Halloween Punch With Dry Ice Recipe

The season for ghouls, goblins, and witches is upon us. And if you're hosting a Halloween get-together or putting on a spread for the family, you'll certainly need a beverage to quench everybody's thirst.

Sure, you could opt for a simple setup with bottled soda and plastic cups, or you could take your Halloween celebration to a whole new level of fun with dry ice Halloween punch. And food photographer and recipe developer Petar Marshall is here to share exactly how to pull it off.

"Working with dry ice can be a bit tricky," says Marshall. "But with the proper ingredients and steps, it's achievable." And, it's absolutely worth it! With just a few ingredients you can put together a fantastic bowl of witch's brew for Halloween, complete with steaming bubbles, just like a witch's cauldron. But not to worry, this punch is anything but poison. It's not only impressive to look at, but also delicious!

While it may seem like you need a whole slew of ingredients to brew this potion, it's actually quite simple! For this Halloween dry ice punch recipe, you'll need one (64-ounce) bottle of Sunny D, one (two-liter) bottle of 7Up soda, and half of a carton of lime sherbet. You'll also need approximately one pound of dry ice, along with green food coloring and sour gummy worms, if desired.

"You can swap out the Sunny D for another juice if you'd like, and you can use any type of lemon-lime soda as well," adds Marshall. As for the dry ice? You can choose to purchase it in a block or find dry ice chips. 

To get started on making your Halloween punch, grab your large serving bowl. Of course, a punch bowl is great, or you can use any large mixing bowl you have on hand.

Be sure to make your punch just before your party is about to get started. "There's no need to chill the ingredients, since the dry ice will chill them immediately," says Marshall.

Pour the entire bottle of Sunny D into the bowl, and then pour the 7Up on top. "You want to fill the bowl, but leave an inch or two of room at the top," says Marshall. "You may not end up using the entire bottle of soda."

Once the liquid is in the bowl, it's time to add the lime sherbet. "The sherbet adds great flavor and a pillowy texture to the punch," says Marshall. "But it also provides green coloring for the witch's brew."

Scoop the lime sherbet into the punch bowl on top of the liquid. There's no need to stir here. If you'd like, you can add green food coloring at this step if you want your punch to be a different shade of green.

Once the juice, soda, and sherbet are in the bowl, you're ready to add the dry ice to the punch. It's important to remember to take caution doing this step. Because dry ice is so incredibly cold, it can burn bare hands easily. Handle the ice with oven mitts or tongs.

Remove the dry ice from the bag, and gently place it into the bowl. It will immediately begin to bubble up and steam. If you find that it stops steaming throughout your party, use a large wooden spoon to tap against it in the bowl to get it started again. 

To serve your punch, use a ladle. Scoop punch into cups, and top them with sour gummy worms, if desired. It's important to remember that because of how cold it is, dry ice should not be eaten. It's safe to scoop the punch into your glass along with large chunks of dry ice if you'd to get the full effect. "Be sure the ice isn't consumed while the punch is enjoyed," says Marshall. If you're serving the punch to little ones, be sure to only scoop liquid into their cups.