Slow Cooker Apple Cider

Hot apple cider is a timeless seasonal drink that you can easily make fresh at home using your trusty crockpot. This slow cooker apple cider is quick and easy to prepare, but it will taste like you labored over it all day.

With hints of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and orange, homemade apple cider from scratch is rich and flavorful — rivalling the ones you can order at your local orchard or Christmas market. It’s the perfect, family-friendly drink to treat your loved ones to as the weather cools down. Plus, a great way to use apples while they’re in season!

Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Apple Cider

• Made with real, pronounceable ingredients. Store-bought apple ciders sometimes use artificial flavorings and preservatives to preserve their shelf-life. But this homemade apple cider is made with real ingredients that you may already stock in your pantry. You will feel good about getting cozy with a cup of this fall drink.
• Set it and forget it. After spending no more than a few minutes to prep the ingredients, you’ll just toss everything in the crockpot and let it simmer while you continue about your day. The flavors will infuse into the water over a few hours resulting in the best apple cider made from scratch but with very little effort!
• It’s great for fall entertaining. Crockpot apple cider is great for fall gatherings like tailgate parties, cookouts, bonfires, and even Thanksgiving. It also makes a unique carry-in item for work potlucks and dinner parties.

Ingredient Notes

To make this delicious crockpot apple cider, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• apples - keep the end result in mind when selecting the apples you’ll use in this recipe. Different varieties will influence the taste of the final product. There is no one “right” kind — it’s up to your personal tastes! For a sharper, more tart cider, try Granny Smiths or Pink Lady apples. For a sweeter, more classic cider, try Galas or Fuji apples.
• orange - an orange? In apple cider? Yes! Traditional apple cider recipes call for orange. The sweet citrus flavor brings the perfect balance to spiced apple cider. You can omit the orange if you want, but including it as directed will give you the best, most authentic apple cider experience.
• cinnamon sticks - you should be able to find cinnamon sticks in the spice aisle of your grocery store (especially in the fall season) but if you can’t find sticks, you can use ground cinnamon instead by subbing in ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon for every stick in the recipe. You should also be aware that you may have a slight graininess in the final cider – you can skim this from the top or filter it out with a fine mesh sieve.
• whole cloves
• whole allspice
• water
• brown sugar - adjust your desired sweetness by adding as much or as little as you want. Brown sugar is one of the key ingredients in this recipe as the molasses in it adds richness and depth to the cider, but you can replace it with equal amounts of maple syrup or a sugar-free brown sugar alternative if you wish.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a slow cooker.

How to Make the Best Apple Cider in the Slow Cooker

1. Combine ingredients. Place the quartered apples and orange into the bowl of a slow cooker. Add cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and allspice. Pour in water (it should completely cover the fruit and almost fill up the top of the slow cooker, about 1 inch left at the top).

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2. Slow cook. Cook on high heat for 3 hours, or on low heat for 6 hours.
3. Mash. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the apples.

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4. Add sugar. Stir in brown sugar and cook on low for another hour.

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5. Discard solids. Use a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth to strain out the solid bits. Discard the solids and transfer the liquid apple cider to a pitcher or container and serve hot. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for later.

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How to Serve

Enjoy a cup of homemade apple cider whenever you feel like a warm drink. I like to serve it with a sweet treat on the side. Some of my favorite fall desserts to serve with cider is:

• Apple Pie Bars
• Pecan Pie
• Pumpkin Bread
• Apple Cake
• Individual Apple Crisp
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Storage/Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Allow leftover apple cider to cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container or sealed pitcher and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pot over the stove on medium-lo heat until warmed through.

How to Freeze

You can freeze excess apple cider in a plastic container like a Tupperware or a deli soup container for up to 3 months. When filling the container, make sure you leave room at the top (several inches, at least), as the liquid will expand and could burst if not accounted for.

More Drink Recipes

• Apple Cider Vinegar Turmeric Drink
• Ginger Turmeric Tea
• Non-Alcoholic Eggnog
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate
• Matcha Milk Tea
• Peach Iced Tea

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