4 ingredient Crockpot hot apple cider with brown sugar is amazing, especially during the holidays! This one is so easy to make and stays warm for hours in the slow cooker! Add alcohol or make as a mocktail for kids, either way it is delicious. Want to make Instant Pot apple cider quickly?? We have instructions for that too.
It’s that time of year again when almost everything is cooked in my crockpot! I’m not talking just dinners, but drinks too like this crockpot hot apple cider! We love to bake and create yummy creations during the Fall and Winter and this recipe is perfect for that time of year. Love this crockpot recipes drink! (affiliate links present)
Crockpot Apple Cider with Apple Juice
If you’re looking for something to serve on Christmas morning, a holiday party, or just when people come over in the evening this is a great, this drink is great. We normally make our chilled sparkling apple cider but when it’s snowy outside this is way better.
You can use just plain Motts apple juice with a bit more cinnamon and cloves if you can’t find bottled cider. The best thing about this one is it can be served hot or cold! Once it is done you can leave it on warm, turn it off and even after a few hours it can still be enjoyed with some ice in your cup.
Table of contents
Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….
- This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
- I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.
Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉
Can I just heat up apple cider in a slow cooker?
Literally all you need is what you see here below but yes you could essentially just buy a jug of cider and pour that in with a cinnamon stick to make it pretty and enhance the flavor. Of course you could make an adult beverage out of this drink too, but this is perfect for the whole family. Just set to low and it can sit for hours!
It’s a super easy slow cooker recipe everyone in the family can enjoy for Christmas brunch or Thanksgiving Day. Makes the whole house smell amazing too which is another perk.
Hot Apple Cider Recipe with Brown Sugar
I think it needs a bit more sweetness but that is totally up to you. If yours has a lot of it in there already then skip it entirely. Taste and adjust as you like it. If you want it spiked that is easy too. Use the same measurements and add a few shots in there.
What alcohol is good with apple cider?
- Rye whiskey gives homemade apple cider a nice, slow and spicy burn
- Rum
- A blonde beer
- Tequila
- Scotch is sometimes a favorite
- Sparkling wine can give it some fun bubbles
- Bourbon is what I think of when I spike cider
And here it is when it is done.
Ingredients
- Apple cider or bottled apple juice is an alternative but not as good
- Orange you are going to slice but optional add in for flavor
- Whole cloves work best, if you must use ground cloves just sprinkle in a few
- Brown sugar and cinnamon sticks
How to make a spice bag for cider
- Cut a 6″ (or so) square piece of cheese cloth
- Put 2 dehydrated orange slices inside
- Break a cinnamon stick in half and put that inside
- Include 3 pieces of dried ginger
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 pieces of whole nutmeg
How to make 15 hour slow cooker apple cider
If you have heard of this it is just a way of getting a deeper flavor to your drink. You still only want it to “cook” for a few hours but beyond that on keep warm it will continue to become stronger. For this you could start the night before and then allow it to steep overnight, ready for your guests in the early afternoon. What are you waiting for??!!
I am telling you the house smells amazing when this is cooking! There is nothing like warm homemade apple cider during the holidays. If you’re making this for a holiday get together you should also check out our:
- Crockpot apple crisp is the perfect dessert for all occasions
- We have directions for air fryer apple crisp too
- Sparkling cranberry sangria (you can make it with or without alcohol)
How do you serve apple cider?
- Pour it into cute mugs
- Add a cinnamon stick for stirring into the cup
- Sprinkle in a bit of fresh orange zest
- Put a fresh slice of orange on the edge of the mug
- Add a cute chai tea bag inside
- Complete it with a swirl of whipped cream
- Swirl in some liquid or caramel sundae syrup
- With some cake mix crinkle cookies and throw a holiday party soon y’all.
- Include one of our hot cocoa bombs with marshmallows inside
What can I add to hot cider?
- 5-Spice you can sometimes find in specialty stores, or make your own to add into hot cider.
- A whole chili is great to float in your hot cider if you want to add a layer of warmth. Just remember the longer it stays in the hotter it will get
- Citrus is great to complement the acidity of the apples. We added an orange but you could add a slice of lemon too.
- Booze of course
- A spoonful of maple syrup is yummy
Grab your favorite Crock pot and cook on high if you’re in a hurry, but I always prefer slow and low all day for deeper flavors. If you must you could do it quickly in 2-3 hours but beyond that I suggest that you set to the “keep warm” Crockpot setting with the lid on to help the flavors continue to develop.
It should be just fine. Typically slow cookers will automatically switch to the warm setting so you may actually enjoy the deeper flavors even better when you try it in the morning. It is just warmed apple juice with brown sugar and spices really so try it with breakfast!
Crockpot Hot Apple Cider
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- ½ gallon apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 orange, fresh, outside rinsed
- 4-6 cloves, whole to put inside an orange
Instructions
- Stick cloves into an orange. If you want a more intense orange flavor slice the orange in half first. Put into your pot.
- In the crock pot mix the brown sugar and apple cider until dissolved. Add whole cinnamon sticks. If you want to add a spice bag add it at the end and submerge.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours and then enjoy. Leave on "keep warm" after that so you can enjoy it for hours on end.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I think cloves should be listed as a 5th ingredient. I may have to go buy some to put in the orange for the recipe as stated in the directions. Now I’m wondering how many to put in the orange? How many are to much or not enough?