Apple Cider Recipes

Hot apple cider is a classic, warm, and comforting drink that is perfect for chilly evenings and festive occasions like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It fills your home not only with flavors but also with delightful aromas.

So, if you are looking for the perfect hot apple cider recipe, you are in the right place. Through this blog, you will get to learn about a simple hot apple cider drink recipe, along with a classic old-fashioned hot apple cider recipe. These recipes will show you how to make homemade hot apple cider in simple steps.

I will use easy-to-find hot cider ingredients so that you can also make perfect homemade hot apple cider that replenishes your home with pleasant aromas. 

Why You’ll Love These Hot Apple Cider Recipes?

Hot apple cider recipes are not just recipes; in fact, they are dishes that are custom-made with love, and more importantly, they bear the tradition from Grandma’s.

The pleasant aroma of apples mixed with cinnamon and cloves makes family gatherings more enjoyable. Whether you are trying a simple hot apple cider recipe or an old-fashioned hot apple cider recipe, each gives you the warmth of love. It takes only a few hot cider ingredients, like apples, spices, and citrus, to prepare a hot apple cider drink recipe.

Hot apple cider recipes are naturally heartwarming, versatile, and timeless.

As the hot cider ingredients are kitchen ingredients, these recipes are very pocket-friendly too. 

Easy Stovetop Hot Apple Cider Drink Recipe

The Hot Apple Cider Recipe is a simple yet classic drink, as it can be made within 30 minutes. It uses the spices and gives the utmost flavorful drink. So, let’s get into the ingredients for the hot apple cider drink recipe.

 Ingredients for Hot Apple Cider Drink Recipe

• Apple Cider (unfiltered)—You can use apple juice (add extra spices for flavor) as a substitute for apple cider.
• Oranges (sliced)—You can use ¼ cup of orange juice instead of orange slices.
•  Whole Cloves—You can use ½ teaspoon of ground cloves (use sparingly) instead of whole cloves.
• Cinnamon Sticks—You can use 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks.

• Whole Allspice Berries—You can use ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice as a substitute for whole allspice berries.
• Star Anise—You can use ½ teaspoon of anise extract (optional) as a substitute for star anise.
• Brown Sugar (optional)—You can substitute with maple syrup or honey, to taste.

How to Make the Hot Apple Cider Recipe?

Step 1

In a pan, take the ingredients: cider, orange slices, spices, and sugar. Then, combine all the ingredients in the pan.

Step 2

Give it over medium heat on the stove until it starts steaming, but it should not boil.

Step 3

Reduce to low and simmer for 15–20 minutes.

Step 4

Then taste and adjust the sweetness as per your taste buds.

Step 5

Now we can serve a hot, garnished hot apple cider drink with an orange slice or cinnamon stick.

The Old Fashioned Recipe

I personally prefer the old-fashioned recipe for special events. So, let’s tell you about this recipe as well. 

Ingredients for Classic Old-Fashioned Hot Apple Cider Recipe

1. Apple Cider – 1 gallon of apple cider (16 cups). Here, you can use apple juice if you don’t have apple cider. 
2. 1 large orange—Slice it into round shapes. If you don’t have orange, use lemon instead.
3. Cinnamon sticks—3-4 whole cinnamon sticks. You can use a pinch of pumpkin pie spice or chai spice blend as a substitute.
4. Whole cloves—1 tablespoon of whole cloves. You can add nutmeg instead of whole cloves.
5. Whole allspice berries—1 teaspoon of whole allspice berries. You can add a mix of equal parts ground cinnamon, clove, and a pinch of nutmeg.
6. Star Anise – 1-2 whole star anise. You can use extract here as a substitute.

 Optional Flavor Boosters:

7. Ginger – 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced. You can use a dash of gingerbread spice as a substitute.
8.   Nutmeg—A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.
9. Brown sugar—¼ cup brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey (only if you like a sweeter cider).
10. Lemon Peels – 2-3 strips of lemon peel. It adds a nice bright note to the cider.

Utensils

1. A large pot (it can be a Dutch oven or stockpot).
2. Now, we need a cheesecloth and a kitchen twine. (We can also use a reusable spice bag/tea ball instead.) This is the real old-fashioned trick!

How to make the classic old-fashioned hot apple cider recipe?

1. We need to prepare the spice bag now. Place the whole cloves, allspice berries, and star anise (the spices) into a small square of cheesecloth. 

Note: If you don’t have any cheesecloth, you can add the spices loose and strain the cider through a fine-mesh sieve before serving.

2. Pour all the apple cider into the pot. You can add some orange slices, the spiced bag, and any optional ingredients. 

3. Give heat to the pot until it just starts to steam. 

4. Let the cider cook for at least 20 minutes. The longer it stays on the stove, the nicer the spiced flavor will be.

 5. Now the serving time has arrived. Garnish each mug with a fresh cinnamon stick or an orange slice. 

The “Crock-Pot” Method

This is the modern equivalent of keeping a pot of cider warming on the wood stove all day. 

1· Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker.

2· Cook on low flame for up to 4-6 hours.

3· Keep it in a warm setting for serving. So, it doesn’t get cold while serving.

Tips for the Perfect Cider

1. After 30 minutes, taste your cider. If it’s too strong, you can add a bit more plain cider to dilute it.
2. You can make this the day before. Let it cool, then store the entire pot in the refrigerator. 

Perfect Food Pairings with an Old-Fashioned Apple Cider Recipe

If you are enjoying a classic old-fashioned apple cider recipe, the right snacks can make your experience even more joyful. Now, sharing some delicious combos that go perfectly with homemade hot apple cider drinks. 

1. Cinnamon Sugar Donuts—The delicious combo of warm apple cider goes well with donuts. This combo is very popular during the fall.
2. Gingerbread Cookies—While having hot apple cider, you can enjoy gingerbread. This gingerbread goes well with apple cider, as it intensifies the taste.
3. Caramel Popcorn—Caramel popcorn really goes well with hot apple cider. Because of its crunchy nature, it really becomes tasty with hot sweet apple cider drinks.