Homemade Apple Cider Recipe
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This delicious Homemade Apple Cider recipe is easy to make on a stovetop or slow cooker! Cozy fall drink includes fresh apples, oranges, and warm spices!
Warm beverages like hot cocoa and this easy apple cider are a comfort on the cooler fall days! You can also make ahead for fall activities like tailgating, parties, and evenings around a campfire!
It’s extremely easy to make on the stovetop or the slow cooker – I’ve shared step-by-step instructions for both methods! Hint – after you’ve made your homemade apple cider, you may want to save some to make my Apple Cider Waffles (they are incredible!)
Homemade Apple Cider is such a favorite drink to sip during the fall. It’s full of the goodness of fresh apples, oranges, and cozy spices. The flavors, the aroma, the taste – all combine to make a warm mug of this such a comfort to sip! And while it’s considered by many to be more of a cool-weather beverage, this recipe is refreshing served cold, too!
Whatever method you choose to make this cider, get ready for the intoxicating aroma to fill your home! There’s no fall candle around that can top the scent this apple cider recipe makes!
Here’s how you’ll make it:
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Apples – My recipe uses a variety of sweet and tart apples, such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith. The combination gives the best apple flavor!
- Oranges – Use fresh, ripe oranges that you peel before adding to your stockpot or slow cooker. The oils from the peeling and the pith are bitter, so you do not want to include them.
- Cinnamon and Cloves – You can use either whole or ground spices. Ground spices will blend in with the fruit in the cider as it cooks, and whole spices can be removed.
- Fresh Water
- Dark Brown Sugar – Optional – Adds another layer of rich flavor if you decide to sweeten your cider.
- Garnish – Optional – Use apple slices, orange slices, or cinnamon sticks for festive and appetizing garnishes.
How to Make Homemade Apple Cider
This easy apple cider is very simple to make in a slow cooker or on your stovetop. I share detailed instructions for both methods in the recipe card.
Prepare the spices. I give you the option of using whole cinnamon sticks and whole cloves or ground spices. If you use whole cinnamon and cloves, tie those whole spices into a piece of cheesecloth. Then, place the cheesecloth bundle into the stockpot or slow cooker. This makes it much easier to remove the spices when ready to mash your fruit.
If you use ground spices, they blend in with the fruit, so there is no reason to remove them. If I am in a hurry, I will use ground spices.
Slow Cooker Option:
- Add ingredients to the slow cooker. Wash the apples and oranges and prepare them according to the recipe instructions. Add the apple and orange slices to the slow cooker insert along with the spices. Add water to cover as instructed.
- Cook. Set the slow cooker to Low heat setting and cook for 7 hours, OR set it to High heat setting and cook for 3 hours.
- Mash the fruit. Once the fruit has cooked, remove the cheesecloth bundle if whole spices are used and mash the fruit as instructed. Remove the fruit, then reserve or discard it. (Read further for a recipe to use the reserved fruit.)(Tip: Use a fine mesh strainer to remove the fruit’s pulp from your apple cider.)
- Sweeten and serve. Taste the cider and sweeten it according to your tastes (if you wish). Serve warm or store.
Stovetop Option:
- Add ingredients to the stockpot. Wash the apples and oranges and prepare them according to the recipe instructions. Add the apple and orange slices to the stockpot along with the spices. Add water to cover as instructed.
- Cook. Cook the fruit and spices on high heat for 30 minutes, stirring often. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Add water as needed to keep the fruit covered.
- Mash the fruit. Once the fruit has cooked, remove the cheesecloth bundle if whole spices are used and mash the fruit as instructed. Remove the fruit, then reserve it or discard it. (Read further for a recipe to use the reserved fruit.) (Tip: Use a fine mesh strainer to remove the fruit’s pulp from your apple cider.)
- Sweeten and serve. Taste the cider and sweeten it according to your tastes (if you wish). Serve warm or store.
Storage Tips
Make-Ahead: Place cider in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 7 days. Shake or stir well before serving. This is a perfect make-ahead recipe for the holidays or anytime you have apples that you need to use!
To Freeze. Place in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator to serve. Warm on the stovetop or microwave if you wish to serve warm. You can also serve cold.
How To Use The Cooked Fruit
After making the cider, reserve the cooked fruit to make homemade applesauce! So delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
I use sweet and tart apples because the blend gives the cider a deeper apple taste. Sweet apples, such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, or Rome apples, and tart apples, like Granny Smith, are delicious in this apple cider.
While apples are the star ingredient, adding ripe oranges to the recipe helps to round out the flavor and gives it a great taste.
More Favorite Apple Recipes
Here’s my homemade Apple Cider Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Homemade Apple Cider Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 -12 medium apples, assorted such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Rome, and Granny Smith
- 2 medium navel orange, peeled and sectioned
- 4 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves or 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
- about 1 gallon fresh water
- dark brown sugar, to taste, optional
- optional garnish: apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon stick
Instructions
Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Cider Recipe:
- Wash the apples, core and cut into wedges. Add the apple and orange slices to the slow cooker. Place the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves into a small piece of cheesecloth and place into the slow cooker or add the ground spices to the top of the fruit. Add the water, enough to cover the fruit plus about 1 inch, and cook on low heat for 7 hours or on high heat for 3 hours.
- Remove the cheesecloth of spices, if using, from the slow cooker and mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon or with a potato masher as much as possible. Reserve the cooked fruit for another purpose, like apple sauce, or discard.
- Taste your cider for sweetness and add the brown sugar until you reach the desired sweetness.
- Serve your homemade apple cider warm or transfer to a heat safe container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Stovetop Homemade Apple Cider Recipe:
- Wash the apples, core and cut into wedges. Add the apple and orange slices to a stockpot. Place the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves into a small piece of cheesecloth and place into the stockpot or add the ground spices to the top of the fruit. Add the water, enough to cover the fruit plus about 1 inch, and cook on high heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Add water as needed to keep the fruit covered.
- Remove the cheesecloth of spices, if using, from the stockpot and mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon or with a potato masher as much as possible. Reserve the cooked fruit for another purpose, like apple sauce, or discard.
- Taste your cider for sweetness and add the brown sugar until you reach the desired sweetness.
- Serve your homemade apple cider warm or transfer to a heat safe container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Storage Tips
Make-Ahead: Place cider in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 7 days. Shake or stir well before serving. This is a perfect make-ahead recipe for the holidays, or anytime you have apples that you need to use! To Freeze. Place in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator to serve. Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave if you wish to serve warm. You can also serve cold.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Love it! so delicous
Wow this is amazing! You are right!
Thanks for all your tips, Emma! Happy these have been a winner for you. xo
This recipe has made me very popular during the fall and winter months! Very tasty and easy to make, thank you for sharing it!
Glad everyone likes it, Jak!
Are we cooking this covered or uncovered? Thank you!
Absolutely delicious !!!!!
Thanks Lorraine! xo
Is possible to use high-pressure pot to cut the cooking time? It’s too long to cook this cider 10 hours I think.
This recipe doesn’t have any directions on using a fine mesh strainer. Do we do that after the fruit has been mashed?? Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!!
Do you peel the apples for the homemade apple cider? Thank you. I absolutely love this drink. It’s my favorite holiday time drink. Of course I love eggnog too. LOL
Hi Cheryl,
I generally do not peel the apples for my homemade apple cider. I do wash them really, really well. Then, after I them for apple sauce, I just remove the skins from the mash. I hope that helps and that you enjoy it! xo
Hoping to make this tomorrow but don’t need it until Saturday. Do I re-heat this before serving or just serve cold?
I usually reheat mine, Sarah, so it is warm. Hope you enjoy!
After mashing the fruit, how do you strain the liquid? Cheese cloth?
Hi Jennifer,
You’ll want to make sure to use a fine mesh strainer to strain away the pulp of the fruit from your apple cider. You can also use cheesecloth, but I find that the stability of the fine mesh strainer is most helpful when making this apple cider. I hope you enjoy it! xo
I hope you love it, Jean! xo
Cannot wait to try this and add some to the freezer for fall gatherings. This sounds so delicious.
Me too!