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You’ll be surprised how simple it is to make this homemade apple cider recipe from scratch. It is spiced to perfection!
Apple season is upon us and I can’t help but make all of the apple things like Caramel Apple Dip, the BEST Apple Pie, and our favorite cozy cider!
Why We Love Apple Cider!
This homemade apple cider recipe is perfect after a day of leaf jumping, trick-or-treating, or just cuddling on the couch.
It’s one of my favorite holiday drinks and here’s why:
- Simple ingredients. Just apples, water, sugar, and spices!
- Hot or cold. Enjoy it chilled or nice and toasty warm.
- Easy. Only 15 minutes of prep!
- Aroma. We LOVE that this cider makes your home smell like fall!
Apple Cider Ingredients
What are the best apples for apple cider?
We use 5 Gala and 5 Honeycrisp (two combos of sweet apples), but a combination of sweet and tart may be used as well. Other apples that work: Fuji, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Red Delicious + McIntosh.
You will also need:
- Sugar – Use honey, maple syrup, or stevia, but the flavor will be slightly altered.
- Cinnamon & Allspice – Experiment by adding nutmeg, whole cloves, fresh ginger, and cardamom.
- Water – This is the majority of the liquid in this recipe.
- Cinnamon Sticks – The added flavor of cinnamon is a must for this apple cider!
How to Make Apple Cider
- PREP. Quarter each apple and remove the core. Place apple slices in a large stockpot and add water.
- SIMMER. Stir in spices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover the pot with a lid and continue simmering for 2 hours.
- STRAIN. Stir well, then carefully strain the apple mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard solids from the sieve. Line the sieve with cheesecloth and strain the cider again.
- ENJOY! Serve warm, or refrigerate for 1–2 hours until cold.
Crockpot Instructions
The crock pot will take longer but will fill your home with the delicious aroma of fall all day long.
To make, simply cook on HIGH HEAT for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
Recipe Tips + Storing
- Leave the apple peels on. The peel contains natural oils and compounds that contribute to the overall taste and aroma of the cider as well as add nutritional value. Bonus- the prep time is faster!
- Caramel apple cider. Stir in 2 tbsp of caramel sauce to the cider before serving.
- Garnish. Garnish with freshly sliced apples and cinnamon sticks. Add them to the serving pitcher or to the individual glasses.
- STORE a batch of cider in the refrigerator for about a week.
- FREEZE. Allow at least a 2-inch head space since the cider will expand during freezing and can rupture the container.
For More Drinks:
Easy Wassail Recipe
30 mins
Caramel Apple Cider
25 mins
Hot Chocolate Recipe
8 mins
Easy Eggnog Recipe
2 hrs 15 mins
Apple Cider Recipe
Equipment
- fine mesh seive
Ingredients
- 10 large apples we use 5 Gala and 5 Honeycrisp
- 16 cups water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 6 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Quarter each apple and remove the core. Place apple slices in a large stockpot and add water.
- Stir in sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover the pot with a lid and continue simmering for 2 hours.
- Stir well, then carefully strain the apple mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard solids from the sieve. Line the sieve with cheesecloth and strain the cider again.
- Serve warm, or refrigerate for 1–2 hours until cold.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
While I personally do not care for apple cider, I enjoy creating edibles or drinks to clear out the refrigerator. I had 6 apples (unknown variety) in the refrigerator and the rest of the ingredients and placed them into a slow cooker for approximately 9 hours. When I remembered, I would squish the apples with a spoon to perhaps make the cider a bit thicker. In the morning before work, I used a strainer and pureed the apples and skins for an apple sauce. My husband has mentioned how this is the best apple cider he has ever drank. Coming from him, that truly is a compliment. He’s usually my guinea pig for recipes. The apple sauce was a hit for my husband and the friends I gave a jar to. I appreciate that this recipe is so simple, little work and easily adapted for smaller/larger portions. I was going to freeze some but it was consumed within 3 days.
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Use this recipe .. you won’t be disappointed!!!
Super easy, tastes wonderful, and makes your home smell like the holidays (which is such an amazing bonus for me)
Thank you sooo much for sharing this cider recipe!
This was my first time ever making cider! It was so amazing and easy. I absolutely loved this recipe! I have a question though, I normally like thicker apple cider I’m not sure if that sounds weird lol. But the store bought kind from Target is my favorite because it’s not watery it’s a little thicker. Is there a way I can thicken the cider with this recipe?
I think I saw somewhere that if you mash up the apples a little in the pot it might make it thicker and give more flavor
I didn’t have all spice so I put 1/2 tsp of nutmeg and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon on top of the other tbsp and sticks of cinnamon. Nevertheless it’s now overpowering. Any suggestions to reduce the taste of cinnamon?
Hey Lisa, im in the boat as you. I googled it, and one source suggested adding cloves and black peppercorns to the nutmeg and cinnamon to make an allspice substitute. So thats what I’m doing. I’ll let you know how it turns out….
This is my go-to recipe every Autumn.
Made this for the first time last Halloween and it was a huge hit.
Some drank it straight from the warming pot, others added shots of cinnamon whiskey. Requested for Christmas gathering and it was wiped out. Have it on schedule for 3 events this fall/ winter. Great recipe.
this is my favorite fall drink and I cannoth believe how easy it was to make! thak you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
This was beyond easy to make, and oh my gosh did it taste AMAZING!