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
The nutmeg- I have whole that I’ve used with my fine grater. Do you put a whole nutmeg in? Or grate it first?
Hi EM! You can do either one. When I don’t have whole nutmeg, I use a pinch of grated nutmeg seasoning.
It’s essentially like a kompot, except more concentrated. I don’t like the spices personally, but I love adding cranberries or some other fruits (pears, or plums, blackberries etc) for a different flavor.
This sounds yummy!
Instead of throwing away the pulp, take out the cinnamon sticks, use an Immersion blender and you have apple butter.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Linda.
Hi new subscriber here.
I made it I liked a lot. I have one maybe stupid question. Is any way to store it for longer period. My family loved it and I work a lot so if it’s any way to store it this will be helpful
Hi George! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad your family loved it. We’ve kept it for 5 to 7 days, not any longer than that.
The season fall is not capitalized. Same with summer, winter, and spring.
Natasha, thank you soo much for your recipes – they are all perfect. Your instructions are so easy to understand and follow and I always come up with great taste and results. Apple cider is one of my favorite drink in fall because of you. I just wonder how long you can store it in the fridge. Thank you:)
Hi Oksana, I would keep it for about a week, but remove all of the flavoring add-ins or it may get too strong tasting.
This recipe is super easy to follow and the best part is that it actually tasted so good!!! I used the pulp to make apple butter so it’s really a win win!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe ❤️
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Cheryl!
Can this be made in a large crockpot?
Hi Shannon, I have not tested that to advise. I bet you could keep it warm in a crock pot though!
It is usually sold with brandy. On a very cold day, brandy will warm you up. It can also be done in a crock pot and an instant pot.
Do you think this could be made in instant pot to cut down on cooking time?
Hi Natasha, that would be a good idea but I have not personally tried that process to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Looks so good! Can’t wait to try this one.
I hope you love this recipe, Katie!
I’ve never tried making our own before. This would be so fun to do this weekend. Thanks!
I hope you love this recipe, Jen!
This cider was so good and easy to make, perfect for this time of year.
Isn’t it the best way to warm up! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I am going to try this. If you were to add alcohol to this recipe what kind of alcohol would you add?
Hi Sandra, I haven’t tried adding alcohol yet to advise. Maybe others can share in the comments here if they have some recommendations?
Hello Sandra, try to add some vodca.
I have tried once apple cider with Fireball and it was great. I guess if you like whiskey you can add any of them. I probably will prefer cognac or rum.
It is usually sold with brandy. On a very cold day, brandy will warm you up.
The recipe for the cider was delicious! We have guests tomorrow and they will love this so much! Thank you Natasha!
You’re welcome! I hope you all enjoy this recipe!
Hie Natasha. Thanks a lot for your recipes. I want to know if the Honey apple cider is drank alone or it can be accompanied by something baked sweet or a savory?
Hi Tesha, you can both do that. It can be drunk alone or accompanied by something else like maybe bread or cake.
I love people who shares healthy recipe with others and inspire them to eat healthy. I am going to try this recipe myself. Thanks for sharing this with us.
You’re welcome Shayne! I’m so glad you discovered our blog & thank you for that thoughtful comment.
I made this apple cider today and it turned out soo delicious! My house smelled amazing especially that it is the season. Thank you for this recipe, definitely will be making it again
You’re welcome, Jen! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi, can I use sugar instead of the honey. If yes, would it be the same amount?
Thank you
Hi Sandra, as a general rule, for every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey. I would start with 1/2 cup of sugar and then add more adjusting to taste.
I drink tea every morning. I wonder how long would it stay in the fridge and if I could reheat a cup every morning in place of my teas.
Hi Marie, I think this would be fine if refrigerated for 5 to 7 days. I haven’t kept it longer than that so I can’t speak to that.
Hello Natasha! I haven’t tried the recipe yet, I’m going to this weekend. I was curious though, would it be okay to poke the cloves into the orange? Its something my father has always done when warming up store bought apple cider. I don’t have a strainer so I was hoping this would be fine. Thank you for your time!
I love that idea!! Yes, I don’t see why not! Thank you for sharing 🙂