This delicious hot apple cider drink is a specialty of New England. Spiced with a clove-studded orange, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon, hot mulled cider is the perfect drink to serve during the holidays.
Dark rumSpiced rumBrandyBourbonMadeira wine
Choosing the Best Cider for Mulled Cider
This recipe works best with fresh-pressed cider that’s sold refrigerated rather than shelf-stable cider, which is basically pasteurized apple juice. If you can get cider at a farmers market or local orchard, all the better. Apple cider is juice pressed from apples, usually early in the season and often unfiltered. It comes pasteurized or unpasteurized. Pasteurization kills off bacteria and other microorganisms and allows the cider to last longer. Unpasteurized juices have not had the bacteria and other microorganisms destroyed. Some people prefer their taste, saying they taste fresher, but there’s a very slim chance they could cause a foodborne illness. This recipe calls for non-alcoholic apple cider (fresh cider). In the United States, we usually refer to alcoholic apple cider as hard cider to differentiate from the non-alcoholic version, but traditionally cider was always alcoholic.
Making Apple Cider Spice Mix in Advance
To make quick work of putting the mulled cider together, combine the cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, freshly ground nutmeg, and cardamom pods and store them in a tightly closed container for several weeks. In fact, if you’re going to make this frequently, make several small containers with pre-portioned spices. Use only whole, not ground, spices for this cider so they are easily strained out.
How to Make Mulled Cider in a Slow Cooker
Add all the ingredients (except alcohol, if using) to a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours. Strain out the oranges and spices. Return to the slow cooker and keep on low so it stays warm for serving.
Mulled Cider Swaps and Subs
Never substitute ground spices for the whole spices.Use 1 teaspoon of molasses or honey instead of brown sugar.Substitute equal amounts of honey for the brown sugar.Add some cranberry juice to the cider to give it a tart element.Grate some fresh ginger into the cider when you add the whole spices.
How to Serve Mulled Cider
Serve mulled cider warm or hot, depending on individual preferences. Serve in a mug with a cinnamon stick and a slice of orange.
Perfect Desserts to Serve With Hot Cider
Bread Pudding Fudgy Brownie Bites Gingerbread Cake Apple Pie Bars with Crumble Topping Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
While the cider is heating up, take a vegetable peeler and peel away a couple thick strips of peel from the orange. Press about half of the cloves into the peeled part of the orange. (You can also just quarter the orange and add the slices and cloves separately. I just like seeing the orange bob up and down.) Place orange, orange peel strips, the remaining cloves, and the rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. If you want, you can add a touch of bourbon, brandy, or rum to spike it up a bit. Serve hot. Add a cinnamon stick to each cup if desired.
