Spiked Apple Cider Crockpot
Our Spiked Apple Cider Crockpot recipe is the ultimate fall comfort drink. The sweet aroma of simmering apples, ground cinnamon, and cloves fills the room making it feel warm and cozy (any time of year).
Crockpot Spiked Apple Cider is a seasonal staple that will leave you feeling warm and satisfied all season long. This recipe was made in a 3-quart slow cooker but can easily be doubled and made in a larger slow cooker.
Apple cider is a traditionally non-alcoholic beverage served during the autumn season, especially around Halloween and Thanksgiving. It is made from pressed apples, and is sweet and tangy in flavor. It can be served cold or warm.
This Crockpot Apple Cider inspired my Apple Cider Mimosa and Apple Cider Sangria with White Wine recipes.
- Minimal Sugar: Making your own apple cider allows you to control the amount of sugar.
- Better than Store-Bought: More prominent flavours come through with homemade apple cider versus buying them from a store.
- Simple Recipe: Making this in the Crockpot allows you to walk away while the magic happens!
Take note of each ingredient listed in the recipe as we provide helpful tips on how to maximize their potential for the most delicious outcome.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Royal Gala Apples: A sweet but mild-flavored apple.
- Oranges: Just your grocery store variety works great.
- Light Brown Sugar: This option is lighter in molasses flavor than dark brown sugar, but either will work.
- Cinnamon Sticks: This adds warmth to the cider, if you love cinnamon feel free to add in additional sticks.
- Cloves: Paired with cinnamon sticks only increases that warmth.
- All-Spice: This adds a peppery flavor.
- Star Anise: This offers a sweet, licorice-like flavor.
- Water: Using filtered or tap water will work.
For this recipe, you'll want to have on hand a 3-quart slow cooker, fine strainer (or a cheesecloth), measuring cups and spoons, and a potato masher.
Love this recipe but want to make it your own? Here are some helpful alternatives.
- Honey: For a natural sweetener swap out the brown sugar for honey.
- Rum: Dark rums pair really well with apple cider.
- Ground Spices: If you only have ground spices (and you know the substitution ratio) you can swap those for whole, but we high recommend using whole.
All you need are the ingredients, any size Crockpot or slow cooker and some time to let this delicious beverage come together.
Place quartered gala apples and orange slices in the crock pot. Add in all remaining ingredients and cover with 4 cups of water. Cook on high for 3 hours, and lightly stir after 1.5 hours moving some ingredients around. Using a potato masher, squish some pulp out of the fruits and strain everything into a large bowl or measuring cup (note: you may need to do this a few times or using a cheesecloth to get the finer particles).
Place juices back into the crockpot to keep warm until serving, and add in the alcohol of your choice (for this recipe we used Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey). If not serving right away do not add the alcohol yet. Add additional garnishes for enhanced flavor and presentation.
Hint: Don’t sweat the small stuff for this one, if you forget about the crockpot and let it simmer a little too long you can top it off with a little more water and let the flavor build.
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Whether you made a double batch or just had extras, here are some ways to store and reheat this Homemade Spiked Apple Cider.
- Refrigerator: Once cooled, place in an airtight container like a mason jar and keep in the fridge.
- Reheating: The fastest method would be putting it on the stove on medium low heat until it starts to come to a boil.
- Make Ahead: This recipe is so great to make in advance, and add the alcohol in during the warming up process.
- Apple Pie: Everyone knows apple and cinnamon make the perfect pair. Try it with our Apple Pie a la Mode recipe for a winning combo.
- Cheese and Crackers: Aged Gouda is the perfect cheese to serve with anything cinnamon, but any cheese will do the trick.
- Spicy Chewy Gingerbread Cookies: We love the blend of gingerbread and cinnamon!
When serving the Spiked Apple Cider Crockpot recipe use extra apple, orange slices, or cinnamon sticks to garnish your glasses. This will only help further impress your guests!
We highly recommend that you use fresh apples for this recipe, as it brings out the best flavors.
What type of alcohol works best for spiking Apple Cider?We enjoy the added cinnamon flavor in the Fireball whiskey but you can use your favourite bourbon or rum if preferred!
Do I need to let the Cider cool before adding alcohol?You do not have to wait for it to cool completely, but the warmer it is the more the alcohol will dissipate. We suggest adding it right before serving.
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Spiked Apple Cider Crockpot
Recipe details
- 4 servings
- Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 3 Hours Total time: 3 hr 15 min
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