowing guests to add ice to their personal cups and then ladeling the undiluted punch over the ice in their individual glass.
- Swap The Soda: You can substitute ginger ale for half, or all of the lemon-lime soda. Be mindful that it will alter the taste of the punch slightly, but ginger ale is commonly used in traditional Shirley Temple cocktails as well. You can even use a cherry-flavored soda to put an extra cherry on top! Or, use cola to make it a Roy Rogers punch (the male version of Shirley).
- Spike Your Sip: You can make a grown-up dirty Shirley version of this kiddie cocktail by spiking it with vodka, rum, or another boozy beverage. You can even make a dessert drink by pouring the punch over a scoop of ice cream, like my Dirty Shirly Float, or serve it in solid form like my Dirty Shirley Jello Shots.
This punch was easy to make and really delicious. It did remind me of a Shirley Temple. I added all of the juice from the jar of cherries as well.