'Tis the season to be jolly, and to drink hot mulled cider!
This delicious hot apple cider drink is a specialty of New England.
Spiced with a clove-studded orange, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon, hot mulled cider is the perfect drink to serve during the holidays.
Spiking Mulled Cider
Add alcohol to a single mug or the batch of cider after cooking so the alcohol doesn't cook off. Try one of these.
- Dark rum
- Spiced rum
- Brandy
- Bourbon
- Madeira wine
The Best Apple Cider for Mulled Cider
This recipe works best with fresh-pressed cider that's sold refrigerated rather than shelf-stable cider, which is basically pasteurized apple juice. If you can get cider at a farmers market or local orchard, all the better.
Apple cider is juice pressed from apples, usually early in the season and often unfiltered. It comes pasteurized or unpasteurized. Pasteurization kills off bacteria and other microorganisms and allows the cider to last longer. Unpasteurized juices have not had the bacteria and other microorganisms destroyed. The cider is heated long enough in this recipe that either should be safe to serve to a crowd, but if you want to be extra sure, use pasteurized cider.
Hard Cider Vs. Fresh Cider
This recipe calls for non-alcoholic apple cider (fresh cider). In the United States, we usually refer to alcoholic apple cider as hard cider to differentiate from the non-alcoholic version, but traditionally cider was always fermented into alcohol.
Making Cider Spice Mix in Advance
To make quick work of putting the mulled cider together, combine the mulling spices and store them in a tightly closed container for several weeks. In fact, if you're going to make this frequently, make several small containers with pre-portioned spices. Use only whole, not ground, spices for this cider so you can easily strain them out.
Slow Cooker Mulled Cider
Add all the ingredients (except alcohol, if using) to a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours. Strain out the oranges and spices. Return to the slow cooker and keep on low so it stays warm for serving.
Mulled Cider Swaps and Subs
- Never substitute ground spices for the whole spices.
- Use 1 teaspoon of molasses or honey instead of brown sugar.
- Substitute equal amounts of maple syrup for the brown sugar.
- Add some cranberry juice to the cider to give it a tart element.
- Add a few slices of fresh ginger into the cider when you add the whole spices.
- Swap the apple cider for grape juice. You may want to dilute it with a little water.
How to Serve Mulled Cider
Serve mulled cider warm or hot, depending on individual preferences. Serve in a mug with a cinnamon stick and a slice of orange.
More Warm Drinks for Cool Days
- Spiced Mulled Wine
- Homemade Hot Chocolate
- Apple Cider Hot Toddy
- Hot Buttered Rum
- Honey Lemon Tea
From the Editors Of Simply Recipes
Hot Mulled Cider
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time30 mins
Servings8
Yield8 cups
Add a little booze right before serving, if you like.
Ingredients
1/2 gallon fresh, unfilteredapple cider (non-alcoholic)
1 orange
12 whole cloves
See AlsoAlcohol and Sleep4 (3-inch)cinnamon sticks
15 allspice berries
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 whole cardamom pods
2 tablespoons unpacked brown sugar
Orange slices, for garnish
Cinnamon sticks, for serving
Method
Simmer the apple cider with orange and spices:
Pour the apple cider into a 3-quart saucepan, cover, turn the heat on medium-high.
While the cider is heating up, take a vegetable peeler and peel away a couple thick strips of peel from the orange. Press about half of the cloves into the peeled part of the orange. (You can also just quarter or slice the orange and add the slices and cloves separately. I just like seeing the orange bob up and down.)
Place orange, orange peel strips, the remaining cloves, and the rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.
Strain out the orange and spices:
Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the hot mulled cider away from the orange, cloves, and other spices.
If you want, you can add a touch of bourbon, brandy, or rum to spike it up a bit.
Serve hot. Add an orange slice or cinnamon stick to each cup if desired.
Simple Tip!
If you'd like to keep the mulled cider warm for serving, a handy way is to have it in a slow cooker on low.
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- Mocktails and Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Fall
- Thanksgiving
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 205 | Calories |
| 1g | Fat |
| 51g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 205 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 1g | 1% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 1% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 13mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 51g | 19% |
| Dietary Fiber 5g | 16% |
| Total Sugars 39g | |
| Protein 2g | |
| Vitamin C 189mg | 943% |
| Calcium 96mg | 7% |
| Iron 1mg | 4% |
| Potassium 542mg | 12% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
