Hot Spiced Apple Cider
Hot spiced apple cider will warm you up this holiday season! It’s made in your slow cooker so your house will smell divinely fragrant while it simmers away, and it tastes absolutely amazing!
Every family has their own holiday traditions, and so many of them involve cooking and baking! Whether it’s making vegan gingerbread men or eggnog, these traditions are what the holidays are all about. This hot spiced apple cider is one of my family’s favourite traditions!
If you ask me, making hot spiced apple cider is something everyone should do! Your house will be filled with the amazing aroma of holiday spices and sweet apples, and the taste is cozy, warm, and perfect for putting you in the holiday spirit.
Why You’ll Love This Hot Spiced Apple Cider Recipe
- Real apple cider from scratch. This recipe doesn’t just have you simmer bottled apple cider with spices. You’ll actually make the apple cider with apples. It doesn’t get any fresher than this!
- The coziest flavour and aroma. With cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, this recipe has all those warm spices we love during the holiday season. If you want your house to smell inviting for a holiday party, have this hot spiced apple cider simmering in the kitchen!
- Simple crockpot recipe. No muss, no fuss, just add everything to the slow cooker and let it do the work for you! Once the cooking is done, you only have to mash the fruit and strain the mixture.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Apples – I like to use a mix of gala, honeycrisp and Granny Smith.
- Orange – Remove the rind, as it can make the cider bitter.
- Spices – Whole cloves, nutmeg, pimento seeds, and cinnamon sticks.
- Filtered water – Some tap water has off flavours, so filtered water will give your hot spiced apple cider a more pure taste.
- Maple syrup or agave nectar – To sweeten the cider.
How to Make Hot Spiced Apple Cider
- Prepare the fruit. Roughly chop the apples and cut the orange into quarters.
- Assemble. Add the fruit to your slow cooker, along with all the spices and filtered water. Stir to combine.
- Cook. Turn your slow cooker on and cook for 7-8 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high heat.
- Mash. One hour before your spiced apple cider is ready, use a potato masher to mash the apples and oranges. Stir in the maple syrup.
- Continue cooking. Allow the cider to cook for another hour.
- Strain. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, then serve warm and enjoy.
Tips for Success
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. If you want the apple cider barely sweet, add ½ cup of maple syrup. If you like it on the sweeter side, but not overly sweet, you can add ¾ cup. The amount will depend on the sweetness of the apples you use, too.
- Double strain the cider. I like to double strain the cider—basically, straining it once and then repeating. Using a cheesecloth will help you get any little bits of spices and apples out.
- Try different spices. Star anise adds a unique flavour to this hot spiced apple cider, or add some slices of fresh ginger root for some extra warmth. Cardamom pods are also lovely for cider.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re scaling up this hot spiced apple cider for a holiday get-together, turn the slow cooker to the Keep Warm setting and set a ladle and cups or mugs next to the crockpot so guests can serve themselves. If you’d like, spike the apple cider with bourbon or spiced rum.
How to Store Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftover hot spiced apple cider in a covered bottle or airtight container for up to 5 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can transfer the cooled apple cider to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat it according to the instructions above.
More Vegan Holiday Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Bread with Orange Glaze
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Turkey
- Buttery Vegan Spritz Cookies
- Sweet Potato Soufflé
Enjoy friends! If you make this hot spiced apple cider, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Hot Spiced Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 10 apples, I used a mix of gala, honey crisp and Granny Smith
- 1 orange, sliced and peel removed
- ½ tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 whole nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon pimento seeds/whole all spice
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cups of filtered water
- ½ cup maple syrup , or Agave Nectar
Instructions
- Roughly chop the apples, and cut the orange (peel removed) into quarters. Add to your slow cooker along with all the spices and the filtered water. Stir to combine and turn your slow cooker on for 7-8 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high heat.
- One hour before your spiced apple cider is ready, using a potato masher, mash all of the fruits. They should be very soft and easy to mash. Mash until all the fruits are mashed. Add the maple syrup at this point. If you like it barely sweet, you can add the ½ cup. If you like it on the sweeter side, but not overly sweet, you can add ¾ cup. You can always add more later after it's finished and you've tasted it, so you can start with less.
- Allow the cider to cook for the last hour, and then strain. We like to double strain it (strain once, then repeat the process) using a fine meshed sieve, and you can also use a cheesecloth for added precision.
- Serve warm and enjoy! You can freeze this recipe for several months to enjoy all winter long.
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Thankyou for this post!!!!! I had no idea that honey had pesticide in it . . . My family and I consume a lot of honey 🙁 this really opened my eyes about the need to be more careful about what kind of honey we are getting. Will definitely be looking for this brand in our grocery store. This recipe also looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Hi Kaleigh,
You’re so welcome and I am so happy that the post helped to bring this awareness to you and to introduce you to the Wholesome Organic Honey brand!! It also tastes phenomenal and also comes in a raw and unfiltered version too that is also organic, so there’s a lot of variety. I really hope you enjoy this recipe too! It really hit a spot with that warmth on a cold rainy night!! 🙂 Thank you so much for your comment!
Wonderful pictures, I just bought some pears. It is time to try this new recipe for my family. I would use them instead of apples. I will let you know the result after I make it.