Hot apple cider. Check.
Boots and leggings. Check.
Pumpkin spice and all things nice. Check.
It’s official. The cooler months are HERE and that means homemade Crockpot Apple Cider.
I have always had a love for apple cider. However, until a couple years ago I had never made it myself.
Ali at Pinch of Yum inspired me to give it a go and give it a go I did! (Is it just me or is that a super weird sentence?! Ha!)
There is one difference between our two recipes though.
Ali’s recipe serves a crowd and mine serves two to three.
You see, not all of my family loves apple cider like I do. Ryan does to an extent, but the kiddos prefer hot cocoa. 😉
So alas, I make a small batch that lasts me a few days and whenever the moods strikes again I make more.
This easy Crockpot Apple Cider tastes so fresh and fall-like you will not go back to the store-bought kind.
To make this from scratch cinnamony recipe, add a couple apples, an orange, cinnamon sticks, a nutmeg, and whole cloves to a small crock pot (this is similar to the one I use). Top it off with water and cook on high for 4 hours.
Yep, it’s that easy!
My 1.5 quart slow cooker is one of the most used appliances in my kitchen. I love the little thing! The small but mighty machine is used quite often for shredded chicken and, of course, this yummy crockpot apple cider.
Want to know the best part about the 4 hour cooking process?
Your house will smell ahhhhmazing! Like all the fall and winter feels. All. Of. Them.
Feel free to add every piece of your apple. No need to peel or remove the seed or core. The sweeter the apple the more delicious your end result.
Feel free to throw in a Granny Smith with a Fuji or Honeycrisp apple, but I would not do solely Granny Smith as they are too tart.
As for the oranges, I do have another little tip. If you cut your orange in half and the peel is thick, remove the peel before adding it to the crock pot.
However, if your orange peel is thin, feel free to leave it on the orange. A thick peel will add a bitter taste to your cider and no one wants that.
Are you ready to learn how to make the best apple cider ever?
Well I think I have shared all of my homemade cider wisdom with you so let’s get you cookin’!
Crockpot Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 2 apples cut into quarters*
- 1/2 orange or 1 cutie cut in half**
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 whole nutmeg
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 3 cups water (or as much as you need to fill your crock pot)
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except maple syrup to a small crock pot (1.5 quart). Don’t worry about removing seeds or rough parts. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- After 4 hours on HIGH, turn off the crockpot. Using a mesh strainer, pour the contents of the crockpot in a small pot or medium sized bowl. Your strainer should have the cooked fruit and whole spices and the cider will then be in the small pot or bowl.
- With the back of a spoon or avocado masher/potato masher, press the cooked fruit against the strainer so maximum amount of apple cider goes into the pot.
- You can either leave the cider in the pot or bowl OR pour it back into the crockpot. Then stir in the 3 Tbsp maple syrup.
- Taste test! If you need more sweetener add it now. Otherwise, enjoy! Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat when ready to drink!
Hey there,
I live in Australia, so our Christmas is HOT! Do you think this would be nice as a chilled drink?
Hi Hanim! Yes, I think it would taste lovely as a cold drink (though I have never tried it). Just today, I saw a mocktail using homemade apple cider kind of like a margarita. The recipe is from http://www.alliannaskitchen.com. 🙂 Blessings!