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This homemade apple cider recipe is made right in the crockpot with fresh apples, oranges, cinnamon, and cloves. Cozy, naturally sweet, and full of warm fall spices, it’s perfect to sip hot on chilly days or cold over ice year-round.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Apple Cider
- Easy set-it-and-forget-it recipe — Minimal prep with hands-off slow cooking
- Fills your home with a cozy, spiced aroma — The perfect inviting scent for chilly days
- Naturally sweet with a bright citrus twist — Made without added syrups or concentrates
- Ideal for any occasion — Great for holidays, parties, or quiet nights at home
- Diet-friendly and freezer-safe — Vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make ahead
- Versatile serving options — Enjoy warm, chilled, or spiked for a festive adult treat
Ingredients (with Substitutions)
- Red sweet-tart apples – Honeycrisp and Gala work beautifully; for a deeper, more complex flavor, mix in Fuji, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, or Braeburn
- Navel orange – Mandarins or clementines are great substitutes for a similar citrusy brightness
- Light brown sugar – Can be swapped with maple syrup, white sugar, honey, or coconut sugar, depending on your preferred sweetener
- Cinnamon sticks – Ground cinnamon works in a pinch (note: it may darken the cider slightly)
- Ground cinnamon – Enhances the overall warmth and spice of the drink
- Whole cloves – Adds a rich, earthy aroma and depth of flavor
- Ground allspice – Optional, but helps round out the spice blend nicely
- Water – Just enough to fully submerge the fruit for even flavor infusion
Optional Add-Ins
For extra flavor and a unique twist, try adding:
- Cardamom – Offers floral, citrusy undertones that pair beautifully with apple
- Sliced pears – For natural sweetness and smooth texture
- Pitted peaches – Adds juicy, fruity notes
- Fresh ginger slices – Brings a mild, zesty heat
- Nutmeg – A pinch adds cozy warmth
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Apple Cider in the Crockpot
- Add ingredients: Place the apples, orange wedges, brown sugar, spices, and water into a 4–5 quart crock pot. The fruit should be fully submerged.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the fruit is very soft and fragrant.
- Mash: Remove the cinnamon sticks. Gently mash the softened fruit with a potato masher to release more flavor. Cover and cook for 1 hour more.
- Strain: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or pitcher, pressing the fruit to extract as much of the juices as possible. For a smooth cider, strain again through cheesecloth remove any peels and solids.
- Serve: Ladle warm cider into mugs and garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired. For best flavor, serve at 145°F–155°F.
Recipe Tips
- Use tart and sweet apples – A mix of both sweet and tart flavor profiles creates a well-rounded cider with depth and brightness
- Adjust spices to taste – Customize the intensity by adding more or less cinnamon, cloves, or allspice
- No slow cooker? – Simmer everything in a large stockpot for 2–3 hours until the apples soften
- Hosting? Keep it warm – Use your crockpot’s warm setting to serve directly at parties or gatherings
- Want to spike it? – Add 1–2 oz of dark liquor like whiskey, bourbon, rum, or brandy to each serving for an adult-friendly twist
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep cooled cider in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Pour into freezer-safe containers, leaving room for expansion; store for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium heat until it reaches 145°F–155°F. Avoid boiling to preserve flavor.
More Fall Drinks & Treats Featuring Apple Cider
- Apple Cider Donuts – Baked, fluffy, and bursting with warm spice.
- Apple Cider Doughnut Cake – A cozy bundt cake perfect for fall gatherings.
- Apple Cider Margarita – Refreshing with a fall twist for cocktail hour.
- Apple Cider Sangria – Sweet, spiced, and party-ready over ice.
- Apple Cider Martini – Crisp and elegant, like fall in a glass.
If you’ve tried this Apple Cider Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Apple Cider
Serves — 6
This easy crockpot apple cider recipe is naturally sweet and filled with fresh apples, juicy oranges, and warm fall spices. Perfect for chilly days or festive parties.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red sweet-tart apples (Honeycrisp and Gala apples used), quartered and cored
- 1 medium navel orange sliced into wedges
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 4 cinnamon sticks (approximately 2 ½-3 inches in length, plus additional sticks to garnish individual serving glasses)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves (approximately 18-20)
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Add the apples, orange, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, cloves and allspice to the insert of a 4-5 quart crockpot. Cover the fruit and spices with the water. There should be enough water to fully submerge the apples.3 pounds red sweet-tart apples, 1 medium navel orange, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 4 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, 6 cups water
- Add the lid to the crockpot, set to LOW and cook for 6-7 hours (3-4 hours on HIGH) or until very soft.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks from the crockpot. Using a potato masher, gently mash the softened apples and oranges to release more flavor. Allow the cider to cook for an additional 1 hour.
- Place a large fine mesh strainer over a large pitcher or bowl, strain the mixture to remove the apple peel, orange slices and spices from the apple cider. Press as much liquid from the mashed fruit as possible using the back of a wooden spoon or a ladle. Discard the solid pieces. You may need to strain the cider in batches to prevent overflow and allow for easier pressing. For an extra smooth cider, place a cheesecloth over the fine mesh strainer and strain a second time to ensure no pulp or spices remain in the final apple cider.
- Serve warm (ideally between 145°F-155°F) in individual mugs, garnished with a cinnamon stick for a festive touch, if desired.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To Reheat: You can reheat the cider on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Use a mix of sweet and tart apples for balanced flavor
- Adjust spice amounts based on preference
- If you skip the whole spices, cider will be less spiced and lighter
- No crockpot? Use a large stockpot: simmer 2–3 hours, then strain
- Want ultra-smooth cider? Double strain through cheesecloth
- Crockpot “warm” setting keeps cider perfect for parties
- To make it boozy, add 1–2 oz of dark liquor like whiskey, bourbon, rum, or brandy per serving
Nutrition Info
Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 182IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg
I want to try this. I am just wondering if it can be made in the crockpot?
I added 2 pears, Perfect. Thank you for sharing.
can you use a juicer to make the apple cider??