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Easy Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Cider in 30 Minutes

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This easy slow cooker spiced apple cider fills your home with a cozy, nostalgic scent without you lifting a finger. It’s the perfect warm drink for chilly evenings, made with fresh apples, orange, and whole spices.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 cups apple cider (unsweetened, such as Martinelli’s or local orchard brand)
  • 2 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Fuji, cored and thinly sliced, peels on)
  • 1 large orange (washed and sliced into rounds)
  • 4 cinnamon sticks (plus extra for garnish)
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional, adjust to taste)
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Fresh cranberries (a handful for garnish, optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep the fruit: Wash the apples and orange thoroughly. Core the apples and slice them into thin rounds, leaving the peels on. Slice the orange into 1/4-inch rounds.
  2. Add the cider to the slow cooker: Pour 8 cups of apple cider into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
  3. Add the spices: Drop in the cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and allspice berries. If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the cider, and add the pod. If using vanilla extract, wait until the end.
  4. Add the fruit: Gently place the apple and orange slices into the cider. Stir gently with a wooden spoon.
  5. Cook: Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, or on low for 2-3 hours, until the cider is hot and the flavors have melded.
  6. Taste and adjust: Remove the lid carefully. Taste the cider and stir in honey or maple syrup if desired. For more spice, let it simmer another 15 minutes with an extra cinnamon stick.
  7. Strain if desired: For a clear cider, pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or directly into mugs. For a rustic look, leave the fruit and spices in but remove the whole cloves.
  8. Serve and garnish: Ladle the warm cider into mugs. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, fresh cranberries, or a thin apple slice.

Notes

For a deeper flavor, toast the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice in a dry skillet for 1 minute before adding to the slow cooker. If using ground spices, use 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve before serving. The cider can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker apple cider, spiced apple cider, easy apple cider, fall drink, warm cider, homemade cider

Find it online: https://spoonmira.com/easy-slow-cooker-spiced-apple-cider-in-30-minutes/