If my honey & mint lemonade is my warm-weather drink, then spiced apple cider is definitely my cold weather drink. Not only for the warmth and flavor, but the aroma it sends through the house is out of bounds.
Mulling cider is super easy, and will make any fall gathering, no matter how small, feel special. 2 minutes of active prep time, 1 hour to steep, and so few ingredients. Most of which you may already have.
Mulled (Spiced) Apple Cider
16
5
minutes1
hourThe best cold-weather drink that exists. Sorry hot chocolate, that's just the way it is.
Ingredients
1 gallon apple cider unfiltered is best
1 whole orange
1 tbsp allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole apple
6 whole cloves
Directions
- Pour the cider into a large pot. Using a peeler, peel four pieces of skin from the orange (2-3 inches long) and add them to the cider. Cut the orange in half, and squeeze the juice from it into the cider.
- Add the allspice berries and cinnamon sticks. Poke the whole cloves into the flesh of the apple, and add that to the cider as well.
- Put the pot over medium low heat for 30 minutes, then turn the heat to low for another 30. Ladle into your fave mug and enjoy it so, so much.
Equipment
- 6 qt Enameled Cast Iron Dutch OvenBuy Now
There's no packet of powder you can add to water that will taste anything like home-mulled apple cider. So if you've never done it, for real give it a try and let us know what you think.
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I have made this for the past three years at our annual Halloween party and everyone looks forward to it! It is amazing!
My husband and I agree this is the best hot apple cider recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Can't wait to try this now that it's officially Fall! Can you keep the leftover or does the spice take over?
It's good dayysssss after
What beautiful pictures! I can't wait to try the recipe!! I'm so sad, I think those World Market mugs aren't on their website anymore :((( I love them! Hopefully they come back in stock!!
This looks incredible! We’re looking forward to picking some apples and grabbing cider from a local orchard in the next week or so and this is definitely on my docket to try. If you wouldn’t mind, could you link the ladle used in the video? Thank you!
It's a set from Crate & Barrel! Found here.
Our family has made this EVERY YEAR for decades, but we call it Wassail! It is truly the best and warms the heart inside out. Love your recipe and can't wait to tweak our family favorite (we usually add a dash of cranberry juice!). I agree with you about the smell throughout the house! Thank you for sharing- love the gorgeous pics!!
Anyone know where you can buy apple cider like that in Australia? I can only find sparkling apple cider here :(
It looks amazing! Dying to try it!
You could also use unfiltered apple juice, if that's easier to get!
Yes! We use apple juice every year- slightly different flavor, but still amazing! Hope that helps! PS- Hello to Australia! My husband and I lived there for 6 months and we almost didn't leave! We will never forget the beautiful people and culture we experienced!
For the perfect adult fall drink, add Carmel vodka!
Making this tonight with the half gallon of cider my husband wanted to ferment until he realized it's still too hot to do that! It'll be nice with the pork chops I'm grilling.
Would love to know what you think! Apple anything and pork is a heavenly pair.
Looks delish! Can almost smell it through the screen. I’m curious if you would share how your keep your Dutch oven so clean? Would love to put a little shine on mine. Thanks so much!
No special tricks, though it's a pretty new pan so maybe that's it? The one I just replaced was for sure discolored, but the discoloration doesn't bother me much, so long as the enamel hasn't chipped.
Last year, Halloween night was very cold, so I made hot apple cider as part of the treat. Most of the kids & some adults accepted a cup. I used my instant pot to keep it warm and added more apple cider as the level went down. There was a group of boys who accepted the cider, but it was too hot for them, so they sat on the curb and talked for 1/2 hour while drinking. It was fun listening to them talk about school and lots of other things.
I'll probably do this again this year, if it is cold. BTW, most of the kids were accompanied by parents who Ok'd the drink and were from neighborhood.
I love this so much, Liz! And what a world, where after such a positive, wonderful comment, you felt like you needed to explain that parents signed off on it. I just assume you're responsible and cautious - but unfortunately I've also experienced too many commenters who swoop in assuming the opposite. Sorry that you've obviously experienced that as well! Thank you for your thoughtful nature and making the world around you better!