This Crock Pot Mulled Cider is the perfect drink to warm you up on a cold day, especially during the holiday season. It's the ideal drink for entertaining and will make your kitchen smell wonderful as it simmers away in the slow cooker.
It's hard to resist a glass of hot mulled cider, the quintessential holiday drink. Not only is this classic cold-weather beverage delicious, the smell is so comforting and inviting. Add a splash of brandy or rum and it makes the perfect adult treat on a cold day!
This crock pot mulled cider is one of my favorite apple recipes along with my Baked Apple Cider Donuts, Air Fryer Apple Chips, Spiced Apple Muffins, and Healthy Apple Cranberry Crisp.
You can make this delicious mulled apple cider in the slow cooker/crock pot or on the stove. It's quite an easy recipe.
The benefit of the crock pot is that you can just set it and forget it. The apple cider will simmer away with the mulling spices and stay warm for hours. Your guests can even serve it up directly from the crock pot. It doesn't get much easier than that!
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- Comforting and delicious- the perfect holiday beverage!
- So easy- the crock pot does all the work
- Both kids and adults will love it- adults can spike their drink with alcohol, if desired
- Perfect for entertaining- this recipe makes 16 servings
Mulling Spices for Apple Cider
Mulling means to heat, sweeten, and flavor something with spices. Mulled apple cider is cider that is heated with spices, and often citrus fruit, to enhance its flavor. Alcohol is often added to mulled cider.
Mulling spice is a spice mixture used in fall and winter drink recipes like this crock pot mulled cider. The most common spices used in mulled apple cider are cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Other spices used are nutmeg, star anise, cardamom, and black peppercorns.
You can also buy prepackaged mulling spices in stores or online.
Don't worry if you don’t have all of these spices. You can use your own combination of mulling spices in this crock pot mulled cider and it will still be delicious!
Ingredients
Recipe Notes and Substitutions (see recipe card below for complete ingredient list and measurements):
- Apple cider- use fresh apple cider or unfiltered apple juice for the best flavor. Don't use sparkling cider, spiced cider, hard cider, or clear apple juice.
- Orange- I like to add orange slices to complement the sweet apple and warm spices
- Mulling spices- I use a combination of cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice berries; you can use other spices like ginger (fresh or ground), star anise, cardamom or black peppercorns
How To Make Crock Pot Mulled Cider Step-By-Step
See recipe card below for full recipe amounts and instructions
- Step 1- Pour the apple cider into your crock pot.
- Step 2- Slice an orange into ¼-inch thick slices.
- Step 3- Add the orange slices to the crock pot.
- Step 4- Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries. Cook on low heat for 4 hours. Then, strain, pour into glasses and serve!
Chef's Tips
- If you don't have a slow cooker, you can make this mulled apple cider on the stove. See recipe card below for full instructions.
- You can put bottles of brandy or rum next to the crock pot for your guests to spike their hot cider with.
- To make it easier to strain out the spices, you can place them in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it up into a sachet with kitchen twine. Then, simply remove it before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. If you don't have a crock pot, you can make this recipe on the stove top. Simply heat the apple cider, orange slices, and spices in a saucepan and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain and serve.
You can cook the mulled cider in a crock pot for 4 hours on low heat.
Apple cider is plain cider with nothing added to it and is typically served cold. Mulled cider is apple cider that's been heated and flavored with spices and sometimes fruit. It's typically served warm or hot. Often, alcohol is added to mulled cider.
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Recipe
Crock Pot Mulled Cider
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 1 orange, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
- Brandy or rum (optional)
- Cinnamon sticks and orange slices for garnish
Instructions
- Place the apple cider, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries in a crockpot.
- Cook on low heat for 4 hours. Strain the cider and pour it into individual cups. If desired, you can add a splash (or two!) of brandy or rum. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and orange slices. Serve hot.
- To make this mulled cider on the stove, place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and serve.
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