Halloween Eyeball Punch Recipe

'Tis the season! No, not the one for decking the halls, lighting the menorah, and baking way too many cookies — that's coming soon enough. Right now, it's the season of costumes, pumpkin carving, candy, and of course some spooky things to sip on. If you're looking for the perfect festive beverage, look no further than this Halloween eyeball punch recipe, courtesy of recipe developer Jaime Shelbert of Wholly Nourished. Don't worry, it only looks spooky, because taste-wise, you'll want to be sipping this all year long.

This punch is a perfect addition to your Halloween party not only because it looks and tastes great, but also because it can be prepared earlier in the day if needed. "The eyeballs and punch can be made ahead of time but need to be refrigerated separately," Shelbert says, adding that you can simply "place the 'eyeballs' in the punch just before serving." And while the recipe as specified is alcohol-free and family-friendly, it's a great drink for adult parties, too. "This can be converted to a boozy version by adding vodka," Shelbert says. If you're ready to get into the Halloween spirit, let's get started on this festive punch recipe!

Most of the ingredients for this punch can be found at most any grocery store you can find. Only one ingredient — lychee — may be a bit harder to track down, but even so, it's not too hard to find. "Lychee fruit is a sweet and floral fruit native to Southeast Asia," Shelbert explains, adding that "canned lychee is easily found in the Asian section of major grocers stores or in Asian markets." So, you'll need a can of lychee and its juice, some blueberries, pulp-free orange juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, and some ginger ale to add some fizz.

To make the "eyeballs" for the Halloween punch, first pour out and strain the can of lychee, picking out the fruit and reserving the liquid. You'll notice that individual lychees are naturally round and white — much like an eyeball! Of course, it wouldn't be an eyeball without a pupil, so place one blueberry in the center of each lychee fruit to form the (pretty convincing!) eyeball. Set the eyeballs aside, and, if you won't be adding them to the punch for a while, pop them into the fridge so they stay cool.

Now that the lychee eyeballs are ready, you can make the actual punch. Pour the orange juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, and one cup of the reserved lychee juice into a large punch bowl or pitcher and stir to combine the liquids well. If you'll be serving the punch right away, add the ginger ale now, too, but if you will serve it later, add the soda at the last minute so it maintains its carbonation. And, if you're adding booze, now would be the time to do so as well.

Place the eyeballs in the punch just before serving, and you can do so in a large punch bowl with a ladle. This way, you can dole out individual glasses with ease and maybe add an extra eyeball or two to each. "If you want more eyeballs for serving simply double the lychee and blueberries," Shelbert notes.

Because the ginger ale will lose its fizz soon, this punch is best enjoyed right away. The good news is that this sweet, flavorful punch is sure to be a hit at any Halloween party, so something tells us that you won't have to wait around long for people to start enjoying the festive beverage!