Cranberry Apple Mint Water: Easy Infused Water Recipe

Cranberry apple mint water is a fruit-and-herb-infused water that takes 2 hours 10 minutes total and yields about 4 cups (960 mL). It’s one of many berry infused water recipes you can make in a pitcher without added sugar.

What is cranberry apple mint water?

Cranberry apple mint water is water steeped with fresh cranberries, sliced apple and mint. The cranberries add tartness, the apple lends a mild fruity note, and the mint gives the drink a fresh finish.

The fruit and herbs flavor the water as they sit; they are not blended into it. The result is lighter than juice and can be served with or without the fruit in the glass.

What ingredients and ratio do you need?

For about four 1-cup servings, use:

Water: 4 cups (960 mL), cold
Fresh cranberries: 1/2 cup (50 g)
Apple: 1/2 cup (55 g), thinly sliced
Fresh mint leaves: 1/4 cup (5 g), loosely packed

This ratio gives you about 1 cup of fruit and a small handful of mint for a pitcher of water. Choose a crisp apple you enjoy eating; a sweeter apple will soften the cranberries’ tart flavor. Ingredient weights are approximate because the size of the fruit slices and mint leaves varies.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Refrigerated steep: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: About 4 cups (960 mL)

How do you make cranberry apple mint water?

Wash the cranberries, apple and mint under cool running water. Use a clean pitcher and utensils.
Slice the apple thinly, removing the core and seeds. Cut or gently crush the cranberries so their flavor can reach the water.
Bruise the mint leaves gently between your fingers, then add them to the pitcher with the fruit.
Pour in 4 cups (960 mL) of cold water, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. For a stronger flavor, steep for up to 4 hours.
Serve chilled, straining out the fruit and mint if you prefer.

For another combination based on the ingredients you have, try the ai infused water generator.

The water will taste subtle after the shorter steep. If you want more flavor, leave it covered in the refrigerator for the longer steep rather than leaving it on the counter.

Why do cranberry, apple and mint pair well?

Cranberries bring a sharp, tart note that keeps the drink from tasting too sweet. If you like that flavor on its own, cranberry infused water uses the same fruit as its main ingredient.

Apple rounds out the tartness with a gentler fruit flavor. Thin slices expose more of the apple to the water; for a simpler version, see apple infused water. Mint adds a cooling herbal aroma, as it does in mint water.

The main benefit of this drink is hydration, especially if its flavor helps you enjoy drinking water. Whole apples and cranberries contain fiber, but the amount of nutrients that transfers into steeped water is uncertain; eating the fruit provides more fiber than straining it out. The liver and kidneys do most of the body’s detoxification, while the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste.

How should you store cranberry apple mint water?

Keep the pitcher covered and refrigerated. Drink the water within 24 hours for the best flavor, and discard it after 2 days or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than a few hours.

You can strain out the fruit and mint after the 2- to 4-hour steep if you prefer a milder flavor or want a clear pour. Continue to refrigerate the strained water and follow the same storage limit.

What variations can you make?

Make it more cranberry-forward

Use 3/4 cup (75 g) cranberries and 1/4 cup (28 g) sliced apple. Keep the water and mint amounts the same for a tarter pitcher.

Make it more apple-forward

Use 3/4 cup (about 83 g) sliced apple and 1/4 cup (25 g) cranberries. This keeps the fruit ratio similar while giving the apple more presence.

Use less mint

Start with half the mint in the base recipe, about 1/8 cup (2.5 g). Steep as directed; the fruit flavors will be more noticeable without as much herbal aroma.