Print

Easy Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Cider

easy slow cooker spiced apple cider - featured image
Print Recipe

This quick slow cooker spiced apple cider is warm, spiced, apple-y perfection that takes about five minutes of actual work. The slow cooker does the heavy lifting, filling your house with that cozy fall aroma while you go about your evening.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 64 ounces (about 8 cups) apple cider
  • 1 large apple, sliced (Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala)
  • 1 medium orange, sliced
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 3 star anise pods
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
  • 1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) (optional)
  • 3 thin slices fresh ginger (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash the apple and orange thoroughly. Slice the apple into thin rounds (about ¼-inch thick), removing the core and seeds. Slice the orange into similar-sized rounds. You don’t need to peel either one.
  2. Pour the entire 64 ounces of apple cider into your slow cooker. Add the apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, allspice berries, and freshly grated nutmeg. If using any optional additions (brown sugar, vanilla, or ginger), add them now. Give everything a gentle stir with a wooden spoon to distribute the spices.
  3. Cover the slow cooker and set it to Low for 4 hours or High for 2 hours.
  4. Check the flavor around the 2-hour mark (if using Low) or 1-hour mark (if using High). Give the cider a taste. If you want more warmth, let it go longer. If it’s already perfect, you can turn the slow cooker to ‘Warm’ to keep it at serving temperature without over-steeping.
  5. Once the cider has finished cooking, use a ladle to pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a large heatproof pitcher or directly into mugs. This removes the fruit slices, cinnamon sticks, and whole spices.
  6. Garnish with a fresh apple slice, a cinnamon stick, or a star anise pod in each mug for a beautiful presentation (optional).

Notes

Don’t boil the cider; the slow cooker’s low heat gently steeps the spices without boiling. Toast your spices first for deeper flavor by heating them in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 60 seconds. Watch your clove count—six whole cloves is the sweet spot. Use the ‘Warm’ setting strategically to keep the cider at perfect serving temperature for hours. Double the batch without doubling the spices—use 4 cinnamon sticks, 8 cloves, 4 star anise, and 1½ teaspoons allspice berries for 1 gallon of cider. This cider actually tastes better the next day; make it ahead of time, strain it, refrigerate it, and reheat gently.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker spiced apple cider, easy apple cider, fall drink, warm apple cider, crockpot cider

Find it online: https://snappyspoon.com/easy-slow-cooker-spiced-apple-cider/