Slow Cooker Apple Cider is made with apples, oranges, fresh ginger, brown sugar and warm spices. This homemade cider is an easy, cozy fall drink perfect for holidays and parties.
This easy cider recipe fills your home with the warm, comforting scents of apples, oranges, cinnamon, cloves and fresh ginger as it simmers in your slow cooker.
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Slow cooker cider
Made with fresh fruits, this fresh cider has a wonderfully rich, fresh flavor that tastes like fall in every sip.
And trust me, there’s nothing quite like the aroma of homemade apple cider simmering in the kitchen on a crisp autumn day.
Making homemade apple cider in the slow cooker is wonderfully simple and the best part is that your slow cooker does most of the work for you!
Simply add the ingredients to your slow cooker, let the flavors slowly simmer and marry and then strain the cider before serving.
I recommend using a combination of both tart and sweet apples so that you get a balanced homemade cider flavor.
Oranges are a classic addition to cider and add extra depth and freshness to the drink.
Using whole spices allows the cider to become infused with warm aromatic seasonings.
This easy apple cider recipe is perfect for cozy weekends, Halloween gatherings, Thanksgiving, holiday get togethers and any time you want a warm drink to share with family and friends.
Serve it steaming hot with a cinnamon stick garnish as a stirrer or chill it and enjoy over ice for a refreshing beverage.
This homemade Slow Cooker Apple Cider is an easy fall recipe you'll want to make again and again.
Got lots more apples? You can use them to make my apple butter recipe, another easy slow cooker recipe.
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How to make how to make apple cider in a slow cooker
This is a quick overview of how to make this apple cider from scratch recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Place the apples, oranges, brown sugar and seasonings in the slow cooker and add enough water to cover.
- Step 2: Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Step 3: Reserve about one cup of apple pulp. Using a potato masher, mash the remaining solids.
- Step 4: Press the mashed solids through a cheesecloth to separate the solids from any liquid. Place the reserved apple pieces in a blender with 2 cups of strained liuid and blend. Stir the blended mixture into the remaining liquid.
Hint: Be sure to use a cheesecloth and fine-mesh strainer when removing the cooked fruit and whole spices.
Why You'll Love This Crockpot Apple Cider
- Easy to make - After you prep the ingredients, your slow cooker does the rest of the work. No standing over the stove and checking on the recipe.
- Made with fresh fruit - The combination of apples and oranges creates a naturally fruity flavor.
- Warm and spiced - Cinnamon, cloves and fresh ginger give this cider its classic fall flavor.
- Perfect for entertaining - Keep the cider warm in the slow cooker, provide a ladle and let everyone serve themselves.
- Great for fall and winter – This warm apple drink is great to serve for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, football parties and cozy family gatherings.
- Make-ahead friendly – You can prepare the recipe a day or two ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to serve. Serve it chilled or warm it up in your slow cooker again.
Expert recipe tips
- Use a variety of apples - Mixing sweet and tart apples gives homemade cider a more complex flavor that is more balanced than using just one type of apple. You'll want to use a blend of apples, at least two types, for this recipe.
- No apple peeling required - The apple skins add flavor and color to the cider and the solids get strained out before serving.
- Use whole spices – It is best to use cinnamon sticks and whole cloves when making cider because they're easy to remove after cooking and they won't leave a gritty texture in your drink that ground spices would.
- Mash after slow cooking - Once the apples have slow cooked and are tender, gently mash them before straining. The mashing helps to release more of their flavorful juices.
- Strain thoroughly - Be sure to usea fine-mesh strainer when removing the cooked fruit and whole spices to give you a smooth cider.
- Keep warm when entertaining – After straining, you can return the cider to the slow cooker and keep it warm for serving at a get together or a party.
- Adjust the sweetness - You can adjust the amount of sugar based on your personal preferences.
- Stir before serving - Be sure to give your cider a quick stir before serving since some of the apple pulp may settle when the cider is in the refrigerator.
Substitutions
- Apples - Use whatever combination of sweet and tart apples you enjoy. Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady are all good choices. Using an assortment of different apple varieties will give your cider a complex flavor.
- Oranges - Mandarin oranges or tangerines can be used instead of regular oranges.
- Fresh ginger – If you must, ground ginger can be used if fresh ginger isn't available, however, fresh ginger provides a brighter flavor and ground ginger may leave a gritty texture in the cider.
- Cinnamon sticks - Ground cinnamon can be replace cinnamon sticks, but whole cinnamon sticks are preferable because they're easier to strain and ground cinnamon may leave a gritty texture in the cider.
- Brown sugar – You cansubstitute 100% pure maple syrup, raw honey or coconut sugar or a favorite sweetener in place of the brown sugar. Both dark brown sugar and light brown sugar will work in this recipe.
- Water – If your tap water has a strong flavor I recommend that you use filtered water.
Variations
- Cranberry Apple Cider – For a beautiful seasonal cider with a touch of tartness, add fresh cranberries in addition to the apples and oranges.
- Holiday Apple Cider – For a festive holiday presentation, serve the cider with fresh cranberries, orange slices, cinnamon sticks and a sprig of rosemary.
- Honey Apple Cider – For a naturally sweet variation, replace brown sugar with raw honey.
- Hot Toddy Apple Cider - When you want an autumn alcoholic beverage, simple add a shot of Bourbon to each serving of hot apple cider.
- Maple Apple Cider – You can replace some or all of the brown sugar with 100% pure maple syrup for a delicious maple flavored cider.
- Vanilla Apple Cider – For a subtle vanilla aroma and underlying flavor note, add a vanilla bean while the cider slow cooks.
Storage
- Cool any leftover apple cider, then transfer to a container with a cover and refrigerate.
- Homemade apple cider will stay fresh in the refrigerated for about 3 - 4 days.
- To reheat your cider, gently warm it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.
- See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
For an apple juice texture
- If you prefer a texture more like apple juice, you can leave out the step of blending apple pieces with some of the liquid in the blender.
- Just mash the apple and orange pieces after slow cooking and strain through a cheesecloth, discarding all of the mashed fruit mixture.
- The textre will be that of apple juice which is much thinner than an apple cider texture.
FAQ
Using a combination of sweet and tart apples creates the best balance of flavor. Try mixing apples such as Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and Granny Smith.
You do not have to peel the apples to make apple cider. The skins add color and flavor to the cider. I do like to core the apples, although it is not totally necessary to do so because you will be straining the solids out before serving.
Ground spices can leave a grittiness in the cider even after straining and so I recommend using whole spices over ground spices.
You can make slow cooker cider several days ahead and refrigerate it until you are ready to serve. You can serve it either chilled, over ice or gently warmed on the stovetop or in the crockpot.
Yes. Once your cider has been strained, return it to the slow cooker and use the warm setting for serving. You can float some fresh apple slices and orange slices as a pretty garnish or arrange bowls of the sliced fruits and everyone can add some to their cup.
Ingredients
Homemade apple cider ingredients
- Assorted Apples - A combination of sweet and tart apples gives your cider a wonderfully balanced apple flavor. I recommend using a combination of apples such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Pink Lady. You can use your favorite apples or whatever you happen to have on hand.
- Oranges - Fresh oranges add a bright citrus note that balances the sweetness of the apples and complements the warm spices.
- Fresh Ginger - Fresh ginger adds a subtle spicy warmth that adds a little zing to every sip without overpowering the apple and citrus flavors.
- Cinnamon Sticks - Cinnamon sticks infuse the cider with classic warm, sweet cinnamon flavor. Using whole cinnamon sticks makes it easy to strain the spices from the finished cider and won’t leave the grittiness that ground cinnamon would.
- Whole Cloves - Whole cloves add a fragrant, slightly sweet and spicy flavor that makes this drink taste like fall. A little goes a long way, so there's no need to overdo it.
- Brown Sugar - Brown sugar adds a depth of sweetness along with a subtle molasses flavor that beautifully complements the apples and spices.
- Water - Water is the base for cider. As the fruit and spices simmer their delicious flavors are infused into the water to become cider.
Cozy Fall Drinks
Drinks with Apple Cider
Slow Cooker Apple Cider Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 pounds assorted apples cored and cut in chunks, about 12 apples
- 2 oranges sliced
- 1 piece 4-inches long fresh ginger, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 8 cups water (to cover; you may need more or less water)
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Instructions
- Place the apples, oranges, ginger, cinnamon sticks and cloves in the slow cooker.
- Top with brown sugar.
- Add enough water to cover the ingredients.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Remove 2 cups of apple pieces and reserve.
- Mash the remaining solids in the slow cooker with a potato masher then strain through a cheesecloth.
- Place the reserved apple pieces in a blender with 2 cups of the strained apple cider and blend until pureed.
- Add the pureed cider into the strained cider and stir until thoroughly blended.
- Enjoy warm garnished with a cinnamon stick, apple slice or orange slice or serve chilled.
- Refrigerate any letover cider and be sure to give your cider a quick stir before serving since some of the apple pulp may settle when the cider is in the refrigerator.
Notes
- If you prefer a texture more like apple juice, you can leave out the step of blending apple pieces with some of the liquid in the blender.
- Just mash the apple and orange pieces after slow cooking and strain through a cheesecloth, discarding the mashed fruit mixture.
- The textre will be that of apple juice which is much thinner than an apple cider texture.
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