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Feel warm from head to toe with this cozy mulled/ spiced apple cider using fresh apples and several warming spices simmered on the stove or in a slow cooker for a perfect crowd-pleasing beverage this fall/winter & holiday season!
Table of contents
Cozy, Versatile Recipe for Mulled Apple Cider
While some might argue that a pumpkin spice latte is the ultimate fall beverage, for us, this simple spiced apple cider encapsulates the taste of fall and is perfect for impressing family and guests all fall/winter. Plus, it leaves your house smelling delectable (and tastes even better)!
Unlike many recipes, our mulled apple cider recipe shows you how to make mulled cider completely from scratch, with chopped apples (perfect for an orchard apple-picking haul along with batches of apple pie, crisp, and crumble) and faster with apple cider (refer to the FAQs).
Combine that with warm and fragrant mulling spices and optionally a little of your favorite sweetener for a warm, cozy, well-balanced spiced apple cider perfect for entertaining.
It’s actually really versatile, able to be enjoyed with or without sweetener, with your choice of spices, and even added to further from our list of optional add-ins. Plus, you can prepare it on the stove or in a slow cooker – whichever fits your needs.
Looking for more warm fall/winter beverage inspiration? Try warming Mexican hot chocolate, golden milk, lemon cinnamon ginger tea, or chai tea made from chai concentrate!
The Ingredients
- Apples: You can technically use any ripe apples for this mulled apple cider recipe. However, select a mixture of sweet and tart apples for the best and most complex flavor.
Sweet apples: Honey crisp, golden delicious, gala, fuji, etc.
Tart apples: Granny Smith, Jonagold, McIntosh, Pink Lady, etc.
- Water: To make the base of the homemade apple cider.
- Sweetener: (Optional) There are several ways to sweeten the mulled cider, including brown sugar, less refined coconut sugar, maple syrup, date syrup, etc. Sugar-free options like erythritol or sugar-free brown sugar/maple syrup will also work.
- Spices: Use simple pantry spices for mulled apple cider loaded with flavor.
- Cinnamon (3 sticks or 2 tbsp ground)
- Pumpkin pie spice (or apple pie spice)
- Allspice (either whole allspice berries or ground allspice)
- Cloves (1 tbsp whole or ¼ tsp ground)
- Ginger (1 tbsp minced/smashed or ¼ tsp ground)
How to Add More Flavor to The Hot Mulled Cider Recipe?
- Citrus zest: Brighten the flavor of the warm apple cider with strips of lemon, lime, or orange peel (not the bitter white pith).
- Cranberries: Use fresh/frozen cranberries (or cranberry juice) for color and tartness.
- Raspberries: A handful of berries will add a subtle depth of flavor.
- Other spices: There are several spice add-ins/ variations you can experiment with.
- Star anise (1-2 whole pods for a licorice-like flavor)
- Cardamom pods (gently crushed for a warm, floral aroma)
- Vanilla bean (halves and the seeds scraped out – for dessert-like warmth)
- Nutmeg (to enhance the warmth from the cinnamon, with subtle nuttiness)
- Mulling spices (save time by using a pre-mixed mulling spices blend)
- Black pepper (for a subtle spicy flavor)
- Caramel: Make caramel apple cider with caramel syrup in the drink and a garnish or caramel sauce over vegan whipped cream. Also, just use cinnamon and/or pumpkin spice.
How to Make Mulled Apple Cider
- 1) First, rinse, core, and chop the apples, then add them to a large heavy-based saucepan (or Dutch oven) with the remaining ingredients (water, sweetener, and spices).
For even more flavor, first lightly toast the spices until aromatic.
- 2) Mix well, cover the pot with a lid, and then bring it to a boil over high heat.
- 3) Once boiling, remove the lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Then reduce the heat to a very low, barely simmer, cover, and leave to cook for 2 ½-3 hours, until the apples are super soft and breaking down and the flavors have had a chance to meld.
- 4) Remove the pan from the heat and leave it to sit, uncovered, for a further hour to cool and for the flavors to further meld.
If you’re impatient, you can technically skip the full cooling and be careful when straining it.
- 4) Then, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or nut milk bag into a large bowl/jug. Squeeze/press the pulp as you do. Repeat that step, optionally running it through cheesecloth for the smoothest consistency.
- 5) If you plan to enjoy some or all the spiced apple cider immediately, reheat it on the stovetop if needed, taste it, and optionally add more sweetener.
- 6) Finally, ladle the hot apple cider into glasses/mugs and optionally garnish with cinnamon sticks, an orange/apple slice, coconut whipped cream, and/or caramel sauce. Enjoy!
FAQs
For delicious crockpot mulled cider, add the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours (LOW for 3-4 hours if using pre-made apple cider). Mash the apples in the last 45 minutes to release more flavor. Then strain it, taste it, and adjust the sweetness if necessary.
If you want to speed up the process of making hot mulled cider, you can use bottled apple cider/ apple juice, but it should be raw, unfiltered, with no added sugars. If you’re able to, use an unpasteurized version. It’s still a good idea to simmer the mixture for at least 30-45 minutes for the best flavor.
There are several ways to use this leftover spiced apple pulp, including popping it into smoothies, mixing it into oatmeal/overnight oats, enjoying it with chia pudding or a vegan yogurt bowl/parfait, etc.
This depends on where you live. For example, in the UK, apple cider refers to what Americans would call ‘hard apple cider,’ a fermented alcoholic drink. In America, however, apple cider and apple juice are actually similar.
The main difference is that apple cider is unfiltered, unsweetened, often unpasteurized, raw, ‘cloudy’ apple juice that contains pulp. To make mulled apple cider, the juice is slowly simmered with spices until well-infused and fragrant.
Top Recipe Tips and Notes
- Choose the best apples: Combining sweet, tart, and aromatic apples will make for the most complex flavored homemade apple cider.
- Don’t overheat it: Over-boiling can make it taste bitter. The low and slow simmer will allow the flavors to infuse the cider.
- Mash the apple puree: You can do this in the pan (with a potato masher) or when straining it, to squeeze out as much juice as possible for the best flavor.
- Sweeten to taste: If preferred, wait until it’s strained, then taste and add sweetener, if preferred, to taste.
- Fresh vs. ground spices: Fresh whole spices usually provide a more balanced and aromatic flavor, and don’t risk making the spiced apple cider cloudy/gritty, though you can use ground spices in a pinch.
- For more concentrated flavor: Simmer and reduce the hot apple cider for longer. If it’s a little TOO concentrated, add more water.
You can enjoy the mulled cider warm, chilled, or even turned into an apple cider slushie.
How to Store Spiced Apple Cider
Leave the hot mulled cider to cool and store the leftovers in a large bottle/jug or smaller mason jars, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze it, ensuring you leave a couple of inches of headspace for expansion in the freezer-safe container (or use Ziplock/Stasher bags). Store it for up to a year, then thaw it in the refrigerator overnight when needed.
It’s best to only reheat as much as you plan to consume/serve each time, either on the stovetop over low heat or in a mug in the microwave (about 1 minute).
If you plan to serve the spiced apple cider at a gathering, keep it warm in a slow cooker using the ‘warm’ setting or in an insulated coffee carafe.
More Fall/ Winter Apple Recipes
- Easy vegan apple muffins
- Apple and blueberry crumble
- Healthy Apple granola snack bites
- Stuffed baked apples
- Baked apple chips
- Apple crescent rolls
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Mulled Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 10 apples, cored and sliced
- 10 cups of water
- 2 to 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, depending on sweetness preference
- 3 cinnamon sticks or 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
- ½ tablespoon ground allspice
- 3 pieces of smashed ginger or ¼ teaspoon of ginger powder
- 1 tablespoon of whole cloves or ¼ teaspoon of ground clove
Instructions
- In a large pot with a lid over medium high heat, place the apple slices. Add the sugar and spices. Mix well and cover with the lid.
- Bring to a boil, uncover and cook for 30 minutes. Then, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours.
- Once the 3 hours have passed, remove from the heat and let it sit for one hour uncovered.
- Once cooled, grab a large bowl and strain through a fine strainer and in a separate bowl, set aside the apple fiber. Pour the liquid back into the pot and strain it one more time. Run the cider through a cheesecloth until smooth liquid consistency is achieved. (This step takes time in order to achieve a smooth cider)
- Pour the cider in a bottle with a cap or large mason jars with lids to store.
Notes
- Choose the best apples: Combining sweet, tart, and aromatic apples will make for the most complex flavored homemade apple cider.
- Don’t overheat it: Over-boiling can make it taste bitter. The low and slow simmer will allow the flavors to infuse the cider.
- Mash the apple puree: You can do this in the pan (with a potato masher) or when straining it, to squeeze out as much juice as possible for the best flavor.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.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. Plantbasedonabudget.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.
I’ve never made mulled apple cider before, so this was fun to do. It smells so good and tastes phenomenal!
Right?! Such a flavorful drink!
This tastes like a crisp autumn day. Delicious!
Love that description! So true!
So refreshing!