Mulled Apple Cider is the perfect hot drink to sip on all throughout fall, winter and the holiday season. And it's super easy to make either on the stovetop or in the slow cooker!
When the days and nights start to get chilly and the smell of fallen leaves fills the air, a mug of mulled cider is one of my favorite ways to warm up, get cozy and ring in the season. It's also great for holiday celebrations like Thanksgiving and Christmas!
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In cooking, the term "mulled" refers to a beverage - such as apple cider or wine - that's been heated, sweetened and flavored with spices.
My homemade mulled apple cider is infused with the flavor of some classic warm fall spices: cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice berries, and star anise. Orange slices add a hint of citrus, and it's lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup.
It's absolutely delicious and very reminiscent of apple pie. Plus, it's easy to make and is so much better than any powdered mix.
Bonus: Your kitchen will smell fantastic while you're making it!
This recipe is for a non-alcoholic mulled cider, so it's perfect for both adults and kids. But you can always offer up some brandy, bourbon, whiskey or rum on the side for any of the grown-ups who would like to add a splash to their mug.
Ingredients You Need
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Apple cider - the non-alcoholic kind; this is the star of the show, so get the good stuff
- Look for fresh-pressed cider that is unfiltered (it will be cloudy rather than clear) and doesn't have any added sugar or sweeteners. Also, for food safety reasons, make sure it is pasteurized.
- If you have a local orchard with a cidery, that is most likely the best option. Otherwise, look in the refrigerated area of the produce section in the grocery store.
- Pure maple syrup - for just a little added sweetness
- Orange - for a hint of bright citrus flavor
- Cinnamon sticks
- Whole cloves
- Whole allspice berries (dried) - these have the flavor of a combination of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon; look for them in the spice aisle of the grocery store or online (if you can't get them, just use another cinnamon stick and a few more cloves)
- Star anise - adds a subtle licorice flavor
- Optional garnishes: one cinnamon stick, one half slice of fresh orange and one half slice of apple for each mug
How to Make Mulled Apple Cider on the Stovetop
Note: This is just a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Place the apple cider, maple syrup, orange slices and spices in a pot; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on the top.
Strain the mulled cider through a fine mesh sieve to remove the orange slices and spices. Serve hot. Garnish each mug, if desired and enjoy!
How to Make Mulled Apple Cider in the Slow Cooker
Note: This is just a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Place the apple cider, maple syrup, orange slices, and spices in a slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours.
Strain the mulled cider through a fine mesh sieve to remove the orange slices and spices. Serve hot. Garnish each mug, if desired, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your spices are fresh so they provide the most flavor.
- Don't substitute ground spices for the whole spices in this recipe; it will give the hot apple cider an unpleasant grittiness.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of spices, citrus and maple syrup to suit your own personal tastes.
- For the stovetop method, you don't want to boil the cider. Just bring it up to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low so that it is very gently simmering (it should just barely bubble). This allows the flavors of the orange and spices to infuse the cider without reducing it too much.
- You may get some foam that forms on top of the cider as it simmers. If so, just skim it off with a spoon.
- This recipe is for 8 servings of about 1 cup each. You can easily scale it up or down depending on how many servings you need.
Substitutions & Variations
- Brown sugar can be used instead of maple syrup.
- A clementine or mandarin orange, which you can often find in grocery stores in the fall, can be used in place of the orange.
- Try adding some whole fresh cranberries along with the orange slices.
- Make a spiked mulled cider by adding brandy, bourbon, whiskey or rum.
- I think the best way to do this is to offer the alcohol on the side so that each person can add as much or as little to their mug as they want.
- You can spike the whole batch if you'd prefer (just wait until after the cider is finished to add it so that the alcohol doesn't evaporate off).
Leftover Storage & Reheating
Keep leftover mulled apple cider in a covered/airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat mulled cider in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat until hot, or heat each individual serving in a microwave-safe mug in the microwave in 30-second intervals until hot.
I hope you try this Mulled Apple Cider recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Hot Drink Recipes To Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Mulled Apple Cider (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 8 cups apple cider, the non-alcoholic kind; see notes below
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or to taste
- 1 small orange, sliced (about ¼ inch thick)
- 2 cinnamon sticks, plus additional sticks for garnish if desired
- 8 whole cloves
- 8 whole allspice berries (dried), see notes below
- 2 whole star anise
- fresh halved orange slices, optional (for garnish)
- halved apple slices, optional (for garnish)
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Place the apple cider, maple syrup, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, and star anise in a 3-quart or larger pot; give it a quick stir to incorporate the maple syrup.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat (don't boil), then immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently for 30 minutes (it should just barely bubble...keep an eye on it; this allows the spices and orange to infuse without the cider reducing too much).If foam forms on the top of the cider, skim it off with a spoon.
- Strain the cider through a fine mesh sieve to remove the orange slices and the spices.
Slow Cooker Method
- Place the apple cider, maple syrup, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, and star anise in a 3-quart or larger slow cooker; give it a quick stir to incorporate the maple syrup.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 3 hours.If any foam has formed on the top of the cider, skim it off with a spoon (I find that there isn't much, if any, foam when I use the slow cooker).
- Strain the cider through a fine mesh sieve to remove the orange slices and the spices.
To Serve
- Pour the strained hot cider into mugs and enjoy!If desired, garnish each mug with one cinnamon stick, one half slice fresh orange (not the ones that were in the cider while mulling) and one half slice apple.
Notes
- The apple cider is the star of the show, so get the good stuff!
- Look for fresh-pressed cider that is unfiltered (it will be cloudy rather than clear) and doesn't have any added sugar or sweeteners. Also, for food safety reasons, make sure it is pasteurized.
- If you have a local orchard with a cidery, that is most likely the best option. Otherwise, look in the refrigerated area of the produce section in the grocery store.
- Allspice has the flavor of a combination of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon; look for the whole dried berries in the spice aisle of the grocery store or online. If you can't get them, just use another cinnamon stick and a few more cloves.
- Total time shown above of 45 minutes is for the stovetop method. For the slow cooker method, total time would be 3 hours and 5 minutes.
Michelle says
Looks so good for winter and gorgeous photos!!!
Michelle says
Thank you, Michelle!