Hot Apple Cider (Crock Pot or Stove Top)
With just four ingredients - okay, five if you spike it with your favorite rum - this hot spiced apple cider recipe couldn't be any easier to make. It's the perfect excuse to get out there and rake the leaves.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts apple cider 64 ounces or 8 cups
- 6 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
- 1 orange medium; I prefer naval oranges and I tend to go with organic
- 2 tablespoons whole cloves
- Rum optional; spiced rum is especially good in this!
- Additional cinnamon sticks for serving optional
Instructions
Make Your Clove-Studded Orange
- 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. Set aside.
Hot Apple Cider in the Crock Pot
- Pour apple cider into a 2.5-quart or larger Crock Pot or other slow cooker. Add cinnamon sticks and your clove-studded orange.
- Cook on low until hot and fragrant, about 4 hours.
Hot Apple Cider on the Stovetop
- Place a 3-quart or larger pot on the stove. Add apple cider, cinnamon sticks, and your clove-studded orange.
- Cover and cook over low heat, keeping the cider just below a simmer (boiling your cider can cause the solids to cook and separate). Heat gently until spiced through, warm, and fragrant, about 30 minutes.
Serve!
- Ladle into mugs along with an ounce or so of rum if using. Place a cinnamon stick in each glass if desired and serve.
- If you and yours aren't drinking it all at once, you can keep your hot spiced cider warm by flipping your slow cooker setting to low or keeping your pot on the very lowest setting on your stovetop.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 125kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 12mg, Potassium: 288mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 45IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 1mg