Slow Cooker Hot Spiced (Mulled) Apple Cider
It’s fall, you say? Wait. Wait just a second.
Grab an orange. Stick some cloves in it. Throw it in your Crock Pot along with a few cinnamon sticks and a bottle of apple cider. Turn it on. Wait four hours. Slow Cooker Apple Cider! The mulled cider of your dreams. A wassail wonderland.
Have you ever wondered, “How do you make mulled cider?” Well, you just learned how! Now you have hot apple cider in your warm little hands. And, with wassail in your life, NOW it can be fall.
Not only is this Slow Cooker Hot Spiced Apple Cider recipe seriously that easy, it’s also quintessentially autumn. Mulled cider looks like fall. It tastes like fall. It makes the entire house smell like fall. Some call it hot spiced cider, others wassail. I just call it delicious. (Actually, I call it all of the above).
My favorite part about this hot Crock Pot apple cider recipe is the orange. It just looks so festive, and tiny amount of orange juice that comes out, the oils from the peel, and the cloves impart the most wonderful, heady flavors – both into your cider and in the air. Hot spiced apple cider is seriously the ultimate air freshener.
This hot apple cider warms you up after an hour or two of kicking around in the fall leaves or picking out that perfect pumpkin or trick-or-treating on a perfectly frosty night when you can see your breath.
And for the adults, you can add a perfect extra little warming factor: RUM.
I know, I know, by now we’ve all seen a gazillion hot spiced apple cider recipes. But this mulled cider, I think, is special because it takes only four whole ingredients – no special mulling spices required.
Plus, it utilizes that wondrous kitchen appliance – the slow cooker – so you don’t have to stand over the stove or worry about keeping it at the perfect temperature once it’s ready to be served. It just sits there on your kitchen counter, being awesome, until everyone happily drinks it all down.
Yep. Bring it on, fall!
Frequently asked questions:
Can I make this mulled cider on the stovetop?
Yes, you can! Use a large pot and bring just to a simmer. Then reduce the heat to just below a simmer and cover. Warm for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld then serve.
Do I peel the orange before poking in the cloves?
No, leave the peel intact. It’s those glorious oils in the peel that give it the wonderful mulled cider flavor. Slicing the orange exposes the pitch and can make the batch bitter.
If I double or triple the recipe, do I need to add more than one orange?
Nah, one orange should do it! I would add a few more cloves to the orange for oomph though.
Can I make this mulled cider beforehand then reheat when I want to serve it?
Yes, absolutely. When we do this, we either just cover the cooled Slow Cooker crock with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge or we will even pour the cooled cider back into the cider bottle to store it.
Can I add rum or brandy before I heat it up instead of after?
Please don’t! It’ll all evaporate. Add your spirits when serving.
Slow Cooker Hot Spiced Apple Cider (Wassail)
With just four ingredients – okay, five if you spike it with your favorite rum – this Crock Pot hot spiced apple cider couldn’t be any easier to make. It’s the perfect excuse to get out there and rake the leaves.
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts (64 ounces or 8 cups) apple cider
- 6 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks, plus more for serving if desired
- 1 medium naval orange*
- 2 tablespoons whole cloves
- Rum of your choice (optional)
- Additional cinnamon sticks for serving (optional)
Directions:
- Pour apple cider into a 2.5-quart or larger Crock Pot or other slow cooker. Add cinnamon sticks to cider.
- With a toothpick, poke holes all around the orange, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch apart. Carefully poke the cloves into the toothpick holes in the orange.
- Place orange into the cider in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low until hot and spiced through, about 4 hours. Ladle into mugs along with an ounce or so of rum if using. Place a cinnamon stick in each glass if desired and serve.
* I recommend an organic orange as it will be soaking in the cider for several hours and personally, organic just makes me feel better in this particular case 🙂
Nutrition Information
Yield: Serves 8, Serving Size: 1 cup
- Amount Per Serving:
- Calories: 120 Calories
- Sodium: 60mg
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Sugar: 29g
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Could I use ground cloves instead? I just bought a (tiny) expensive jar of ground cloves for a carrot cake and would love to not have to buy a different ingredient. Thanks! making it for a bonfire this weekend.
Sure, just add ground cloves a pinch at a time and taste until it’s where you’re at! I’d still recommend poking holes in an orange because the orange oils add great flavor too.
I was wondering where these wonderful mugs are from? I’ve been trying to track down the perfect cider glasses for this thanksgiving. Please let me know!
Hi Christina, I think they were just Target cheapies! These are very similar: http://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Hocking-Irish-Coffee-Mug/dp/B000IE5YGS/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1446821973&sr=1-6&keywords=anchor+hocking+glass+mugs
I also have some of these from Williams-Sonoma and love them too. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/mulling-spice-mugs/?pkey=ctabletop-coffee-mugs-teacups%7C%7C
I am going to try this recipe with Fireball Whiskey instead of Rum this weekend for an outdoor punk rock show. Sounds yummy!
Would the alcohol evaporate out if you put it in the crockpot for the 4 hours? Sorry if this question has already been answered, I didn’t see it though. Thanks!
Hi Brittany, yes, I add the alcohol either directly to the mugs or after the cider has heated. 🙂
Can I make this without the cloves? how will it alter the taste? I am pregnant and really have to limit my clove intake.
It’s still good without the cloves. I still recommend the orange, though, poked so the oils come out and help flavor the cider. You could opt for a few allspice thrown in there instead.
I just made this today and it’s amazing! It’s cheap too! I was able to make this for my husbands whole shop, he’s a mechanic, and it was gone within 5 minutes!
Love it! 🙂 And doesn’t it just make the whole house smell awesome?!
Once prepared can you leave on a low temp in the slow cooker for long periods and it will stay warm and not boil?
Hi Steven, yes, that works for me! Might depend on your own slow cooker but with all of mine (Crock Pot brand) it stays just warm enough w/o boiling.
I plan on preparing this before a client party, which will be about three hours long. Should I take the orange out if it will just be kept warm for the three hours? Will leaving the orange in over “spice” it?
No, I’ve left the orange in for hours and I think it just gets better and better. 🙂
Thank you so much! Now the four hour cooking time, is that a strict cooking time or can it be on for a little less before serving?
It can absolutely be a little less (hope my reply isn’t too late!) You can even warm it on the stovetop first if you’re in a crunch – much faster – then just keep it warm in the Crock Pot.
Can I reuse this again for 3 days?? …if it’s not all gone, that is. ???
Yes, we store it in the fridge and reheat it all the time. But I wouldn’t go longer than three days. Sometimes we freeze extra and break it out a month or two later as well. 🙂
Can you use apple juice instead of apple cider?
Yes, juice will work, though I prefer cider!
Does it work to cook for 4 hours the evening prior, and then re-heat it when needed? Serving it at my 10:00 a.m. garage sale and do not want to get up at 6:00 a.m.! Thanks.
Sure, I have reheated successfully. You can also make it on the stovetop and it goes much faster. Hope you have an awesome garage sale! 🙂
If I double or triple the recipe, do I really need to put 3 oranges in full of cloves or do you think less will still flavor the cider?
I tend just stick with one orange when doubling or tripling. I might add a few more cloves though. 🙂
Can brandy be cooked in crockpot along with other ingredients or does it have to be added separately to each drink?
I’d add it at the end (you can add it to the whole batch) because if you cook it the whole time most of it will evaporate, and that would be a bummer! 🙂
Can I use a pot on the stove instead of a crockpot? If so how long does it need to cook? Should it boil first?
Yes for sure! Try to keep it just below a simmer so it doesn’t evaporate. At least 30 minutes I’d say. 🙂
Could i add cranberry juice to this recipe?
Yes! That sounds delicious. 🙂
Great recipe! Thanks! It was a hit with my guests. We used Tennessee Fire and Bullet Rye 50/50 mix instead of he rum. It was really good.
Is still or sparkling cider used in this recipe? Would sparking work?
Hi Jess, I use still cider. I’m not sure how sparkling cider would work. It would definitely lose its carbonation. If you try it please report back!
I have some older cinnamon sticks. Is it okay to use those. Just not sure how long spices and specifically cinnamon sticks are good for.
I’m sure they’re fine. Maybe add a couple of extra just to make sure? Some spices do lose their oomph after awhile but I’m not sure how long cinnamon sticks will last.
Do you peel the orange first?
Nope!
Acc I make this up and put it in a urn will be serving 30plus people
I made this today, and it was amazing! I wanted to ask you- can I add more orange to it?
Sure, go for it! 🙂 Sounds delicious!
Hello I have a question can you use a regular pot? Instead of a crock pot? If not is there another option?
Hi there! Making this tonight and so excited to try. I will only have about two hours to let the crockpot warm.. is this enough time for the spices? Or do you recommend simmering on stovetop first and then transferring over?
If you simmer, how long should you simmer for?
Thanks in advance!
Two hours might be pushing it, depending on how hot your Crock Pot gets on high. I’ve made on the stovetop too. I like to give it at least 30 minutes on the stove top. Be sure to keep it covered so it doesn’t evaporate away!
Do I leave the cover on the crock pot while it’s cooking ? Or cover off?
Cover on. 🙂
This recipe looks great! Can I use mandarin oranges instead of naval? Would I just use one more since they are smaller?
Sure! Yes, I’d add one or two more if it were me. Little mandarins will be so cute!