This Hot Mulled Stovetop Apple Cider is the ultimate cozy fall beverage! Made with fresh apple cider, warming whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and star anise, plus fresh ginger, apple, and orange slices, it's ready in under 30 minutes on the stovetop. Using whole spices instead of ground makes for a crystal-clear cider with incredible depth of flavor, plus no grainy texture! Perfect for any fall gathering, Halloween, Thanksgiving, holiday parties, or just curling up by the fire on a chilly night!
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Homemade Hot Mulled Apple Cider is Basically Fall in a Pot! 🍂🍎
There's nothing quite like walking into a house that smells like mulled apple cider simmering on the stove; it's essentially the ultimate fall scented candle! The combination of warm spices, fresh citrus, and gently simmering apple cider makes for a seriously inviting aroma.
We love making this hot mulled apple cider throughout the cooler months of fall and winter. It's also become our go-to drink for entertaining! Whether you're hosting Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dinner, having friends over for a cozy night in, or just want something warm and comforting on a chilly evening, this simple mulled cider fits the bill.
Just grab a jug of good apple cider from your local cider mill or grocery store, toss in your whole spices and fruit slices, and let everything simmer together while your house fills with the most amazing scent.
Part of what makes this mulled cider different from others you'll find is the addition of cardamom, one of our favorite spices that's found in our Nordic-style glogg recipe. Cardamom is so cozy and adds this slightly floral, warming complexity that really sets it apart from the standard cinnamon-clove combo everyone else is doing. If you're already a fan of cardamom, definitely try our Swedish cardamom buns too! They would pair perfectly with this drink!
The fresh ginger adds a little spicy kick, and mulling fresh apple slices right in the pot gives you delicious extra apple flavor. Plus, using whole spices instead of ground makes straining so much easier!
Want a savory recipe with apple cider? Try this apple cider pork pot roast, or this sheet pan chicken and apples with apple cider honey butter glaze!
🍎Ingredients
This mulled apple cider relies on a beautiful blend of warming whole spices and fresh ingredients to create layers of cozy flavor!
🍎Ingredient Notes
- Apple cider. This is the star of the show, so get the good stuff! Make sure it's fresh, unfiltered apple cider from the refrigerated section, NOT the clear apple juice, or the apple cider from the shelf-stable section. Look for cloudy, unfiltered cider with no added sugar or spices. If you can get it from a local orchard, even better, local orchards here in Michigan seem to be overflowing with them!
- Apples. We love using a mix of sweet and tart apples, like Honeycrisp and Cripps Pink apples, sliced and mulled right in the pot! They add extra apple flavor as they simmer. You can use whatever apples you'd like, but we'd recommend using firmer varieties that won't mull right into mush in the pot.
- Whole spices. This is KEY to making great mulled cider! We're using whole cloves, crushed cardamom pods, allspice pods, star anise, and cinnamon sticks. It's so much easier to control the spice level when using whole spices. With ground spices, once you add them, you can't take them away! Plus, whole spices won't make your cider cloudy or gritty.
💡 Crushing the cardamom. Place the cardamom pods on your cutting board and gently press down with the flat side of a knife or the bottom of a measuring cup. You just want to crack them open slightly to release more flavor.
🫚Can't find whole spices? Some grocery stores carry them in the spice aisle, but sometimes they can be pricey. You can find them easily online. It's worth seeking them out for this recipe - the difference in flavor and texture of your mulled cider is huge!
How to Mull Apple Cider
This couldn't be simpler! Everything goes into one pot and simmers together while your house fills with the most incredible aroma. Let's make it!
Step 1
Add the apple cider to the Dutch oven with sliced oranges, apple slices, and the whole spices over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low, then bring the cider to a gentle simmer for at least 15-20 minutes.
⚠️ Don't let it boil hard! You want just a gentle simmer with tiny bubbles breaking the surface. A hard rolling boil can make the cider taste slightly bitter and will cook off too much liquid. Low and slow is the way to go here!
Step 2
After the 15-20 minute mark, you'll see that the apples have softened.
The longer you let it simmer, the more intense the spice flavors become.
Love a heavily spiced cider? If you want, allow the spices to steep in the liquid for a few hours for a deeper spiced flavor. If you want, you can refrigerate the cider before straining, covered, overnight in the fridge before removing the fruit and spices to allow the flavors to infuse more
Step 3
Using a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon, remove the apple slices, orange slices, and whole spices from the pot.
Ladle the warm mulled cider into mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick and an apple slice. Enjoy!
🥃Want to spike it? For an adult version, add a splash of bourbon, rum, or brandy to each mug just before serving! We love it with a good dark rum or spiced rum, like in our hot apple buttered rum! About 1-2 ounces per mug is perfect.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Stovetop Mulled Apple Cider Recipe (with Whole Spices!)
Equipment
- dutch oven or large pot, at least 3-quart capacity
- Fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh apple cider ½ gallon, unfiltered, from the refrigerated section
- 2 medium apples sliced into ¼-inch rounds, any firm variety
- 1 medium orange sliced into rounds
- 2-3 whole cinnamon sticks
- ½ tablespoon whole cloves
- ½ tablespoon whole cardamom pods crushed
- ½ tablespoon whole allspice berries
- 1 pod star anise
- 3-4 slices fresh ginger about 1-inch knob total
Instructions
- Combine ingredients. Pour apple cider into a large pot or Dutch oven. Add apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, crushed cardamom, allspice, star anise, and ginger pieces.8 cups fresh apple cider, 2 medium apples, 1 medium orange, 2-3 whole cinnamon sticks, ½ tablespoon whole cloves, ½ tablespoon whole cardamom pods, ½ tablespoon whole allspice berries, 1 pod star anise, 3-4 slices fresh ginger
- Bring to a simmer. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture just begins to bubble, then immediately reduce heat to low. You want a very gentle simmer - just tiny bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil.
- Simmer and infuse. Let the cider simmer gently on low heat for at least 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cider will deepen in color and become wonderfully aromatic as the spices infuse.
- Strain and serve. Use a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon to remove the apple slices, orange slices, and whole spices. Ladle the warm cider into mugs and garnish with reserved cinnamon sticks and apple slices. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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Notes
Notes
Tips and tricks:- Use whole spices only. Ground spices will make your cider cloudy and gritty. Whole spices infuse beautiful flavor and are easy to strain out, leaving you with crystal-clear cider.
- Don't boil hard. Keep the heat low for a gentle simmer. Boiling can make the cider taste slightly bitter and will cook off too much liquid.
- Crush the cardamom. Gently crushing the cardamom pods before adding them helps release more of that gorgeous flavor. Just press them with the flat side of a knife or the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Apple choices. Any combination of apples works here! We love Honeycrisp and something tart, like Cripps Pink. Just use something that won't turn into mush after boiling!
- Make it boozy. Add 1-2 ounces of bourbon, dark rum, or brandy to each mug just before serving for an adult version, like our hot apple cider buttered rum!
- Slow cooker option: You can also make this in a slow cooker! Combine all ingredients and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. This is perfect for parties - it'll keep the cider warm for hours while guests serve themselves. Just don't use HIGH heat, or you risk making it bitter.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover mulled cider (with spices strained out) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
- Freezer: This recipe freezes well. Store for up to 6 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Keep warm for a party: Transfer strained cider to a slow cooker set on "warm" to keep it at the perfect temperature for hours while guests serve themselves.
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