Description

Once the cooler weather arrives, I know it's time to warm the house up with a big pot of hot Mulled Apple Cider. This cozy drink includes classic mulling spices cinnamon, cloves, and star anise along with oranges, apples, and cranberries for a supremely warm and delicious treat that we enjoy from fall all the way through winter.

Ingredients

Scale

54 oz / 1.54 L apple cider (I prefer fresh-pressed unfiltered)
120 g apple, pitted and sliced (I use 1 medium Granny Smith)
56 g (about 1/2 cup) cranberries, fresh or frozen
270 g orange, sliced (I use 1 medium navel orange and 1 medium blood orange)
2 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
2 star anise
Optional: (for those of age) rum, brandy, bourbon, or scotch to spike

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Instructions

In a large pot or dutch oven, add the apple cider, apple slices, and cranberries.
Before adding the oranges and spices, I like to press the cloves into the pith of one or two of the navel orange slices (the soft white part between the citrus and the rind). As long as you aren't stirring vigorously, the cloves should stay securely in the pith and this makes it easier to remove them from the pot in the end. Once the cloves are secure, add the oranges and remaining spices to the pot.
On your stove, bring the pot to heat over medium-low until the cider starts to barely bubble, just below a simmer -- You do not want the cider to boil. Lower the heat as needed to keep it just below a simmer for about 45 minutes.
Remove from heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked fruit and spices before serving. When serving the Mulled Apple Cider to guests, I like to set aside additional spices and uncooked fruit to garnish each mug with.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Slow Cooker Method (for larger batches) - Prep the fruit and spices as directed above. Instead of warming in a pot over the stove, add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker and warm on low for 2-4 hours, as needed.

Adding optional spirits (for those of age) - Add the spirits in to taste in the last 10 minutes of mulling. If your group is not all imbibing, it's just as delicious splashed into mugs individually, as desired, after serving -- the latter is how I prefer to serve this so people can choose how much they want to imbibe. Rum, brandy, bourbon, or scotch are nice options.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (1/4th of recipe)
Calories: 208
Sugar: 52 g
Sodium: 101 mg
Carbohydrates: 52 g