During chilly New England fall and winter days, I love keeping my slow cooker full of Hot Apple Cider, simmered with brown sugar and warming spices. It's a favorite to share at parties and holiday get-togethers.
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When the air turns crisp in the fall and downright cold in the winter, a warm drink is just the ticket to keep everyone cozy and cheerful. And what could be simpler than Hot Apple Cider!
Pick up some fresh apple cider from a local orchard, and add classic autumn spices. In a slow cooker, the cider gently simmers and takes on the flavors of cinnamon, allspice, and other spices.
Make a pot of Hot Apple Cider for all your fall and winter get-togethers.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A simple, slow-cooker recipe for hot, New England-style apple cider, flavored with fall spices.
- You'll love this part: It's a drink folks will love at holiday parties, on Halloween, or simply to celebrate apple season.
- How it's made: Add cider and spices to a slow cooker. Heat everything for a few hours, then serve.
Jump to:
What is hot apple cider?
On one hand, this recipe is as simple as it sounds: apple cider served hot. But to make it more interesting and delectable, the cider is simmered with classic fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, and often citrus and sugar.
The drink is also known as hot mulled cider or mulled spice cider. Mulling is an old-fashioned method of heating wine, beer, or cider with sweeteners and flavorings from spices, fruit, citrus, and aromatics. The heat develops and concentrates the flavors of the added ingredients to create a deeply flavorful punch.
Hot cider recipes can also include a splash of liqueurs or spirits; a source of a little extra warmth on those cold nights!
My recipe for Hot Apple Cider has sweetness from dark brown sugar, those wonderful autumn spices, and a few cranberries, too—for color and to add a hint of tartness.
Hot Cider tastes like New England in a mug
The image of New England in autumn is as much about apples as it is colorful fall foliage, pumpkins, and pies. Family trips to the local orchards for apple picking are one of the best autumn outings ever!
During these apple picking visits, plenty of apples are plucked off the tree and eaten right there in the field. Those that do make it home in full-to-bursting paper totes get transformed into everything from apple pie to apple bars to apple-filled breads and savory dishes and vegetable soups, too.
Apples aren't the only thing to bring home from the orchard. You might find cider donuts, baked goodies from the farm kitchen, vegetables, pumpkins, and products from other local businesses, too. And at even the smallest of apple orchards with have a sweet, sippable apple treat: fresh-pressed apple cider.
There's nothing quite like the flavor of cider purchased right at the source. It's sweet, tart, and has a crisp juiciness that tastes just like a bite from a just-picked apple.
Pick up a quart or a half-gallon or a big, heavy gallon jug and bring it home. It's delicious used as an ingredient in recipes for roasts, quick breads, and pancakes. And then you'll be able to make a batch of this Hot Cider in a Crock Pot!
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Why you'll love this Hot Apple Cider recipe
When apple season comes around, it's the perfect time to pick up a quart of apple cider from local apple orchards. They freshly press the cider throughout the apple season, so it has that crisp, sweet flavor of apples just plucked from the tree. And it's so delicious when warmed up!
My Hot Spiced Apple Cider is made in the slow cooker, which means you can let it simmer away while you go out to rake some leaves or to shovel snow off the walkway. As it heats, the cider is infused with spices like cloves, allspice, star anise, and cinnamon. The molasses notes of brown sugar give the cider extra sweetness.
Serve mugs of hot apple cider with dessert in the evening, or to warm up the kids after trick-or-treating or playing in the snow.
This warm drink is also lovely for fall and winter parties, to serve at Thanksgiving dinner, or to enjoy while decorating the Christmas tree.
For the grown-ups, add a splash of something stronger to make a delicious spiked apple cider! The recipe card has several ideas of liqueurs and spirits that pair so well with hot cider.
🔪 How to make Hot Apple Cider
Ingredients:
- Apple cider: The quality of the apple cider matters here! Visit a local orchard if you can, where they'll have cider from the most recent presses. Another good option is to shop at farmer's markets or stores in your community stock products from local growers. And remember to check expiration dates!
- Spices: To make my mulled apple cider, I use a combination of dried spices: whole cloves, whole allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, grated nutmeg, and star anise. As with all spices, make sure they're fresh; check expiration dates. Old spices will have lackluster or non-existant flavor.
- Dark brown sugar: Brown sugar has molasses flavor that's perfect to sweeten the apple cider. I use the more strongly flavored dark brown sugar. (Keep that sugar nice and soft in this brown sugar storage container!)
- Apple: I add a sliced, fresh apple to the cider; it adds a little more apple flavor but makes the cider more visually appealing, which is nice when serving it at parties.
- Cranberries: Whole cranberries also add a nice splash of color to the hot cider. If fresh, whole cranberries aren't available, look for frozen cranberries at the store. Frozen berries also soften more quickly in the cider, and release some of their tart juice.
- Optional liqueurs and spirits: To make a hot, spiked apple cider, some good choices are Calvados or other apple brandies, rum, or bourbon. It's also good with a maple bourbon, such as the Vermont brand Saxton's Distillery's Sapling Maple Bourbon.
Prepare the cider and spices
Add apple cider and spices to a 3.5-quart slow cooker.
Simmer
Cover and simmer the cider and spices on high. Near the end of cooking time, add in a sliced apple and some whole cranberries.
Serve
Ladle the cider into mugs or heat-proof glasses. Garnish the glasses with thin slices of apple, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks.
Hot Apple Cider FAQs
These two apple products both begin with fresh apples; the difference between apple cider and apple juice comes down to how they're processed. Apple cider is extracted from pressed apples and bottled just as it is; it's dark in color and almost completely opaque. It has a sharp, fresh apple flavor.
Apple juice also comes from pressed apples, however, it's then filtered to remove solids, leaving behind clear, light-brown juice. Apple juice is often sweetened with added sugars, and then pasteurized to make it last longer. Because apple cider is not pasteurized, it doesn't last very long; you should enjoy it within a week or so of purchasing.
Serve a nice cup of hot apple cider with sweets like apple pie, spicy ginger cookies, or soft vanilla cookies. It's also a nice snack with a slice of buttered brown bread. In Vermont, there's an old tradition of pairing apples with cheese; try serving the hot cider with a good sliced cheddar or smoked gouda and crackers.
Yes, because apple cider ferments quickly after pressing, it's important to refrigerate it as soon as you bring it home. Any leftover mulled cider should be refrigerated, too. When kept chilled, the mulled cider recipe will last for up to five days.
Yes, freezing apple cider is a great way to make it last longer. According to Champlain Orchards in Vermont, you should let the hot apple cider cool, and then transfer it to a freezer-proof bag or container. Store the cider in the freezer for up to six months. Move it to the fridge to thaw over a day or two.
Tips:
- Leftover mulled cider should be stored in the fridge in a covered container, for about five days. It's best to strain out the whole spices and fruit; if left in, the spices will release too much flavor into the cider and the fruit will break down, leaving the cider rather murky and over-spiced.
Ready to get cozy with a nice warm drink? Me too!
My Warm Apple Cider recipe is below. Here are more comforting and warming recipes you should try!
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Hot Spiced Apple Cider
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Equipment
- 3.5 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- ½ gallon apple cider
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 10 whole allspice berries
- 10 whole cloves
- 4 cinnamon sticks (about 4 inches long)
- 1 whole star anise
- ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 whole apple
- ½ cup whole cranberries
- optional garnishes, like sliced apples, whole cranberries, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks
- optional liqueurs and spirits, like bourbon, maple bourbon, Calvados, or apple brandy
Instructions
Simmer the cider:
- Pour the ½ gallon apple cider into a 3.5-quart slow cooker. Stir in 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar until it's dissolved.
- Add in 10 whole allspice berries, 10 whole cloves, 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 whole star anise, and ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook the cider on high heat for 2½ hours.
Add the fruit:
- Core 1 whole apple (leave the skin on) and slice it into chunks. Add these and the ½ cup whole cranberries to the cider. Cover and cook the cider for 30 minutes more.
Serve:
- Ladle the hot cider into mugs or heat-proof glasses. (Such as Irish coffee glasses.)
- To each glass, add optional garnishes, like sliced apples, whole cranberries, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks. Serve the cider while it's hot.
- Makes about 8 servings.
Make the cider on the stovetop:
- Instead of the slow cooker, use a large pot or Dutch oven. Heat the cider and spices and keep them at a low, gentle simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the sliced apple and cranberries during the last 15 minutes or so of cooking.
To spike the hot cider:
- Make boozy hot apple cider by adding a shot or two of optional liqueurs and spirits, like bourbon, maple bourbon, Calvados, or apple brandy to the mugs of hot cider.
To store:
- Strain the whole spices and fruit from the mulled hot cider. Transfer it to a covered container, and keep it in the fridge for up to five days.
Notes
- Leftover mulled cider should be stored in the fridge in a covered container, for about five days. It's best to strain out the whole spices and fruit; if left in, the spices will release too much flavor into the cider and the fruit will break down, leaving the cider rather murky and over-spiced.
Nutrition
Christian says
So tasty! And adding a little maple bourbon brought it to the next level!
Nancy Mock says
So glad you enjoyed the cider! Maple and apple together make the drink a true celebration of fall in New England. 🙂