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This delicious, easy-to-make, no-alcohol mulled cider, will warm the cockles of your heart and make your home taste and smell like the holiday season, all at the same time.
It’ll have you snuggling up, ready for a Hallmark movie or two (ha!), as the aroma of spices waft Heavenward, cradling your senses in a warm blanket of seasons past and present! I’m not kidding.
For me, it also calls to mind holiday tours of beautifully decorated Colonial-era homes in rural, southern New Jersey, where piping-hot cups of no-alcohol mulled cider, called wassail, were served during nighttime tours in chilly December.
The hardest part of this recipe, which we typically slow-cook in the crock pot around Thanksgiving and Christmas time, is assembling all the ingredients. You may already have many of the spices on hand.
For me, it also calls to mind holiday tours of beautifully decorated Colonial-era homes in rural, southern New Jersey, where piping-hot cups of no-alcohol mulled cider, called wassail, were served during nighttime tours in chilly December.
I put all of the ingredients in the crock pot in the morning and let them simmer on low until evening, about eight hours, and then serve it. If you can’t wait that long, since it is so tasty, it’s done after four hours.
It’s great if you’re having company, because you can make it and leave it while you go ahead and do other things and the aroma smells so festive.
This recipe makes about 15 cups of mulled cider. Leftover cider can be refrigerated for a few days and served hot or cold.
The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 gallon of apple cider
4 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
1 tablespoon of whole cloves
2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
1 sliced apple
1 teaspoon ginger
1 sliced orange (optional)
Directions
Pour the apple cider into a 5-quart crock pot.
Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, ginger, fruit and ground cinnamon.
Set on LOW for eight hours or four hours … if you can’t wait.
Strain and serve this fruity, aromatic concoction!
- 1 gallon of apple cider
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 4 star anise
- 1 tablespoon of whole cloves
- 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 sliced apple
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 sliced orange (optional)
- Pour the apple cider into a 5-quart crock pot.
- Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, ginger, fruit and ground cinnamon.
- Set on LOW for eight hours or four hours … if you can’t wait.
- Strain and serve this fruity, aromatic concoction!
6 Comments
Great alternative to mulled wine! Fantastic instructions! Well done and thank you 🙏
It really is and it’s delicious. Thanks, Shane!
I can’t wait to try that receipe! It looks so good! The crockpot is a great idea, so simple.
Thanks Caroline!
And simple is good, especially during the holidays! Thanks, Billie Jean.
This drink sounds so good, can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for the idea Caroline
Cheers, Bob!