Slow-Cooker Apple Cider

Total Time

Prep: 5 min. Cook: 2 hours

Makes

2 quarts

Updated: Jun. 30, 2023
There's no last-minute rush before the party when you simmer this slow-cooker apple cider. It has all the tantalizing flavors of fall. —Alpha Wilson, Roswell, New Mexico
Slow-Cooker Apple Cider Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches each)
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice
  • 2 quarts apple cider
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 orange, sliced

Directions

  1. Place cinnamon, cloves and allspice on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with a string to form a bag.
  2. Place cider and brown sugar in a 3-qt. slow cooker; stir until sugar dissolves. Add spice bag. Place orange slices on top. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Discard spice bag.
Slow-Cooker Apple Cider Tips

Can you cook slow-cooker apple cider for longer than a few hours?

After a few hours, you may want to pull out the cheesecloth full of spices so that they don't start to overpower the flavor of your slow-cooker apple cider, but you can keep the cider on the warming setting in your slow cooker for a while longer if you want to keep it hot for a fall gathering.

How can you make slow-cooker apple cider alcoholic?

One of the most popular ways to spike slow-cooker apple cider is to add a splash of your favorite bourbon or whiskey (or even rum). Make sure you know the difference between bourbon and whiskey before you pour!

What else can you add to slow-cooker apple cider?

While our slow-cooker apple cider recipe already calls for cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice and orange slices, you still have some options if you want to add even more flavor! If you want to add more spices, star anise would be an obvious choice. Otherwise, add some cranberries for a little more holiday flavor. Add an apple slice to each mug of slow-cooker apple cider for a pretty garnish! If you liked this slow-cooker apple cider, try more of our apple cider recipes.

—Lauren Pahmeier, Taste of Home Associate Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 177 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 30mg sodium, 44g carbohydrate (40g sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.