Nothing says cozy season quite like a big mug of Homemade Spiced Apple Cider. This easy recipe is made with fresh apples, warm spices, and just the right amount of sweetness. It is the perfect fall drink for holidays, gatherings, or a crisp autumn afternoon. Best of all, this apple cider makes your house smell amazing while it simmers, and you can enjoy it hot or cold.
This Homemade Apple Cider was inspired by a close friend who loves apple picking every fall. When we were roommates, she often made a big pot of cider that filled our apartment with the aroma of fresh apples and warm spices. She recently shared her recipe with me and gave me permission to make it my own and share it here! My version stays true to hers with just a few simple, wholesome twists.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cozy fall flavor: A delicious fall drink packed with warm spices and the natural sweetness of fresh apples.
- Wholesome ingredients: This Homemade Apple Cider is sweetened with pure maple syrup for a slightly healthier twist on this traditional fall treat.
- Versatile: Enjoy it hot or cold! This beverage is perfect for friendsgiving, holiday parties, or just a treat on a fall day.
- Easy to make: Simple to make, and bonus that it makes your house smell like fall!
Key Ingredients
- Apples: The star of any apple cider recipe. My favorite variety of apples for this are Red Delicious, but you can use any type of apple you want! Honeycrisp and Gala are also popular for apple cider.
- Orange: Fresh orange slices add a touch of citrus flavor and brightness. This balances the sweetness of the apples and enhances the warm spices!
- Spices: Star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg create the classic spiced apple cider flavor and fill your kitchen with cozy fall aromas.
- Pure maple syrup: A natural sweetener that keeps this apple cider refined sugar-free and adds a rich, caramel-like depth.
How to Make Homemade Spiced Apple Cider
Step 1: Add apples, orange slices, spices, and water to a large pot.
Steps 2-3: Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours.
Step 4: Mash the apples against the sides of the pot. Simmer for another hour.
Step 5: Strain out the solid chunks and collect the apple cider in a large bowl.
Steps 6-7: Add maple syrup to taste. Serve warm OR let cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- You know your preferences best, so adjust the amount of maple syrup based on your sweet tooth! I think ½ cup is perfect, but you can absolutely do more or less depending on your taste buds.
- This recipe calls for 12-16 cups of water. If you want a stronger apple flavor use 12 cups, if you want it a bit lighter go for the 16! You can also start with 12 and add more later on in the recipe if desired.
Serving Suggestions
- Don't forget that this cider can be enjoyed hot or cold! It's delicious served hot in a mug, or served cold straight from the fridge!
- To really dive into the fall vibes, serve your cider with cinnamon sticks or orange slices, or even a sprig of rosemary!
- This makes a decent sized batch, so keep this recipe in mind for any fall gatherings, holiday parties, or friendsgivings this year.
- Enjoy this alongside a delicious fall dinner, such as my Fall Harvest Butternut Squash Casserole or my Instant Pot Veggie Chili!
Substitutions & Variations
- This recipe lists whole spices, which are easy to remove when straining. However, ground spices work too! If using ground spices, just be sure to shake or stir before serving!
- For a more fruity twist, feel free to add additional oranges, or even cranberries to your apple cider!
- If enjoying this cider cold, it's delicious with just a bit of sparkling water added to your cup! This makes it a little more interesting and refreshing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This apple cider is made with whole apples, warm spices, and pure maple syrup as the sweetener. It’s naturally vegan, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, making it a wholesome fall drink that fits into a whole food plant-based lifestyle.
Whichever apples you like the taste of! For a sweeter apple cider I recommend Gala or Honeycrisp, for a more tart flavor Granny Smith would be great. I personally love Red Delicious because I feel like they are a good mix of sweet & tart!
You can use ground spices if that's what you have on hand! You just won't be able to directly strain them out, so be sure to shake or stir before serving.
Other Cozy Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Homemade Spiced Apple Cider (Hot or Cold!)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs apples (my favorite for this are Red Delicious) - core and seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 1 large orange - cut into large slices (optional to remove peel, peel will give a slightly bitter flavor)
- 1 whole star anise
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks - (or 1.5 teaspoon ground)
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves - (or ¾ teaspoon ground)
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice - (or 1.5 teaspoon ground)
- 1 whole nutmeg - (or 2.5 teaspoon ground)
- 12-16 cups water - (12 for stronger apple flavor, 16 for a slightly more diluted flavor)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup - (or more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Add your chopped apples, orange slices, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg to a large pot. Cover with your 12-16 cups of water.
- Bring the pot to a boil on the stovetop.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, bringing the water to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours.
- Using a wooden spoon (or a potato masher), mash the apples against the sides of the pot. This will release even more apple flavor. Allow to simmer for another hour.
- Using a strainer over a large bowl, strain out the solid chunks and collect the apple cider in the bowl. Feel free to use a wooden spoon here to press the contents against the strainer to release all of the juices. Discard the solids.
- Add pure maple syrup to taste (I think ½ cup is perfect, but will depend on personal preference!). Give it a taste test (once cool enough), If the flavor is stronger then you want then you can and add more water if desired to dilute the flavor.
- Serve warm OR let it cool to room temperature, transfer to a large pitcher, refrigerate until cold, and serve cold. (If you used ground spices instead of whole, be sure to shake the pitcher before serving cold, or stir the contents of your mug before enjoying hot).
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your cider-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
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