Mulled Cider
intro
Warm, aromatic spiced apple cider simmered with citrus and whole spices, with balanced sweet-spicy notes perfect for cozy winter holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep flavor ingredients
Wash the 150g navel orange thoroughly, slice it into 1cm thick rounds, and gently push 4 whole cloves into each of 2 orange slices to prevent loose cloves from floating in the cider. Peel the 20g ginger piece, slice it into 3mm thick coins, and measure out all remaining spices (3 cinnamon sticks, 6 allspice berries, 2 star anise) and 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar.
Combine cider and aromatics
Pour the full 2L of fresh unfiltered apple cider into a 4L heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium-low heat. Add the clove-studded orange slices, remaining plain orange slices, sliced ginger, measured whole spices, and dark brown sugar to the pot, stirring once with a wooden spoon to fully dissolve the sugar.
Heat to gentle simmer
Warm the cider mixture for 8-10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a gentle steady simmer with small bubbles breaking at the surface (internal temperature 82°C/180°F). Do not bring to a rolling boil, as high heat will cook off bright apple flavor and leach bitter compounds from the spices.
Steep to infuse flavors
Once the cider reaches a simmer, reduce heat to the lowest stovetop setting, cover the pot partially with its lid (leave a 2cm gap to allow excess steam to escape), and let the cider steep undisturbed for 15 minutes. Avoid frequent stirring during steeping to prevent the cider from turning cloudy.
Strain out solid ingredients
After 15 minutes of steeping, turn off the stovetop heat. Set a fine-mesh metal sieve over a 3L heatproof glass serving pitcher or punch bowl, and pour the hot mulled cider through the sieve to catch all orange slices, ginger, and whole spices; discard the used solids.
Finish and serve warm
If using the optional 120ml dark rum, stir it into the strained cider just before serving. Ladle the warm cider into heatproof ceramic mugs, garnish each with a thin fresh orange wheel and 1 small cinnamon stick if desired, and serve at 71°C/160°F for ideal drinking temperature.
Tips
2.For a kid-friendly non-alcoholic version, skip the rum entirely; add 60ml (1/4 cup) pure maple syrup for extra woody sweetness if you prefer a richer, deeper flavor profile.
3.Leftover mulled cider will keep for up to 3 days in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator; rewarm it gently over low stovetop heat instead of microwaving on high to avoid flat, dull flavor.
OMG this spiced mulled cider was an absolute hit at our neighborhood fall potluck last weekend! I added a little extra orange peel like my grandma used to and everyone was coming back for second and third cups. So cozy, perfect for the 50-degree weather we’ve been having in Chicago. 10/10 will make again for Thanksgiving!
Super easy recipe, I threw this together in 25 minutes last night when my husband’s friends showed up unannounced for our football watch party. The whole house smelled like fall instantly! Only thing I did different was toss in a couple cinnamon sticks for garnish. SO good.
Game changer! I’ve been buying overpriced mulled cider from the local farmers market for years and can’t believe how simple this is to make at home. Tastes even better than the store bought stuff, no weird added syrups or preservatives.
Made this for my kid’s Halloween pre-trick-or-treat get together and all the parents were asking for the recipe! My kids loved it too, I skipped the optional splash of bourbon for the kid mugs and added a dollop of whipped cream on top for them.
Wait, can I make this in a slow cooker instead of on the stovetop? I want to set it and forget it during our family dinner on Sunday so it stays warm the whole time.
Pretty solid recipe, I used honeycrisp cider as the base because that’s my favorite and the spice blend was perfectly balanced, not too heavy on the nutmeg like some mulled cider recipes I’ve tried before. Will be making this all holiday season.
Tried this last night for our date night in, paired it with caramel apple slices and it was the coziest fall evening ever. Super straightforward, zero fancy ingredients needed, even for someone who barely cooks like me.
Brought this to my office potluck today and people were raving! The only note I have is that I wish I’d made a double batch, it was gone in 15 minutes flat. Next time I’m bringing the whole crockpot full.
Is there a non-alcoholic version that still tastes fun? I’m sober and don’t want to feel left out of all the fun fall drinks this year, but most mulled cider recipes push adding bourbon or rum super hard.
Made this on my camping trip last weekend, heated it up over the campfire in a big enamel pot and it was chef’s kiss. The smell drifting through the campground even had our neighbors from the next site over asking for a cup! Perfect cold weather drink.
I messed up the first batch and let the spices boil too long so it got a little bitter, but the second time I kept it at a gentle simmer like the recipe said and it was perfect. Don’t be like me and turn the stove up too high!
My family does a big Thanksgiving eve bonfire every year and this is going to be the new signature drink. I tested it last night and even my super picky dad who “doesn’t like fancy drinks” had two mugs full. 10/10
SO good! I added a few slices of fresh ginger to the spice mix for a little extra zing and it was incredible. Perfect for when you have a little fall cold, the warm spices and ginger cleared my sinuses right up lol
Meal prepped a big batch of this on Sunday to sip on throughout the work week, just reheat a mug in the microwave each evening when I get home. It’s way better than my usual nightly tea, makes the whole apartment smell amazing for hours.
Hosted a small fall harvest party at my place this weekend and served this cider alongside chili and cornbread. It was the perfect combo! My roommate even took the leftover cider home to share with her partner because she loved it so much. 10/10, so easy to throw together even when you’re running around hosting.