A 3-ingredient recipe to make delicious sugared champagne grapes for your next party or date night.
These boozy grapes will satisfy the younger crowd and surprise the older generation. It is a creative use of grapes soaked in champagne or prosecco in a frozen treat, that is elegant, and simple at the same time.
Taking just 5 minutes of our time, these sugared and alcohol-soaked green grapes make a perfect make-ahead treat. I highly recommend doubling the recipe, as you may want to freeze them and munch them during weekend movie nights.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy overnight recipe. They are so simple but so mind-blowingly good, that everyone who tries them for the first time immediately categorizes them as one of their favorite recipes. I’m not joking!
- Perfect for New Year’s Eve tables, dessert boards, brunches, and romantic dinners.
- Classy, sweet, a bit tart – delightful flavor with so much subtleness and chic, no wonder they are also called “Cleopatra Grapes.”
- They will also be life-saving on a hot summer night!
- Freezing makes grapes taste sweeter. Plus, they are also an amazing source of Vitamin C.
Ingredients Notes
- Green grape with stems removed.Little grapes can be easier to pop in your mouth, but larger grapes will hold more juice.
- Champagne. Any simple champagne or bubbles you like. Do not use an expensive bottle to soak the grapes, it will simply be a waste.
- White granulated sugar gives that crisp sweetness and dissolves much better than sanding sugar or such.
What Kind Of Grape Is Used In Champagne Grapes?
Seedless grapes are the best to use in a champagne grapes recipe: green or red grapes don’t really matter.
The grapes should be perfectly ripe but still firm and without soft or dark spots on the skin.
Do I Need To Use Special “Champagne Grapes”?
No, use any red or white grapes without seeds for this recipe. Champagne grape varieties often have seeds and are used to make champagne, mostly.
Champagne grapes are a variety of grape wines that grow in the Champagne region of France and can be used in making authentic champagne blend and rosé champagnes, which is technically a blended wine.
The main grape varieties used in every bottle of classic champagne are Chardonnay (from côte des blancs), Pinot Noir (from montagne de reims or Côte des Bar), and Pinot Meunier (Pinot Noir mutation).
- Chardonnay grapes have citrus notes, floral, and mineral notes
- Pinot Noir grapes (black-skinned grapes) have a strong floral profile and herbal notes. Used to make red wine too.
- Pinot Meunier grapes are fruity
Apart from these 3 varieties, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc (white grape variety resulted in Pinot Noir’s color mutation), Petit Meslier (similar flavor profile to Sauvignon blanc), and Arbane are also good for champagne making but are very rare.
Kitchen Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Zip-top bag or a freezer bag (optional) for coating in sugar.
- Airtight container or sheet pan for freezing.
How To Make Champagne Grapes
1: Soak The Grapes In A Bowl
- Wash and drain grapes.
- Combine the grapes and champagne in a large bowl. Place a small plate on top inside the bowl to hold the grapes down in the champagne. (they will want to float) Allow the grapes to soak for at least 12 hours.
2: Sugar Coating
- Place the sugar in a bowl or zip-top bag.
- Drain the grapes out of the champagne and place them in the bowl or bag of sugar. Do not dry the grapes before doing this – you want them damp so that the sugar will stick to them but not too wet to prevent sugar from clumping up.
- Toss to coat the grapes in the sugar. If you need more sugar, feel free to add more to your liking depending on how coated you want the grapes to be.
3: Freeze
- Once coated, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours (at least 2 hours) before serving.
- You can also spread the grapes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat to freeze them (if you have enough space in the freezer) to make sure they won’t stick together.
How To Serve These Fun Champagne Soaked Grapes
You can serve them frozen on a dessert board, as they go well with cheese trays, wine, salty and sweet treats.
Serve grapes in a small bowl, or add a few per skewer.
You can make and freeze more and add a few grapes in a glass of champagne next time you’are enjoying it.
Storage
This recipe is best when served frozen, but ut can be eaten chilled too.
The grapes can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours after chilled or frozen, refrigerated for 4 days, and frozen for up to a month.
Substitutions & Variations
- Champagne substitutions. Prosecco grapes are the closest second to classic champagne grapes recipes and it has a sweeter taste. You can use any sparkling wine, rose, or white wine you like to drink. If you want stronger flavored liquors, you can use rum, mezcal, or vodka.
- Non-alcoholic version. It is super easy to make alcohol-free soaked grapes. Simply use sparkling juice, lemon-lime soda like 7Up, or apple cider.
- Not a Grapes fan? Use fresh fruit or berries like strawberries.
- Sugar substitutes. You can coat soaked grapes with honey or simple syrup.
Expert Tips To Make The Best Champagne-Soaked Grapes
- Tossing grapes in a bag is much easier than in a small bowl.
- No time for soaking? Remove skin of the grapes – the granulated sugar will stick better.
Popular Questions
How Are You Supposed To Eat Champagne Grapes?
You can just pop them in your mouth or add them to cocktails made with wine or Champagne. You can add sugared champagne grapes in salads, or eat with charcuterie board ingredients.
What Do Champagne Grapes Taste Like?
Champagne-soaked grapes have the sweetness from the sugar coating, the dry rich flavor of champagne, and a crunchy juicy burst of fresh fruity flavors coming from the grapes.
Why Do Frozen Grapes Taste Different?
Freezing temperatures change the structure of the grapes, break the cells, and crystalize water to release all the sweetness and extracts flavor. Frozen grapes taste sweeter!
How Long Do You Soak Grapes In Alcohol?
To make sugared champagne grapes soaked in alcohol, leave the grapes in a bowl filled with champagne, prosecco, or vodka for at least 12 hours.
If you love this holiday treat recipe, you’re going to love these other recipes for holiday parties too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
More Great New Year’s Eve Ideas
Homemade Fortune Cookies & Free Printable
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Champagne Grapes
Ingredients
- 3 cups green grapes stems removed
- 1 cup champagne
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- ombine the grapes and champagne in a large bowl. Place a small plate on top inside the bowl to hold the grapes down in the champagne. (they will want to float) Allow the grapes to soak for at least 12 hours.
- Place the sugar in a bowl or zip-top bag.
- Drain the grapes out of the champagne and place them in the bowl or bag of sugar. (do not dry the grapes before doing this – you want them damp so that the sugar will stick to them) Toss to coat the grapes in the sugar. If you need more sugar, feel free to add more to your liking depending on how coated you want the grapes to be.
- Once coated, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Equipment
- medium bowl
- Zip-top bag (optional)
- Airtight container
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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