Slow Cooker Apple Cider
Fresh, tangy Slow Cooker Apple Cider…the best way to make your own apple cider at home. Load up the slow cooker or crock pot with apples, oranges, spices and water…cook all day and then enjoy the best fall beverage ever on the planet.
We finally made it to the pumpkin patch this weekend….every single year I say we’re going to get there early in the season and it never seems to happen. I think Fall is the fastest season there is….one day it’s 95 degrees and the next…the trees are bare. I’ve been taking my kids to the same pumpkin farm every single year which is fun because I get to look back at the photos and see how they’ve grown…then get depressed because it happened so fast but…they were so stinking cute and the cider is amazing. Always amazing….always hot….and always an attractant for bees. Yep, if you order cider…or cider donuts for that matter…you will be hunted by the bees. They are relentless.
Which is unfortunate because there’s nothing I like more on a crisp fall day than a cup of hot cider, unless there’s bourbon in it. But they don’t give you a swig of bourbon at the pumpkin patch so you either have to bring your own flask or just go about your day dry. And that’s tough with all the bees and screaming kids around. So, sometimes I like to make my own Slow Cooker Apple Cider…in the slow cooker, of course and my own donuts…and hang out in my house bee-free. It’s not a bad deal and you have a huge batch of fresh, homemade apple cider ready when you want it.
Slow Cooker Apple Cider couldn’t be easier to make. You throw in some apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice and water then simmer all day long. Everything will get cooked down and mushy…fermentation has occurred right there in your very own kitchen.
Strain it all out and serve with some fresh sliced apples, a cinnamon stick or a splash or bourbon.
It’s the best fall beverage around. I’ll be serving my Slow Cooker Apple Cider for our Halloween party alongside some Oreo Truffles and mixing it into this Apple Cider Gin Fizz. It’s fantastic in these Pulled Pork Sliders and in these completely addictive blondies!
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 5 pounds apples, cut into quarters (I used granny smith and HoneyCrisp)
- 3 oranges, peeled if you want a less bitter flavor
- 4-5 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 6-7 cups water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Place the apples, oranges, cinnamon, cloves and allspice in a slow cooker.
- Add the water to the slow cooker and cover.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- Mash the ingredients with a potato masher and cook for 1 hour longer uncovered.
- Using a fine mesh sieve lined with a paper towel or cheesecloth and strain the cider discarding the solids.
- Return the apple cider to the slow cooker, stir in brown sugar until dissolved and serve warm or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
4 Comments on “Slow Cooker Apple Cider”
Oh my heavens – the aroma of this cooking would make me swoon! Loving this slow cooker version – I love apple cider but never tried making it – so thanks so much for this recipe!
This looks wonderful, what a delicious beverage for a chilly day! I bet it makes the house smell amazing!
This is the perfect fall drink! The aroma while cooking is amazing I’m sure!
I bet the house will smell wonderful as this cider is cooking. Love the smells of Fall.