• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sava's Kitchen
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • By Category
    • Ukrainian
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Main dishes
    • Sides
    • Soup
    • Sweet treats
  • About
  • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Ukrainian

    Ukrainian Christmas Uzvar

    Published: Aug 23, 2022 · Modified: Jan 6, 2023 by Sava's Kitchen

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Ukrainian Christmas uzvar is a traditional Ukrainian winter drink made with dried fruits, sugar, and spices. This moderately sweet fruit compote is one of the 12 dishes served on a Christmas Eve Dinner.

    A glass cup filled with a yellow drink with some slices of fruits inside. There is a cinnamon stick in a table and few dried fruits. Ukrainian embroidery on the background.
    Jump to:
    • ☕What is uzvar
    • ⭐Why you will love this recipe
    • 🍎Ingredients notes
    • ⏲️How to brew uzvar
    • 💭Tips for success
    • 🥤Serving
    • 🌡️How to store
    • 📖Recipe variations
    • 🥘Other Ukrainian Christmas traditional dishes
    • 📖 Recipe

    ☕What is uzvar

    Uzvar (pronounce as oozvar] is a traditional Ukrainian Christmas drink made with dried fruits and berries: apples, apricots, plums, raisins, and sour cherries. It is popular not only in Ukraine but in other countries of eastern Europe.

    The fruit combinations may vary depending on the region and the harvest of that year. These fruits and berries are usually air dried under the hot sun during the summer months.

    Uzvar is a variety of Kompot Fruit Drink, which is made with fresh fruits and berries during summer time.

    Ukrainian Christmas uzvar is one of the traditional 12-dish dinner recipes prepared to serve on Christmas Eve.

    Christmas Kutia (wheat berry pudding with poppy seeds gravy) is another ceremonial dish on a holiday table.

    These two dishes have a special meaning for the Christian Orthodox population in Ukraine during the Christmas holidays.

    Uzvar has a symbolic meaning of respecting the wintertime when nature is sleeping and people are getting ready to celebrate the awakening of the spring.

    Although compote uzvar drink is a holiday drink, it is good to make on any day during those long winter months, when there are not so many seasonal fruits available. This moderately sweet and sour fruity drink is great to enjoy warm or chilled.

    In addition, uzvar is rich in a lot of vitamins and minerals: Vitamin A, B, C, Potassium, and Phosphorous. It is super hydrating and so much better than any commercial juice.

    Overhead view of two cups filled with yellow drink and slices of fruits. A glass bowl with some dried apples and a corner of the cloth with Ukrainian embroidery on a wooden background.

    ⭐Why you will love this recipe

    • Better than juice - it is sweet without adding sugar, and rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber from dried fruits.
    • Great warm or cold - cozy and comforting when enjoying warm, and refreshing straight from the fridge.
    • Aromatic - nothing smells better than simmering dry fruits and spices on a winter day.
    • Easy to make - only one pot and no chopping required.
    • Time-proven recipe - this is how my mom made uzvar every year. I only added some spices to my recipe as they were not widely available or affordable in Ukraine when I was growing up.

    🍎Ingredients notes

    • Dried apples - you will need softer and chewy dried apples. Do not use apple chips, they are not as aromatic. I found perfect chewy dried apples at the local Whole Foods Store. 

    Note: If you cannot find dried apples, use sliced fresh apples.

    • Dried apricots - Turkish dry apricots without adding sugar or oil are the best.
    • Prunes - same as apricots, check the package to make sure there is no other ingredients other than plums.
    • Golden raisins - or any kind of raisins will work great.
    • Cinnamon stick (optional) - you will need only one cinnamon stick. If you do not have any, skip it.
    • Whole cloves (optional)- just a few cloves for a nice flavor. You can easily skip this spice and use only dried fruits.
    • Honey - always add just a little bit of honey to taste or skip it at all. After resting, the drink will be already sweet with only fruits. You can also use sugar instead.
    • Filtered water - you will need about 6 cups of water for the amount of fruits in this recipe. Add extra fruits if using more water

    See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities.

    A white background with measured and labeled recipe ingredienst.

    ⏲️How to brew uzvar

    Rinse and soak the fruits: measure the dried fruits and add them to a large bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and soak the fruits for at least 15 minutes. Using a colander, drain the water and rinse the fruits again under running cold water.

    A stainless steel colander with different dried yellow and dark brown fruits.

    Boil: in a large pot, pour water, and add all dried fruits, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Cover and bring it to boil. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

    Rest: turn off the heat, and let it sit covered for at least 30-60 minutes for a more aromatic drink. Taste it and add a little bit of honey to your liking. You can strain it or serve it with fruits. Enjoy warm or chilled.

    A pot filled with water and dried sliced fruits.

    💭Tips for success

    • important! Use dry fruits with no additives such as oils, and sweeteners.
    • you can use homemade dehydrated fruits.
    • the amount of each type of fruit can be adjusted by preference.
    • always rinse dried fruits in cold water.
    • use filtered water.
    • spices are optional, but they add nice winter flavors.
    • let uzvar rest covered for at least 30 minutes before serving.

    🥤Serving

    Traditionally, this Christmas fruit compote is served chilled in a beautiful clay or a glass pitcher.

    Sometimes, stewed fruits may be served separately in a large bowl along with the rest of the holiday dishes.

    You can enjoy it warm (like tea) or chilled (like juice) during the winter months of the year.

    After the drink rests, you can strain it to separate the fruits or keep the fruits. The fruits will taste soft but very delicious.

    Uzvar is moderately sweet and will perfectly match any meal of the day.

    Two clear cups with a stewed fruit drink are placed on a wooden table. There is a cinnamon stick, some dried fruits, and whole cloves next to the cups. The background has a towel with Ukrainian embroidery.

    🌡️How to store

    Hot Uzvar can be kept on the stove for about 2 hours. Once it gets to room temperature, store it in the fridge in a large mason jar or a pitcher with the lid.

    It will stay fresh for about 5 days when properly stored in the fridge.

    📖Recipe variations

    • Other Fruits: you can use other fruits such as dried sour cherries, and dried pears.
    • Spicy: put 5-8 whole peppercorns (do not crush them), a few bay leaves, and star anise into the pot.
    • Citrus-y: add orange or lemon peel (only two-three peels not to make it bitter) and a juice of half of the lemon.
    • Herbs: a long time ago, they used to add mint, camomile, nettle and other herbs to the pot.

    🥘Other Ukrainian Christmas traditional dishes

    • Ukrainian beet salad
    • Lazy cabbage rolls
    • Roasted duck

    📖 Recipe

    A glass cup filled with a yellow drink with some slices of fruits inside. There is a cinnamon stick in a table and few dried fruits. Ukrainian embroidery on the background.

    Ukrainian Christmas Uzvar

    Nataliia
    Ukrainian Christmas uzvar is a traditional Ukrainian winter drink made with dried fruits, sugar, and spices. This moderately sweet fruit compote is one of the 12 dishes served on a Christmas eve dinner.
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine Ukrainian
    Servings 8
    Calories 52 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 large pot with the lid
    • 1 medium bowl

    Ingredients
      

    • 50 grams dried apples
    • 100 grams dried raising
    • 50 grams dried apricots
    • 5-6 each prunes
    • 1 each cinnamon stick (optional)
    • 3 each whole cloves (optional)
    • 1 Tablespoon honey (or more by taste)
    • 6-7 cups filtered water

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium bowl, add dried fruits and pour water to cover. Soak for at least 15 minutes. Drain and rinse under running water in a colander.
    • In a large pot, add drained fruits, water, cinnamon stick and cloves. Bring it to boil, cove and simmer on low heat for about 10-15 minutes.
    • Turn off the heat and let it rest covered for at least 30 minutes before serving. Add honey to taste. Enjoy warm or chilled.

    Notes

    • use dried fruits with no added oils or sweeteners.
    • add more or less fruits by personal preference.
    • you can skip spices.
    • let uzvar rest covered for at least 30 minutes before serving.
    • taste it before adding honey, fruits by itself give a lot of sweetness.
    • Nutritional facts are for information purposes only, and not to be considered medical advice.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 52kcalCarbohydrates: 11.4gFiber: 1.4gSugar: 10.5g
    Keyword ukrainian christmas uzvar, uzvar recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Ukrainian_recipes

    • Ukrainian Kompot Drink
    • Dressed Herring Salad
    • Ukrainian Pampushky
    • Ukrainian Christmas Kutia

    Primary Sidebar

    A young woman image from heat to the waist. She has long brown hair and wearing a leather jacket over a dark blue t-shirt. She is smiling and looking at the lens of camera.

    Hi there, I'm Nataliia. I am a content creator behind Sava's Kitchen. Here, you will find a lot of healthy family-friendly recipes. My focus is to create versatile nutritious recipes that taste great and are easy to make. Learn more about me by clicking below!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • How to Make Oat Flour in a Blender
    • Mediterranean Rice
    • Dairy Free Waffles: How to Make Waffles Without Milk
    • 5 Best Methods to Cook Sweet Potatoes: Pros and Cons

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Sava's Kitchen

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • About

    Copyright © 2023 SAVA'S KITCHEN ON FOODIE PRO THEME

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT