This spiced apple cider is a delicious take on classic mulled cider.
Star anise and orange slices add festive flavour to this sweet, comforting drink.
If you love cozy fall flavours, you'll find more delicious ideas in this collection of cozy fall drink recipes.
Recipe Highlights
- Servings: Makes 8 cups
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes to prep + 25 minutes to simmer.
- Effort Required: Very easy! Just combine ingredients and simmer.
- Special Equipment: Large pot or Dutch oven (slow cooker works too)
- Dietary Notes: Naturally vegetarian, dairy-free and non-alcoholic.
"This apple cider drink recipe was so tasty! Made it for a girls night in and everyone including myself loved it. Tastes warm and perfect for the fall/holiday time. 10/10 highly recommend." - Priscilla
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sweet Apple Cider (fresh cider or soft cider): Fresh-pressed, unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice. Substitute with a "fresh-pressed" apple juice, like this one from Tropicana.
- Cinnamon Sticks: Whole sticks add flavour to the cider without the grittiness of ground cinnamon.
- Whole Star Anise: This beautiful spice adds a sweet licorice flavour to the cider. Substitute with nutmeg or allspice. Learn more about star anise if you're not familiar with it.
- Whole Cloves: Add a warm, comforting flavour. Don't add too many as they are potent.
- Orange Slices: Add a burst of sweet citrus flavour. (optional)
- Apple Slices: Add extra apple flavour, but they're mostly for garnish. (optional)
This recipe has not been tested with all possible substitutions or variations. Making changes may alter the taste, texture, or overall outcome. If you try a different ingredient, please share in the comments!
See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and recipe instructions.
Types of Cider
"Cider" can mean two different things: hard cider (alcoholic) and sweet cider (non-alcoholic).
For this recipe, choose sweet cider, also called fresh cider, soft cider, or sweet apple cider.
In Ontario, I usually buy:
- Martin's Apple Cider
- Wellesley Sweet Apple Cider
Check the grocery stores or farm stands in your area for local options near you.
Recipe Variations
There are so many ways to flavour and garnish this recipe, and it's fun to play around with.
Here are some popular ideas to get you started.
- Use whole cranberries instead of (or in addition to) the orange slices for extra flavour and a festive holiday touch.
- Sweeten the warm mixture with a bit of caramel sauce and add a vanilla bean or vanilla paste for a cozy, warm treat.
Why I Make This Recipe
This recipe is a twist on classic mulled cider, a sweet apple cider warmed with spices and citrus.
When I was little, my mother hosted a Christmas open house every year, with lots of food and a pot of this spiced cider simmering on the stove.
My family's version uses star anise, a unique spice with a mild licorice flavour. (Don't worry, it's nothing like black jelly beans.)
Star anise has a soft, fennel-like taste that adds depth without taking over. Feel free to leave it out if you're not sure you'll like it.
The smell of apples, oranges and spices brings back feelings of warmth and comfort. Not bad for a drink that takes so little time and effort to make!
If you're looking for spiced holiday drinks like this one, you might also enjoy my Caribbean sorrel drink recipe.
How to Make Spiced Apple Cider
This warm cider recipe is one of the easiest fall drinks to make.
- Add the cider, whole spices and orange slices to a large pot.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and let the flavours infuse. If you see a greyish foam on top, skim it off before serving.
- Strain out the spices or ladle carefully into mugs, making sure no cloves or star anise get in.
- Serve warm.
I like to make my apple cider in a Dutch oven, but you can also throw it into a slow cooker and set it on low for a few hours.
Make It Ahead of Time
- Prepare the cider as written, but leave out the orange slices.
- Let it cool, strain out the spices, and store in a pitcher in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- When ready to serve, reheat gently on the stove with fresh orange slices and a few spices for garnish.
- Keep the pot on low heat for up to 1 hour so guests can serve themselves, or transfer to a thermal carafe.
- Garnish mugs with a cinnamon stick, star anise, or clementine slices for a festive touch.
Common Questions
Making real apple cider from scratch requires a cider press, which most people don't own or want to buy. Since this is a mulled recipe, like mulled wine, we are starting with a plain, store-bought product.
Yes! This recipe yields similar results with natural or "fresh-pressed" apple juice; the kind that looks cloudy. Don't use clear apple juice. Just be aware that juice can sometimes be sweeter than sweet cider.
Yes! If you can buy fresh, unsweetened apple cider and prefer more control over the sweetness level, go ahead. Sweeten the drink to your preference by adding white sugar to the mixture one teaspoon at a time.
Serve With
I personally enjoy sipping on apple cider while eating popcorn. The salty-sweet combination is very satisfying!
If you're serving this apple cider at a party, pair it with appetizers like my smoked salmon potato chip canapes, brie-stuffed mushrooms, or a holiday cheese board.
More Drink Recipes You'll Love
Recipe Card
Spiced Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 2 litres sweet apple cider
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 3 whole star anise
- 8 whole cloves
- 1 orange, cut into thin slices
- 1 apple, cut into thin slices (from stem to bottom)
Instructions
- Combine apple cider, spices and orange slices in a large pot. Place over medium heat.
- Bring the cider to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Heat for another 15-20 minutes, partially covered, then remove from the heat.
- If serving immediately, ladle hot spiced cider into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or star anise pod. Avoid serving any whole cloves, as they can be accidentally swallowed.
- If making to serve later, allow to cool fully. Strain, discard spices and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
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Notes
- Sweetness: If you prefer a sweeter cider, stir in white sugar (1 teaspoon at a time) after simmering until it tastes right for you.
- Skimming: If a greyish foam forms on top, skim it off before serving. It's harmless but not very appealing.
- Simmer time: About 20 minutes is enough to infuse flavour. Do not simmer for more than 1 hour, or the cider may turn bitter.
- Straining: Strain out the whole spices before serving, or ladle carefully so no cloves or star anise end up in the mugs.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers promptly. The cider will keep for 2 days in a covered pitcher.
- Prepare as written, but leave out the orange slices.
- Cool completely, strain, and discard the spices.
- Store in a pitcher in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Before serving, reheat gently on the stove with fresh orange slices and a few whole spices for garnish.
- Keep warm on very low heat for up to 1 hour, or transfer to a thermal carafe.
- Garnish mugs with a cinnamon stick, star anise, or clementine slices for a festive touch.
Please read the full blog post for all of my tips, variations, and recommendations for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy and will vary based on the specific ingredients used. For exact values, use your preferred nutritional calculator with the products you're using.
Private Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Let us know how it turned out in the comments!About Shareba
Shareba Abdul is a recipe developer and food photographer with a Culinary Arts certificate from George Brown College and 15+ years of experience creating and testing recipes for home cooks. She is also a member of the International Association for Culinary Professionals and tests every recipe on this website in her own kitchen. Learn more →
Christi Zelaya says
Why cut the apple specifically from top to bottom? I think slicing it horizontally is more Christmas-y because you have the star of Bethlehem in the apple slices.
Shareba Abdul says
Horizontal slices with the star are definitely festive! I cut the apples vertically for the photos so the slices would be easily recognizable as apples, but thanks for sharing your idea!
Priscilla says
This apple cider drink recipe was so tasty! Made it for a girls night in and everyone including myself loved it. Tastes warm and perfect for the fall/holiday time. 10/10 highly recommend.
Shareba Abdul says
I'm so happy that you all enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment!
Kacey says
I've been craving apple cider something fierce with the cooler temperatures and was so happy to come across this recipe!! My local shop uses the slow cooker method and I like that for home as well! I don't get the hate on orange slices: I have never known it any other way and I even dislike oranges lol. Sometimes I do lemon slices instead 🙂 Thanks so much!
Shareba says
Oh lemon would be interesting! I'll have to give that a try! Thanks for sharing, Kacey!