This easy mulled cider is my family’s favorite holiday drink! It’s served warm and tastes like apple pie. Instructions for non-alcoholic and mulled cider with rum or bourbon are below.
This mulled cider recipe is incredible! It tastes amazing and makes your home smell wonderful, thanks to a short list of spices. It’s delicious on its own (family-friendly!) or spiked with rum or bourbon.
You can even make it on the stovetop OR in your slow cooker—both methods work great! The slow cooker method is perfect for entertaining since you can use the warm feature all night. For another cozy drink, check out our hot toddy recipe! It’s delicious with or without alcohol.
Key Ingredients
- Apple cider: Choose a good-quality apple cider, fresh-pressed from a local orchard or farm, or look for unfiltered apple juice at your local farmers’ market. Unfiltered apple juice has a cloudier appearance and a more robust, apple-forward flavor than clear apple juice. Store-bought options work, too. Use something you love!
- Spices: Cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, and fresh ginger make this mulled cider taste and smell incredible!
- Orange: I love smaller, juicy clementines or tangerines, but any orange works! I like to cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice directly into the cider.
- Alcohol (Optional): This mulled cider is delicious with a splash of dark or spiced rum. Bourbon also works beautifully, especially one with a high rye content for a spicy kick. Tips for adding alcohol to this recipe are below!
Easy Mulled Cider
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I love this easy mulled cider recipe. It’s equally delicious with and without the optional alcohol. A stovetop is the quickest method, but if you are entertaining, you may want to look at the slow cooker method in the tips below.
You Will Need
4 cups (946ml) apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
2 cinnamon sticks (about 3-inches each)
2 whole star anise
3 whole cloves
1 small orange, cut in half
1 quarter-size slice of fresh ginger
3/4 cup (177ml) spiced rum or bourbon, optional, see tips
Directions
1Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the spices and toast, swirling them around the pan until fragrant, for about 2 minutes.
2Add the apple cider, orange halves, and ginger. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat so the cider barely simmers. Cook for 10 minutes.
3Remove the pan from the heat and stir in rum or bourbon (optional). Remove the spices, orange halves, and ginger, then divide between four mugs.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- To make it in a slow cooker: Add all ingredients, cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours or until heated through and fragrant. Ladle into mugs and enjoy! If you’re serving a crowd, switch the slow cooker to the “warm” setting after the cider is heated through. This will keep it at the perfect temperature for guests to enjoy throughout the evening. I also like to double the recipe when using a slow cooker.
- Doubling the recipe: As written, this recipe makes about 5 (6oz) servings. It also fits nicely in a small slow cooker. For a standard 6-quart slow cooker, you can easily double or even triple the recipe.
- Alcohol: Adding 3/4 cup of rum or bourbon means each 6-ounce serving will have just over 1 ounce of alcohol (a ratio of about 6:1), making it a milder alcoholic strength. Feel free to increase the alcohol for a stronger kick. Taste and adjust to your liking!
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include the alcohol.
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It was wonderful! Will add Apple Jack next time instead of rum.
I have 2 suggestions. 1 use apple jack instead of rum, it just enhances the flavor or the cider without changing it the way rum might. 2 if your having a party or making a big batch use a crock pot. Keeps it warm all day for tailgating or all night without having to watch the stove.
If you want to make festive looking add a little whipped cream & a squeeze of caramel.
Sounds yummy. We just ordered some Tortuga rum so we’ll have to give this a try. PS-I wish I could’ve been there to witness Jo spreading holiday cheer 😀
Heather – It was quite a sight! You never know, maybe you can experience it on Christmas Eve!
Would loved to been there to see Jo wishing everyone Merry
Christmas wishes. She sure was having a good time wasn’t she.?
Looking forward to making this for the holidays…thanks
Sounds like a lovely holiday drink! Thanks for sharing.
I can certainly see how this could get you in the holiday “spirit”. Love the picture I have in my head of Joanne wishing the neighborhood a Merry Christmas.