Homemade Apple Cider is so comforting with warm winter spices and cinnamon. You can enjoy it hot or chilled over ice. The aroma of apple cider simmering in a pot will also make your house smell amazing!
You can use any variety of apples and you’ll love the warm blend of spices and natural sweetness from the apples and brown sugar.
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Apple Cider Recipe
I feel like my winter parties wouldn’t be complete without a simmering pot (or crockpot!) of Homemade Apple Cider. It’s so inviting!
Whether you’re looking for an alternative to Hot Chocolate to warm you up on a chilly day, or you’re trying to use up all of the apples that you picked at a local farm without having to eat your weight in Apple Pie, Caramel Apples, or Apple Turnovers, you are going to love this spiced cider recipe.
Hot Apple Cider is so soothing during the cooler months, it warms your entire body with every sip. The irresistible aroma while it simmers on the stove is better than any fancy candle you can buy- the scent will greet and comfort your guests as soon as they step into your home. This recipe is simple to make, you don’t even need to peel your apples. Just chop, simmer, strain, and serve.
Helpful Reader Review
“Wow!!!!I made this for the first time. And I’m so glad I used this recipe. It is absolutely amazing. I followed the recipe exactly as it said except for I doubled the recipe and did 2 T whole cloves and 1/2 t ground cloves and I felt it was perfect amount of sweetness for my liking. I decided to play around with the apples and used multiple variety, 2 each of Macintosh, Granny Smith, Fuji, golden delicious, sugarbee, gala, honey crisp. It seriously is the best apple cider, by itself or adding your favorite alcohol to compliment it. Thank you so much.” – Shianne ★★★★★
Ingredients for Apple Cider
This recipe makes an authentic apple cider from scratch, but if time is an issue or you need a quick shortcut, you can use store-bought apple cider (see substitutions below).
- Apples – 8-10 medium (or 4 lbs.), any variety or combination
- Orange – adds citrus flavor notes to the sweet cider, peel for a less tart cider
- Cinnamon – 3 medium or 4 small cinnamon sticks
- Whole cloves – use 2 tsp whole or 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- Nutmeg – 1 whole nutmeg, or just a pinch of ground nutmeg
- Brown Sugar – adds comforting sweetness
- Water – add enough water to cover your apples and watch it turn to amber brown as the flavors infuse into the water
Substitutions
Instead of brown sugar, you can add sweetness with honey, maple syrup, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, or any sweetener you prefer.
You can replace the water with store-bought cider. Reduce the apples down to one or two. Since store-bought cider typically already has sugar added, be sure to only add sugar to taste if needed.
The Best Apples for Apple Cider
We love using a variety of apples for homemade cider, they can even be imperfect- they’re going to be simmered and mashed to a pulp, so this is not an apple beauty contest. If you have a local apple farm, many will give a discount for the apples that have already fallen off of the trees, which are perfect for cider making- just be sure to give them a good rinse.
For the best apple cider, we like to use a mixture of sweet and tart apples. Use a combination of the varieties below:
- Sweet apples – Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gala
- Tart apples – Granny Smith, MacIntosh, Cortland
How to Make Apple Cider
- Chop – Core and roughly chop your fruit, no need to peel. We used this apple slicer to make the coring and cutting job even easier.
- Fill Your Pot – In a large stockpot, add fruit, spices, sugar, and water to your pot. Be sure the water covers the fruit.
- Boil – Bring the pot to a boil then reduce heat and lightly boil uncovered for 1 hour. Reduce heat to medium/low heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
- Strain – Strain your cider through a fine mesh strainer or through a cheesecloth placed over a regular colander, into a punch bowl, pot, or slow cooker. Be sure to catch all of the solid ingredients. Squeeze to extract as much juice as possible.
- Serve – Garnish with fresh fruit and serve. Cheers! (See more serving variations below)
Pro Tip for Straining Apple Cider:
Use a ladle to scoop the solids into your strainer first and press on the fruits with the back of your ladle or spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Remove the pulp then pour the rest of the liquid through your strainer. This makes the pot less heavy to lift and pour.
Use the strained leftover apple pulp to make a small batch of Apple Sauce or apple butter. It will be cinnamon-infused and delicious.
What is the difference between apple cider and apple juice?
Both are made by pressing apples to extract the juice, but homemade apple cider is usually unfiltered, still containing some pulp and sediment while apple juice is filtered and more clear than cider. Apple juice is usually heated before bottling to extend its shelf life, which changes its color, flavor, and texture.
What kind of apples should I use for homemade apple cider?
You can use any kind of apple- your favorite or whatever you have on hand. We like to use a combination of apples to create the best flavor profile. Combine sweet and tart varieties (see our suggestions above).
How to Serve Apple Cider
We love to serve this cider warm in clear glass mugs and garnish with:
- Fresh apple slices – cut thin, add 1 or 2 slices per mug
- Fresh orange slices – for a pop of color and aromatic flavor
- Cinnamon sticks – use 1 small stick per mug for extra infused flavor and a picture-perfect mug of apple cider
- Caramel Cream – serve warm with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce on top
- Sparking Apple Cider – serve cold with sparking water or club soda for a bubbly treat
- Apple Cider Ice Cream Float – add one scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce on top
Storage
Allow your cider to cool completely and then store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Store in clean, glass mason jars, or another airtight container. Reheat on the stovetop before serving.
We often serve special drinks like our Cranberry Punch, or Sherbet Punch when we host parties, and this Cider is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving, Christmas and winter holiday celebrations.
More Apple Recipes
If you enjoy all things apple flavored, then you won’t want to miss our other apple recipes.
Homemade Apple Cider Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs apples, assorted variety (about 8-10 medium apples)
- 1 medium orange, peeled and quartered
- 3 cinnamon sticks, or 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of nutmeg, or 1 whole nutmeg
- 2 tsp whole cloves, or 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, plus more to taste (we used 3/4 cup total)*
- 10 to 11 cups water
Instructions
- Core and roughly chop your apples (no need to peel). Place them in a large pot, at least 5 1/2 quarts. Quarter your orange and add it to the pot.
- Add spices: cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add sugar and then pour in enough water to cover your fruit.*
- Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium heat and lightly boil uncovered for 1 hour. Reduce heat to medium/low heat, cover, and simmer for another 2 hours. The juice should begin to turn amber in color when it's finished. Add more sugar and hot water to taste. It should be sweet and spicy.
- Strain your cider through a fine mesh strainer or through a cheesecloth placed over a regular colander, into a large bowl or punch bowl. Squeeze to extract as much juice as possible and discard the fruit pulp. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Made this for Thanksgiving for some French friends and they LOVED it!! I made it again for Christmas, but this time with Gala and Pink Lady apples, and I could definitely taste a difference compared to the Thanksgiving batch, where I used Granny Smith and Pink Lady. I highly recommend using Granny Smith along with whatever other variety you like. Also, 10 apples wasn’t enough—it turned out very watery. For my second batch, I used about 20 apples total, and the flavor was perfect!!
Natasha, I have enjoyed your website for several years and have gotten some great recipes—thank you! The hot cider was delicious but I was surprised that you discarded the pulp. I put it through my Foley food mill and made applesauce.
Apple cider is a favorite in my family and this recipe was incredible! I adjusted for the pressure cooker, high for 15 minutes, and the only adjustment I would make is doing 3/4 the amount of water because there isn’t much that evaporates when you’re not boiling it. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I’m glad your family enjoyed the Apple Cider recipe! Thank you for mentioning the water adjustment, your tips are helpful!
Can you use sugar substitute in this recipe?
Hi Mavis, I have not tested a sugar substitute but it should work. You’ll have to experiment with it and adjust the sweetness to your preference. It also may be slightly grainy because some sweeteners don’t dissolve as well.
Hello! Have you (or anyone else who’s made it) removed the whole cloves first, then use an immersion blender to get more of the apple into the cider and then strain it? I’m considering doing that because I made it and even though I followed the recipe to a tea there really is very little apple flavor. Maybe I just didn’t get strong enough apples. But I did 4 pounds, with a mixture of Honey Crisp, Opal, Fuji and Pink Lady – but what I mostly taste is spiced water. There really isn’t very much of an apple taste at all which was really surprising to me. I’m sure it’s just the apples, I know I only did 11 cups of water. I’m just wondering if I use the immersion blender to purée it all up, then drain out the pulp, if that will add more of the apple flavor. I don’t wanna end up with sludgy apple cider though.
Hi Tracy, I have not but I think it will work to boost the apple flavor. Just don’t blend too long—break up the apples but don’t make a paste. Strain it through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to avoid sludgy cider. For even more flavor, you can simmer a bit longer, use less water, or add a tart apple variety to balance it. Sometimes tart apples can punch up the flavor.
Hello!
I saw we can substitute the sugar for honey but how much honey would you recommend? (I’m not experienced enough in the kitchen to feel comfy just winging it)
Hi Vern! You can substitute it in the same amount or add it to your preferred level of sweetness.
Very good , but I did not get half a gallon of cider from this and I used more apples and water then the recipe asked for.
Hi M, make sure to cover and simmer after one hour – otherwise too much of it will evaporate. Also, keep it at a simmer. If it’s boiling vigorously, you’ll lose some of it to steam as well. I hope that helps.
Question, my Mom loves cider but she loves it in the crock pot. Would you be able to do this recipe in the crock pot?
Hi Quinn, I have not tested that to advise. I bet you could keep it warm in a crock pot though!
Hi Natasha,
I saved this recipe when appeared on my Facebook feed. Made it today and love it. How would I use the pulp to make the Apple butter. Do I need to add anything? Thank you for sharing this recipe. Love the pictures. Happy Fall 🍁🍂🍁
Hi Maria! You’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. I don’t have a recipe for apple butter, but I’m sure you could find one online.
Thank you Natasha. I will your Apple Crisp Recipe next. Love Apple Crisp.
I mad why apple crisp. It’s delicious!
Can this be served cold or would that change the taste?
You can serve this as Sparking Apple Cider – serve cold with sparking water or club soda for a bubbly treat!
Wow!!!!I made this for the first time. And I’m so glad I used this recipe. It is absolutely amazing. I followed the recipe exactly as it said except for I doubled the recipe and did 2 T whole cloves and 1/2 t ground cloves and I felt it was perfect amount of sweetness for my liking. I decided to play around with the apples and used multiple variety, 2 each of Macintosh, Granny Smith, Fuji, golden delicious, sugarbee, gala, honey crisp. It seriously is the best apple cider, by itself or adding your favorite alcohol to compliment it. Thank you so much.
This is a great recipe. I’ve made it multiple times, and will continue to do so.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Charlie!
Hi, Natasha! Happy Thanksgiving season. I’ve been following you, have made several of your recipes and purchased your cookbook. Thanks! With this apple cider, how far in advance can I make it that it’ll still be delicious for Thanksgiving?
Hi Barbara! I’m glad you’re loving the recipes! See my note in the blog under, “storage” for instructions. Happy Thanksgiving!
Duh (lol). I’m looking forward to making and serving this treat.
Thanks for your guidance.