Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider makes for the perfect Holiday drink. It is fragrant and delicious and requires only a handful of seasonal ingredients and about 2 minutes of hands-on time. Come home to Fall in a glass and get the warm and fuzzies without much effort at all. After you try this one you should check out this Fall Harvest hot apple cider which is perfect for using up leftover Fall fruit that might be about to go off.
Jump to:
Spiced Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider
I came home from the store today to the smell of this Spiced Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider smacking me in the face as soon as I opened the door.
My house smelled like a bunch of apple cinnamon candles had been left burning all day, instantly making the house more homely and giving me the warm and fuzzies.
It also left me craving some apple pie....that particular craving will have to be satisfied on another day...
How Much Skill Does It Take To Make Homemade Apple Cider?
Not much.
Picture yourself cozied up in front of the fire with a big snuggly sweater and comfy slippers on, while the wind and rain wail outside.
That's exactly what Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider tastes like! And it requires no effort at all.
Well two minutes of chopping fruit, and then throwing everything into the crockpot and leaving it to cook away, but I am sure you can handle that!
What Ingredients Are Needed?
Just pop a handful of ingredients, all of which you will either have on hand or can easily find at your local market, into the slow cooker, set for 4 hours and walk away. Come home to a flavorful and antioxidant-rich, body-warming drink.
You will need:
- apples
- cranberries
- lemon
- unsweetened apple cider
- cinnamon sticks
- mulling spices
- honey or maple syrup to sweeten
See nothing hard.
Mulling spices can be found in the spice section of your local store, or if you can't find any then you can grab some online here.
Same with cinnamon sticks. They can tend to get a little bit expensive, so I usually buy them in bulk when they have them in stock at Costco, or you can grab some from Amazon here.
Also see Crockpot Apple Cider
Ok, Now For The Easy Bit: How To Enjoy Your Homemade Cranberry Apple Cider
This is the part you have been waiting for.
Set the slow cooker to 'keep warm', pop on a lid, and you have a nice warming drink to soothe sore throats, warm cold hands, and bellies and give everyone that comfy Holiday feeling.
Add more honey or maple syrup until you get the level of sweetness you like. The kids usually like to put an extra little swirl in there for theirs.
For the adults, you can add some cheap red wine and get a great mulled wine/cider concoction! I say this because this is my signature 'on the porch' drink at Halloween for the neighbours to share whilst handing out candy.
To make it even prettier, why not add a slice of dehydrated orange to the glass when serving!
And yes I will have the slow cooker plugged in outside, lets hope it's actually cold, unlike the last time I tried this out!
What To Do With Leftover Cider
After you have enjoyed your hot apple cider, store it in a glass jar with a lid in the fridge.
You can reheat it in the microwave or the slow-cooker when you want to serve it up again, however, I would probably replace the fruit as it can get a bit sluggish after the first batch is warmed up.
If you have lots of leftovers and want to preserve them for longer then have a look at this article: Can You Freeze Apple Cider And Apple Juice?
Want something a little more 'grown up? Why not try this Vin Chaud from Vanilla Bean Cuisine?
Happy drinking
xx
Recipe
Spiced Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 4 apples cored and quartered
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 lemon sliced
- 2 cups unsweetened apple cider
- 7 cups water
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoon mulling spices
- honey or maple syrup to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Pop all of the fruit, along with the apple cider, water, cinnamon sticks and mulling spices (tie these into some cheese cloth so that they are easily removed), into the slow cooker.
- Set on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours
- Once cooked, remove the cinnamon sticks, the mulling spices and as much of the fruit as possible
- Pour the remaining liquid into a blender (I do this in 2 batches), blend, and then pour through a fine mesh sieve (I actually used a nut milk bag), into a clean container
- Pour the cider back into the slow cooker, and set to keep warm
- Serve warm, and use some honey or maple syrup to sweeten if required (I usually find you don't need to as the fruit makes it sweet enough). Garnish with some cranberries and apple slices to make it pretty (optional)
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Don’t forget to follow Whole Food Bellies on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration! Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post! Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group!
Kiki Johnson says
This is the perfect drink for the holiday season! Love the reddish hue the apple cider gets from the added cranberries. Makes it look even more festive!
Kelly Anthony says
I love this! It's so perfect for the fall, and I'll bet it smells fantastic!
Courtrey says
Great recipe! Can't wait to try this in my Instant Pot!
Catherine says
I made this for Thanksgiving yesterday, and it was a huge hit! I was too lazy to blend or strain it...just said it was, “with pulp” cider, and everyone still loved it 😀 So delicious...thanks for the recipe!
Donna1 says
Hahaha love the 'cider with pulp' 🙂 You did better than me, I made it and then totally forgot I had it in the slow cooker until later that night when everyone had left! More for me 🙂
Megan says
Looks delicious!! After it’s all cooked down how many servings are there?
Donna1 says
Hey Megan, it is about 8 standard servings, although I always serve mine in huge mugs so it ends up being about 4 🙂
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
This looks fabulous. I ca totally see myself making a very batch of this for our Thanksgiving party and I'm sure everyone will love it. I love the festive flavors!
Donna1 says
Haha love it!! It also adds a great smell to the house, which is always nice when you have guests coming over 🙂
Michele Hall says
I love that you are doing this in the slow cooker... its going to make my house smell so wonderful.... A definite added bonus!
Donna1 says
I know right, the slow cooker is such a handy tool to have around. And you kill two birds with one stone - awesome warm drink and a delicious smell throughout the house!!
Amanda says
I love making cider in the slow cooker. It's so convenient for holiday parties, and keeps it just at the right temperature for serving. I love that you've added cranberries to yours! So pretty and festive!
Sarah says
I make spiced slow cooker apple cider all the time, but I never thought about adding cranberries! What a great idea!!
Leah says
I can almost smell this through my screen! This sounds delicious and I love the cranberry touch, makes it even more perfect for the holidays! Thanks for the inspiration!
Debbie says
How long will this keep in the warm crock, and in the fridge? Sounds delicious, can't wait to try it.
Donna1 says
It can keep warm in the crock for a good few hours, I had mine in for about 4 hours after it finished cooking. In the fridge it usually lasts about 4 days or so, but you probably don't want any fresh fruit pieces in there as they may get soggy. Enjoy 🙂