Slow Cooker Mulled Apple Cider

Why you’ll love it

• Hands-off: 10 minutes of prep, and the slow cooker does the rest and keeps it warm.
• Makes the house smell amazing: better than any fall candle.
• Serves a crowd: 16 cups for about 75 cents a mug, and it is kid-friendly.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the cider

• 1 gallon (3.8 liters) fresh apple cider (unfiltered, non-alcoholic)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup or 1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar (optional, to taste)

For the spices

• 2 medium oranges
• 1 tbsp whole cloves
• 4 cinnamon sticks (3 inch / 7.5 cm), plus more for serving
• 1 tsp whole allspice berries
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch / 2.5 cm), thinly sliced

For serving (optional)

• Thin apple slices and extra cinnamon sticks
• Whipped cream or a few drops of caramel sauce
• Bourbon, dark rum or brandy, for an adults-only version (1 oz / 30 ml per mug)

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the oranges. Wash the oranges well. Cut 1 orange into 1/4-inch (6 mm) rounds. Press the whole cloves into the peel of the second orange all over, then cut it in half. Studding the orange keeps the cloves from floating around in the cider.

2. Load the slow cooker. Pour the apple cider into a 6-quart (5.7 L) or larger slow cooker. Add the orange rounds, the clove-studded orange halves, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, star anise and ginger. For easy serving, you can tie the allspice and ginger in a small square of cheesecloth.

3. Mull the cider. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours or on HIGH for 1 hour, until the cider is steaming hot and fragrant. Do not let it boil, which can make the spices taste bitter.

4. Sweeten to taste. Taste the cider. If your cider is tart, stir in the maple syrup or brown sugar, a little at a time, until it tastes balanced.

5. Keep warm. Switch the slow cooker to WARM. After about 4 hours, remove the cloves, orange halves and star anise with a slotted spoon so the flavor does not become too strong.

6. Serve. Ladle the hot cider into mugs, straining out any loose spices, and garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick. For adults, stir 1 oz (30 ml) bourbon, dark rum or brandy into individual mugs.

How to know it is done

The mulled cider is ready when it is steaming hot, about 160°F to 180°F (71°C to 82°C), with small wisps of steam but no bubbles, and the kitchen smells strongly of cinnamon and orange. It should taste clearly spiced and warming, with the apple flavor still in front. If it tastes mild, let it mull 30 minutes longer; if it tastes too strong of cloves, remove the spices right away.

Tips for the best result

• Use real unfiltered apple cider, not clear apple juice; cider has a fuller, more rustic apple flavor.
• Always use whole spices. Ground spices make the cider cloudy and gritty.
• Do not add the sweetener until the end, because many ciders are already quite sweet.
• Keep the slow cooker on LOW or WARM; boiling dulls the fresh apple flavor.
• Set out a ladle, mugs and a small bowl of garnishes so guests can serve themselves.

Variations and substitutions

• Stovetop: warm everything in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, without boiling.
• Cranberry apple cider: replace 4 cups of the cider with cranberry juice cocktail and add 1 cup fresh cranberries.
• Caramel apple cider: skip the maple syrup and stir 1/2 cup caramel sauce into the hot cider; top mugs with whipped cream.
• Half batch: use 1/2 gallon (1.9 L) cider and half of every ingredient in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.
• Pear and apple: replace 4 cups of the cider with pear nectar for a softer, floral flavor.

Make ahead

You can mull the cider up to 2 days before your party. Let it cool, strain out all the spices and fruit, and refrigerate it in covered pitchers or jars. About 1 hour before guests arrive, pour it back into the slow cooker with a couple of fresh cinnamon sticks and orange slices and heat on HIGH until steaming, then switch to WARM.

Storage and reheating

Strain leftover cider and refrigerate it in airtight jars or pitchers for up to 5 days. Reheat individual mugs in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, or warm a larger amount in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. You can freeze it in freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space at the top, for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator. It is also delicious cold, over ice.