This homemade apple cider with warm fall spices is perfect for chilly autumn days.
Apple cider is the signature drink for fall. The combination of spices such as cloves, cardamom and cinnamon along with fresh crisp apples are great for gloomy fall days. Warming you from the inside, this drink is simply the definition of comfort… and did you know that you can make it yourself with little effort? You don’t even need a slow cooker for this recipe.
What you will need are different types of apples such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Granny Smith. The combination of sweet apples and a tart version alongside make this cider amazing. Peeling is not necessary, you simply need to quarter the apples. See how little effort this takes? I haven’t even mentioned the best part though. The smell- when making this apple cider your home will smell like fall. You will be tempted to stand in front of the simmering pot the whole time, inhaling the scent of the warm spices. I might have done that… no comment.
Apple cider is also great for entertaining in the fall, it shows your guests you really put a lot of thought into the meal. You actually went ahead and made a signature drink for the evening- now that really makes a guest feel special. It’s also a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal and since you can make this up to 5 days ahead of time you won’t have any additional stress on the day itself. You can also freeze this cider for up 3 months which is practical, since you will get quite a big batch from this. In my experience though, apple cider is nothing that stays in the fridge for long. 😉
Apple Cider
Delicious homemade apple cider with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 glasses
Ingredients
- 10 apples*
- 1 and 1/2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 teaspoons cloves, whole
- 12 cardomom seeds
- 100g brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- sweetened condensed milk for garnishing, optional
- dried apple slices for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Wash and quarter the apples. Add the first 5 ingredients to a large pot and fill with enough water to cover the apples.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium low and let it simmer for 2 hours. Then mash the apples and continue simmering for 1 additional hour.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids. Strain again if you prefer the cider without pulp. Serve hot.
Notes
*such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Granny Smith, Gala,..
The cider can be stored up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
These are photographed beautifully! I just want to jump right in. And that warm cozy cider is seriously perfect for gloomy days, like today (and more to come I suspect!!)
Thanks Jolina! The gloomy weather hit today, hardly any sun and tons of rain…glad I stocked up on this 🙂
Oooh I love a mulled warm spiced cider! Can’t wait to try!
Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by Heather 🙂