It’s easy to make a batch of hot homemade apple cider in a slow cooker. You control the ingredients, so you can make it sweeter or spicier according to your taste. You’ll savor its aroma as it cooks, the delicious ways you can serve it all season long, and the fact that it’s made with real ingredients. I have a feeling you’ll make this recipe an annual fall tradition!
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and more success tips.
When it comes to cozy, comforting fall drinks, warm spiced apple cider reigns supreme. And making it at home is a lot easier than you think!
It’s wonderful as a hot beverage, but you can also use it to make apple cider sangria or honeycrisp apple sangria, apple cider donuts, apple cider muffins, and apple cider French toast.
Tell Me About This Homemade Apple Cider
- Consistency: The cider is smooth once you strain out the fruit.
- Flavor: This is nonalcoholic apple cider made with just apples, citrus, cinnamon sticks (just like we use in pumpkin coffee creamer), cloves, sugar, and water. I usually make it so it’s more focused on the spices and not the sweetness, but you can sweeten it to your taste.
- Ease: This is a very simple drink recipe requiring just 6 ingredients.
- Time: Set aside 20 minutes to slice and prep, plus 8 hours for slow cooking.
One reader, Meaw, commented: “My husband initially told me that for the number of apples, the recipe wasn’t worth it… and then he tasted it. He drank his words! This is, hands down, the BEST apple cider we’ve ever had. Simple to make, with a maximum flavor punch. We took it next level with your cinnamon sugar donuts to go along with it, and woah… so delish! ★★★★★“
Ingredients You Need
It’s not much! Perfect after a day of apple picking, or if you have a surplus of fall’s favorite fruit hanging out in the refrigerator.
Best Apples to Use to Make Apple Cider
For the best flavor, we strongly encourage using a variety of apples—some sweet, some tart. We recommend a variety when making apple pie, too!
- Sweet apples we love: Jazz, Honeycrisp, Sugarbee, Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, and Cortland
- Tart apples we love: Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
Why the orange? A little citrus balances out the apple flavor and pairs wonderfully with the spices.
You Control the Sugar
Sweeten to your taste. What I love most about homemade apple cider is that you can control the amount of sugar and spices. We all have different preferences, so make sure that you add enough sugar to suit your tastes. We usually add 6 Tablespoons (75g). If you’d prefer it less sweet, use 1/4 cup (50g), or more sweet, use 1/2 cup (100g).
Overview: How to Make Homemade Apple Cider
This is *mostly* a set it and forget it crockpot recipe. The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it so you understand each step before you get started.
- Place everything in the slow cooker.
- Add water. The amount varies depending on the size of your slow cooker; use just enough to cover the fruit.
- Cook. 6–7 hours on low heat, or 4 hours on high heat.
- Mash the fruits. Use a big sturdy spoon or potato masher and begin mashing up all those warm apples and oranges. (At this point, they should be super soft.)
- Simmer. Allow this liquid mash to cook for another hour.
- Strain. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the cider. You may want to strain it twice if there are still some solids left behind.
- Serve warm.
You can freeze leftover apple cider. I usually freeze some in an ice cube tray, then thaw small amounts when I want an individual serving, or to make this quick and easy apple cider chicken for dinner!
Here’s what the mixture looks like after cooking all day, and before mashing:
And here’s what it looks like as you mash it:
No Slow Cooker? No Problem.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, use a large stock pot instead. Place all ingredients into your pot and bring the mixture to a simmer over high heat. Once it’s simmering, reduce the heat, cover, and let it cook for 2 hours. Continue with mashing the fruit, cooking for an additional hour, and straining as instructed in the recipe.
Homemade Apple Cider
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: about 1 and 1/2 quarts
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Warm apple cider is a quintessential fall drink and you can make it at home in a slow cooker. For the best flavor, we strongly encourage using a variety of apples such as some sweet and some tart. For stovetop instructions, see recipe Notes below.
Ingredients
- 10 medium apples (use a variety—I use Honeycrisp and Granny Smith)
- 1 orange
- 4 cinnamon sticks (or 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar*
- water
Instructions
- Peel the orange and place the segments in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Rinse the apples and cut into quarters (discard the cores), and place in the slow cooker. Add the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, and sugar. Add just enough water to cover the fruit.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 6–7 hours, or on high heat for 4 hours. (If you have the option, low heat is better.)
- After this time, the fruit should be very soft. With tongs or a large slotted spoon, remove the cinnamon sticks. With a large sturdy spoon or a potato masher, mash the fruit. Return the cinnamon sticks to the mixture and cover.
- Cook on low heat or high heat for 1 more hour.
- Very slowly strain the chunky liquid though a fine mesh sieve into a large pot or heat-safe pitcher. You can discard the solids. Strain the cider one more time to rid any other solids. Serve the cider warm.
- Leftover cider keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5–7 days. Warm up on the stove before serving or enjoy it cold.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cider can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Slow Cooker (4-quart or larger) | Large Wooden Spoon | Potato Masher | Fine Mesh Sieve
- Sugar: Adjust the sugar to your taste. Use 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar for a spicier cider, or 1/2 cup (100g) for a sweeter cider. If you prefer your apple cider on the sweeter side (like the kind you buy at the store), use 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar.
- No Slow Cooker? No Problem! In step 1, place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Mash the fruit as instructed in step 3, re-cover, and continue with step 4.
- Can I Make This in an Instant Pot? I’m sure you could! I don’t have one, and I have not tested it. Let us know what you try.
- Can I Use Whole Cloves Instead of Ground? You can use 2 teaspoons of whole cloves instead of 1 teaspoon ground cloves. However, we’ve found the color of the cider is much lighter. Of course the flavor does not change, just the appearance.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Instead of cooking on top of the stove, you can put your vessel in a 250 degree oven. This slow cooking method works well with stews, sauces, and braising meats.
Your recipes have yet to disappoint.
Could this cider be made and then canned for longer preservation?
Hi Amanda, we don’t have much experience with canning, but let us know if you try it!
I love this recipe! It tastes much better than store bought and it’s easy to make. The first time I made this, it was a bit bitter for my taste. I followed the recipe using only 3 tablespoons of sugar. So the next time I made it, I reduced the cloves to 1 tsp instead of 2 and I added 1/2 cup of sugar, also suggested in the recipe. It was so good!! Thanks, Sally!
Hello!
Is it possible to use honey or maple syrup to sweeten the apple cider instead of granulated sugar? Thank you!!
Hi Fran, We haven’t tested it but we don’t see why not! Just add enough at the end until you reach your desired sweetness. Enjoy!
Can you replace the orange with orange juice? I don’t have any oranges on hand
Hi Jennifer, You could! Orange juice will be a bit sweeter so you may want to use a bit less sugar. Let us know if you give it a try!
I added too much water. What can I do to boost flavor if this happens again (besides not adding too much water.)
Did you try this? How much juice?
My husband initially told me that for the number of apples, the recipe wasn’t worth it…and then he tasted it. He drank his words! This is, hands down, the BEST cider we’ve ever had. Simple to make, with a maximum flavor punch. We took it next level with your Cinnamon Sugar donuts to go along with it, and whoa…so delish!
Made this recipe and as per usual with all of your recipes, it was DELICIOUS!
I’m just wondering if there is a way to make this a hard apple cider? Would you just put your booze of choice into the finished product? Or do you have to incorporate it into the recipe?
Thanks!!
Hi Kayleigh, I recommend adding it after the cider is cooked (assuming you are not trying cook off the alcohol). 🙂 You may also enjoy this recipe for Apple Cider Sangria!
If I want to double this recipe and I just double the ingredients does all the timing stay the same for cooking it?
Hi Rb, As long as your slow cooker or stock pot is large enough you should be able to double this with no problems. Your cook time may be longer with more ingredients.
This was very easy to make and had great flavor, even if apples aren’t in their peak right now. I love it all year long.
Could I use an instant pot?
Hi Rachel! I’m sure you could, but I actually don’t own one and haven’t tested it yet. Let me know if you try it!
I’m trying it in my instant pot on slow cooker “more” setting (aka high), just because my instant pot was already on the counter!
Do you drain out the excess water in the crock pot? After it’s cooked. Or do you mash the apples and add it back to the water in the crock pot?
The fruit and spice soaked water is the apple cider base, so add the mashed apples back into it. 🙂 Enjoy!
Just tried this today and it was SO good! I cooked it initially with just a dollop of honey and then added a little more at the end to cut the tartness of the apples. It’s so flavorful and delicious!
I made this over the weekend and it was amazing! I bought big apples so it overflowed a bit. Next time, I will pick out the smaller ones. Straining it did take longer than I thought but in the end it was so delicious! Adding to thanksgiving this year!
It turned out great! I used a 5-quart slow cooker, two peeled oranges, 12-14 apples (Honey Crisp and Granny Smith) and just about doubled the spices. I didn’t use any sugar. Cooked for 7 hours. Mashed it all up and cooked for another 1 hour. Straining took longer than I thought and a little more effort than I thought it would. I felt like I had to press a lot of the apple mush into the sides of the strainer to release all of the juices. I will plan a better straining strategy for next time. Everyone loved it and I will make it again!
Made this recipe for a party and everyone loved it. I peeled the oranges. Add a few additional apples, and cooked it for a good 7 hours before straining. Will make again.
Oh Wow! Spent Thanksgiving away from home and normal routine this year. But I must say this recipe gave our dinner some extra excitements. The boys were so excited even just by the aroma, the taste is wonderful too. So easy to make even without the slow cooker. I am definitely going to be making this regularly. Thanks a lot for this recipe.
I barely covered the apples with water and it was very weak tasting. I must say I was disappointed. I did cook it 3 hours on high, mashed it and then cooked an additional hour on low. I was so anxious to try this as we don’t get regular apple cider here in Germany. Next time I want/need apple cider I will just use the unfiltered apple juice and spice it.
Do you peel the apples before putting them in the slow cooker, or just the orange? This looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it! Thanks 🙂
No need to peel the apples!
I made this today and it is amazing! I did add more sugar because I like it sweeter. I also didn’t have ground cloves, so I used whole. Thank you for the recipe!:)
This recipe is really lovely and so easy. I prepared the ingredients in no time and let them slow cook over night. In the AM my house smelled divine and it was very easy to strain the apples. I strained the liquid a second time through cheese cloth, and then restrained the apple chunks using the cloth as well, which yielded quite a bit more liquid! Thanks so much. This will definitely be a staple in our home for unwanted apples 😀
I own a 7 quart slow cooker. The recipe says to fill with water until the fruit is covered but I’m afraid I put too much in. Do you know exactly how much water you use? I still have a few more hours of cooking to go. I hope it turns out ok! I’m making the honeycrisp Sangria tomorrow!
Hi Kristin! As long as the fruit is covered by a little water, you wouldn’t have put too much in. I’ll measure exactly how much next time. How did it taste? And the sangria too?
I do think the apple cider was a tad bit watered down. My fiancé and I like our cider really sweet. And I may have cooked it for too long or smashed the apples to hard while straining because there were some teeny apple pieces in the cider. At least I know what to fix next time! Which will be soon because that was fun! The sangria turned out wonderful! Super yummy especially with the cinnamon sugar rim! Thanks so much Sally!
Yes, I had the same problem….not really sure what is meant by “cover all the fruit”…when I added water the apples floated so it was hard til tell when they were covered. An exact measurement would be helpful.
That said mine turned out very good, just a bit watery!
Thanks for all the great recipes!
I made this today it is the best Apple Cider I have ever had!!! I made apple butter out of the apple solids after I strained the cider! The apple butter is gosh darn yummy as well!!! Thank you Sally for another awesome recipe!!!
Omg…the best apple cider ever!!! I made yesterday for Thanksgiving, everyone loved…adults, kids…a real crowd pleaser! I didn’t add any sugar, apples are sweet, no need for sugar. I recommend 100% this recipe. Easy, healthy, cheap and delicious!! =)
I made this the other night and it was delicious…so much better than store bought. Thanks for sharing.
Gonna try your honey crisp sangria for thanksgiving then saw your cider recipe. Made the cider today & it is delicious! Could not believe how easy it was to make the cider & looking forward to the sangria on turkey day, Thanks!
Hi Sally,
Is it okay to leave the cider in the crockpot on low if I bring it to my office, to keep it warm throughout the day? So excited to make this!
Yes, definitely! Lucky coworkers!
I made this yesterday and loved it! And the house smelled fantastic all day! I hate to be wasteful so I made apple butter out of the remaining solids, which also turned out great. The only tedious part was removing the bits of peel from the solids. Do you think the cider would taste the same if I peel the apples first?
Thanks so much! I intended to get up earlier to pull them but that didn’t obviously happen 🙂 I look forward to trying again (the right way this time)!
I made this last night and got barely any liquid from the apples…instead I put in through a larger strainer to end up with applesauce. I let I cook overnight…so close to 9 hours. Did I let the fruit cook down too much? (Wrong apple product but it tasted good at least!)
Lindsay, I’m afraid 9 hours is too long. You want the apples soft enough to mash, but not completely falling apart. If you want to try again, cook for 6 hours, mash, then the final hour.
I made this apple cider for my husband and he loves it.. Plus I have been trying to figure out a way to get rid of a 40 gallon tote of apples I got… Plus I love the fact you can freeze it up to 3 months… So good bye apples hello happy husband who loves cider on cold mornings..