Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (2024)

Bless This Mess Recipes Holidays Party Food Recipes

By Melissa

on Nov 02, 2015, Updated Feb 26, 2020

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Slow Cooker Apple Cider is a fun recipe that is just perfect for your next get-together. I love this apple cider recipe because you start with fresh, whole, beautiful apples and turn them into apple cider. It’s not mixing juices together, this is the real deal. Ok, it’s the slow cooker version of the real deal.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (2)

My Favorite Apple Cider Recipe

The last few years we have taken literally a truck load of apples that grow on our properties (The Shanty has 4 huge old apple trees and the new farm property where my garden is has 15 or so middle-aged apple trees) to a friend’s house and pressed cider. It’s a daylong event, but the liquid gold that we bring home in the end is worth the effort. We freeze it in gallon jugs and bring it out when company is over and for parties. This past weekend, we brought a jug to a group date with friends and I passed around cups of cider to go with chili and cornbread. Fall eating perfection! This year a late frost left us with literally zero fruit though, no apples, no peaches, no cherries, no plums, no nothing. No apples meant no fresh cider, and we’re using our freezer stores a lot more carefully.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (3)

How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Cider:

If you don’t have access to a million apple trees, had a hard frost this year, or don’t have a friend with a cider press (between those three thing I bet I just included most of you!), then this Slow Cooker Apple Cider is just for you.

Toss quartered apples (plus an orange for good measure), water, and spices in a slow cooker, let them cook and soften, mash and strain. Then put everything back in the slow cooker so that it can be served warm. It does need a bit of sweetener since you’ve added water, but it’s delicious nonetheless. The whole thing takes less than 4 hours and only about 10 minutes of hands-on work.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (4)

Slow cookers are my favorite and I love getting out of my soup and chili rut and trying new recipes in mine. I just got this slow cooker a few weeks ago so that I’d have two to start recipe testing a freezer meal slow cooker ebook I’m writing. The book is going to be awesome and I’m really loving this slow cooker!

Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (5)

What Do I Sweeten the Cider with?

I sweetened my cider with some brown sugar and a bit of maple syrup. It was a nice blend and tasted just right. You can use just brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, a combo of those, or just about any sweetener you’d like. If you are going to use a granulated sugar like coconut sugar make sure you stir it really well to get the sugar to dissolve.

How Much Apple Cider Does This Recipe Make?

This makes a little more than a half gallon of cider.

This Apple Cider Would Go Perfectly with:

  • Simple Maple Sugar Cookies for an after school treat too.
  • For dinner I’d make this Slow Cooker Vegetable Bean Soup! No matter what you serve it with, it’s going to be grand.

My house smelled amazing while this was cooking and then even after it was all made and warming again in the slow cooker. This is a really simple treat that will make guests feel welcome! A hot mug of slow cooker apple cider and that warm spicy smell in the air is just what fall is made for.
Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (6)

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Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (7)

Slow Cooker Apple Cider

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  • Author: Melissa Griffiths-Bless this Mess
  • Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: Half Gallon
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Description

Slow Cooker Apple Cider is a fun recipe that is just perfect for your next get-together. I love this apple cider recipe because you start with fresh, whole, beautiful apples and turn them into apple cider. It’s not mixing juices together, this is the real deal. Ok, it’s the slow cooker version of the real deal.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1012 medium apples, assorted types (I used a mixture of all kinds of apples)
  • 1 orange, optional
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 teaspoons whole cloves
  • 1014 cups water
  • 1/32/3 cup brown sugar (or your sweetener of choice, see notes)

Instructions

  1. Wash the apples and orange and roughly cut them into quarters, no need to remove seeds or stems. Place the cut fruit and spices in the bowl of your slow cooker. Add water until it’s about an inch from the top of the bowl. Cook on high for 4 hours.
  2. When you have an hour left in the cooking process, use a potato masher or a large spoon to crush and mash the apples and then let them continue to cook.
  3. After 4 hour strain the cider to remove all of the fruit. I strained it through my normal pasta colander and then again through cheesecloth to make sure it was all cider and no chunks.
  4. Give your slow cooker bowl a quick rinse to remove any extra pieces of fruit or spices and then return the strained cider to the bowl. Heat on low heat and add sweetener of your choosing, such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste, stirring well to combine. Serve warm with additional orange slices and cinnamon sticks as a garnish.

Notes

This makes a little more than a half gallon of cider.

I liked a mix of mostly brown sugar and a bit of pure maple syrup for sweetening the cider. You can use brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or a mixture of those to sweeten it.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Category: Drinks
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Calories: 198
  • Sugar: 35.8g
  • Sodium: 6.5mg
  • Fat: 0.5g
  • Carbohydrates: 47.7g
  • Protein: 1.4g

Looking for more drink recipes? Look no further?

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  • Cold Killer Smoothie
  • Sour Cherry and Pomegranate Detox Smoothie
  • Orange Pineapple Banana Smoothie
  • Good, Better, and Best Smoothies
  • Healthy Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie

Slow Cooker Apple Cider is a fun recipe that is just perfect for your next get-together.

This recipe is adapted from and inspired by Gimme Some Oven.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (8)

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Slow Cooker Apple Cider | Apple Cider Recipe with Orange and Cinnamon (2024)

FAQs

Is apple cider just apple juice and cinnamon? ›

Here's the difference between apple cider and apple juice: Apple cider is just unfiltered apple juice that can be served hot or cold. Mulled apple cider is unfiltered apple juice that's been heated and flavored with mulling spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; and fruits like oranges, lemons, and apples.

What flavors go well with apple cider? ›

The Ultimate Food & Cider Pairing Guide
  • Squeeze. Tomato Based Dishes, Spinach Salad. ...
  • Raspberry. Sweets, Chocolates. ...
  • Berries. Soft Cheese, Crackers. ...
  • Caramel Apple. Apple Slices, Ice Cream. ...
  • Cranberry Orange. Grilled Meat, Pecan Pie. ...
  • Original. Nuts, Sharp Cheese, Grilled Brats. ...
  • Porch Sittin' Cinnamon. Donuts, Pear Slices.
Aug 5, 2022

What spices go into apple cider? ›

When you're ready to turn it into spiced cider, simply add the juice or cider to a saucepan with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel. That's it. No added sugar here because apples are a sweet gift from nature all on their own!

What can I add to hard apple cider to make it taste better? ›

Ginger is great with apple

The sweetness of the apple goes well with the bold spicy flavor of ginger, so whether you're adding in ginger syrup, fresh ginger juice, or spicy ginger beer, the versatility of apple will always be able to hold up to the kick to the face ginger can be.

What does apple cider and cinnamon do? ›

It has been known to moderate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and has even been known to relieve some of the symptoms of acid reflux.

What does drinking apple cider in the morning do? ›

There's some evidence that supports the fact that apple cider vinegar, had first thing in the morning may promote faster weight loss and accelerate fat burning. Since it works primarily as a detoxifying agent, a shot of apple cider vinegar in the morning can clear out toxins from the body and aid a fresh start.

What alcohol goes best in apple cider? ›

Dark liquors like bourbon (my pick) or dark rum are traditional, but they are by no means the only option. Vodka pairs well with apple cider and is a good light option. You can even let guests each pick their own.

What makes cider taste better? ›

Pectolase Powder. If Pectolase is added at the start it will improve the taste in the cider as they help to bring out flavours and without this addition you won't have clear cider. Add one teaspoon per 5 litres (1 gallon).

What fruit is best to add to cider? ›

Using fruit other than apples in hard cider is common and adds great additional flavor. Some of the more common fruit selections are pear, cherry, peach and pineapple. Other options include mixed berries, blueberry, mango, blackberry.

How many cinnamon sticks per gallon of apple cider? ›

Per gallon of cider, I recommend using 4 cinnamon sticks and 1 teaspoon each of your chosen spices. Use whole ones, if you can—ground spices will give your cider an unpleasant gritty texture.

Why is my homemade apple cider bitter? ›

Using too many spices will result in bitter apple cider. Ground nutmeg. you can substitute one whole nutmeg for the ground, if you prefer. However whole nutmeg is difficult to find, and when I use it to make this apple cider recipe I find it leaves a bitter taste that we don't prefer.

What makes ACV taste better? ›

So, why not try mixing ACV into a delicious drink? Mixing a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water, a squeeze of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey creates a tasty, sweet drink. You could even add a pinch of cinnamon for extra flavour or add more honey to make it sweeter!

How do you make homemade cider sweeter? ›

If you like your cider sweeter, then you can add a sweetener as well as the priming sugar in the bottling step (not extra sugar) to the bottle at the point of bottling.

How to make cheap cider taste nice? ›

Flavor tip one: Add 1/4 of a 12oz can of frozen apple juice concentrate. I add the frozen apple juice concentrate when I am using the grocery store apple cider, in an effort to make it more like the fresh stuff.

What is apple cider made of? ›

What is Apple Cider? Apple cider is made of pressed fresh apples. Unfiltered and raw, it doesn't contain added sugar, undergoes minimal processing, and is usually unpasteurized. It tends to be slightly darker than apple juice, more opaque, and can sometimes have residue at the bottom.

Is apple cider vinegar just apple juice? ›

Adding Acetobacter bacteria and yeast to apple juice begins a process of acidic fermentation which converts the sugars to alcohol to make apple cider vinegar. Acidic acid and malic acid contributes to give vinegar its sour taste. Filtration and clarification prevents further fermentation and decomposition.

Why do Americans call apple juice cider? ›

Introduction. In common American usage, raw apple juice that has not been filtered to remove pulp or sediment is referred to as “fresh cider” or “sweet cider.” The term “apple juice” indicates the juice has been filtered to remove solids.

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