Crock Pot Apple Cider Recipe

I looove hot apple cider! It's so easy to make, it makes your house smell amazing, and it seems fancy if you serve it to company, especially in a charming mug with a cinnamon stick. This is wonderful to drink in cold weather, which makes it perfect in our house, which I keep at a brisk 60 degrees during the winter. (Sexy Nerd adores 60 degrees - our agreement used to be 50!) I make this every time Sexy Nerd puts up our Christmas lights.

He's starting early this year. It seems a bit unfair to Thanksgiving, but here we are.

Our $5 Crock Pot is working hard!

The Best Slow Cooker Hot Apple Cider Recipe (approximately 8 servings)

Make a simple syrup by bringing 1/8 C water and a 1/4 C sugar to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and add 1/8 tsp each of allspice, cinnamon, and ginger. Whisk well and let simmer for 5 minutes before removing from heat.
In a separate pan, bring the following to a boil: 2 C water, 1 can frozen apple juice, 1 cinnamon stick, 9 allspice berries, 9 whole cloves, 1 sliced apple, and the zest of 1 small orange. Add 1/2 of your simple syrup and whisk well.
Transfer your mixture from step #2 to a 2.5 quart slow cooker/Crock Pot set to low heat. Fill to the top with hot water. I usually let everything sit in the slow cooker for at least an hour to let the flavor develop, but it's great right away as well.

You'll want to add more syrup and/or water based on your own preference. Sexy Nerd likes the recipe exactly as written, but I like to fill my mug with 1/2 apple cider and 1/2 hot water because it's a little strong for my taste. It's easy to ladle out helpings that are only liquid, but when serving the last remaining cups, I pour this through a strainer so no one ends up with a mouthful of cloves or allspice berries!

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