This slow cooker apple cider recipe is infused with citrus and spices and simmered to perfection. You’re going to want this crock pot mulled cider at all of your holiday gatherings!
This homemade apple cider recipe starts with apple juice to make life a little easier, and is a fragrant and delicious combination of aromatic spices, cinnamon and orange. It takes just 5 minutes of prep time and makes the whole house smell amazing! It’s one of my favorite holiday drinks along with Thanksgiving punch, slow cooker hot chocolate and grinch punch.
Is there anything better than a warm mug of apple cider on a cold day? I didn’t think so! This slow cooker apple cider is super easy to make, and is the hit of any party. There’s just something special about the combination of apples and spices that really makes it feel like the holidays. Make a big batch of this warm drink for your holiday event and watch the rave reviews come in.
If you want some boozy beverages to be the hit of your party try my poinsettia cocktail, cranberry margarita, Christmas sangria and cranberry mimosa.
Slow Cooker Apple Cider Ingredients
To make this apple cider you will need apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice berries, whole cloves and an orange. A star anise is optional. For garnish you may want cinnamon sticks, sliced apples, sliced oranges and cranberries. Check out the recipe card below for amounts and details.
- Apple Juice: I use an organic, unfiltered apple juice, it has SO much more flavor than your standard grocery store brand apple juice. It really makes a difference in this recipe!
- Cinnamon Sticks: You can find whole cinnamon sticks in the baking aisle of your grocery store. Not only do they give the cider a fantastic flavor, but they look great in the cider.
- Allspice Berries: Dried, whole allspice berries are sold in the baking aisle of your local supermarket. As the cider heats, the allspice provides a warm spiced flavor to the drink.
- Star Anise: Star anise is optional. It has a good licorice flavor and looks amazing in the cider, but it can be difficult to find. The cider is fantastic with or without star anise.
How Do You Make Slow Cooker Apple Cider?
To make this slow cooker apple cider recipe, first pour apple juice into your crock pot. Next, stir in brown sugar. Place cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cloves, star anise and orange slices in the slow cooker. Cover and heat the cider. The spices and orange slices infuse the cider with delicious flavor. When the cider is done, remove whole spices and orange slices. Feel free to garnish your crock pot or individual mugs. Enjoy the warm holiday drink!
Tips For The Best Slow Cooker Apple Cider
- I garnish my cider with sliced oranges and apples to add a little color, and to give my guests a hint about the flavors in this drink. I also add a handful of fresh cranberries just because they’re so pretty and seasonally appropriate.
- It’s best to use whole spices to let them slowly infuse the juice as it simmers in the crock pot.
- You can actually let it simmer for longer, just be aware that the longer it simmers, the more prevalent the spice flavors will be.
- For the garnish I tend to use slices of two different apples for a color contrast. I use a red or pink apple like a red delicious apple or a pink lady apple and a green apple like granny smith apple.
- If you have kids enjoying the cider, you may want to remove the garnishes to make it easier for them to drink the cider.
Quick Tip
When the cook time is up, I turn my slow cooker to the keep warm setting, then put out a ladle and some mugs so my guests can serve themselves.
Recipe FAQs
Apple cider refers to unfiltered apple juice while mulled apple cider is when the apple cider is heated and infused with spices and sweeteners. When people think of holiday apple cider they are generally thinking of mulled apple cider.
To make spiced apple cider for the holidays, simply place apple juice or unfiltered apple cider in a slow cooker and heat it with a sweetener and spices.
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What Spices Are In Apple Cider?
I use a combination of cinnamon sticks, allspice berries and cloves to add a little spice to this cider. I also add in one star anise. Star anise have a licorice flavor and add a unique touch to the cider. However, star anise can be expensive and some people don’t like the licorice flavor, so feel free to omit.
Flavor Variations
While this slow cooker apple cider recipe is warming and delicious, you can change up the flavors to suit your taste.
- Cranberry: You can turn this into a cranberry apple cider by using 4 cups of apple juice and 4 cups of sweetened cranberry juice.
- Sweetener: You can use other sweeteners in place of brown sugar like honey or maple syrup. You can even use a combination of sweeteners.
- Apples: For more apple flavor you can place apple slices in the slow cooker with the apple juice. Then after the cider is done heating, remove the apple slices. Mash them in a separate bowl with a potato masher and pour the juices back in the slow cooker. Strain the juices going into the slow cooker with a fine mesh strainer. You could use any kind of apple you prefer including tart apples like Golden Delicious or McIntosh apples or sweet apples like Gala, Fuji or Honeycrisp apples.
- Spice: For a spicier drink, you can add some ground cinnamon and ground allspice to taste. You could even finely grate some ginger into the cider.
- Alcohol: You can make your apple cider into an adult beverage by adding some bourbon to the finished cider.
Slow cooker apple cider is a must-have for all of your holiday gatherings. Enjoy this drink for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. You won’t believe how good it tastes, and it makes the whole house smell wonderful! This recipe serves 8, but if you need to serve more people, you can simply add more juice to your crock pot along with the stated proportions of spices in the recipe.
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Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Slow Cooker Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 8 cups apple juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 star anise optional
- 1 orange sliced
- garnishes: cinnamon sticks, sliced apples, oranges and cranberries
Instructions
- Place the apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cloves, star anise and orange in a slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours or LOW for 3 hours. Remove whole spices and orange slices. Serve, garnished with cinnamon sticks, apples, oranges and cranberries if desired.
Notes
- It’s best to use whole spices to let them slowly infuse the juice as it simmers in the crock pot.
- You can actually let it simmer for longer, just be aware that the longer it simmers, the more prevalent the spice flavors will be.
- When the cook time is up, I turn my slow cooker to the keep warm setting, then put out a ladle and some mugs so my guests can serve themselves.
I can only imagine how good this tastes and smells. Can’t wait to try making this recipe at home. Although I may not share.
This looks really delicious! I love apple cider! I can’t wait to try this! And i love all slow cooker recipes! So easy and convenient!
I love apple cider in the fall and winter! It is so comforting. I’ll have to try this recipe! It sounds delicious!
Yumm I am totally making some of this for the holidays!! My kids love apple cider and the great thing about it, is you can put some in the frig to be cold apple cider too!!
Wow! This looks amazing and perfect for the holidays!
Perfect for my Thanksgiving group!
I’ve been wanting to try making my own apple cider! I love that you infused it with citrus too! Can’t wait to try making this! <3
I love making apple cider using my slow cooker! I can’t wait to try your version! Looks fantastic!
We don’t get a ton of weather here, so I celebrate the seasons with the yummy flavors like in your slow cooker apple cider. Those extracts sound like the perfect way to bring flavors to my recipes.
I love making stuff like this in the slow cooker. It makes the entire house smell AMAZING!
Apple cider is my favorite during the winter months! This looks so yummy and comforting!
This sounds amazing and so perfect for the holidays! I have never tried these extracts before, but I will have to grab some.
I love using my slow cooker. This sounds like a delicious recipe for the winter months. I bet you the house smells wonderful when you make this cider.
I love that you can set it up and just leave it to cook and be warm before your guests arrive. It’s also lovely to make during cold winter days and you’re just at home!
I don’t think I’ve made apple cider in a slow cooker before! That’s such an awesome idea! I would love to make this especially this Thanksgiving!
I could actually use a glass of this to warm up with. This sounds like it could be a fun weekend project.
OMG I love this. I make an apple cider drink but I want to try this! I may do two separate ones and add alcohol to one 🙂
I have never tried making my own cider before! I don’t have a slow cooker so I would have to do mine on the stovetop.
That has to be the best apple cider recipe I’ve ever seen. I’m a huge fan of apple cider, and I always love to try new variation of it.
I can’t wait to make this! I think I might be the only person in the world who doesn’t love egg nog, but I rock the apple cider. That looks so good!
I’m with you, Stacie! Always wanted to like eggnog because it smells so good, but just can’t do it! LOVE hot spiced cider though!