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Easy to make at home, this homemade apple cider is better than any store-bought jug and perfect for sipping on all fall. It’s made with loads of apples, oranges, and wintery spices! It’s basically a hug in a cup.

A glass of homemade apple cider garnished with cinnamon sticks, cranberries, and chopped fruit
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Every Thanksgiving, a jug of apple cider shows up at the dinner table. But it’s packed with sugar, and really, it doesn’t taste like apple cider; it tastes like apple syrup.

So this fall, I decided to make my own fall-inspired beverages.

Today, we’re whipping up one of my favorite fall drinks—homemade apple cider! It’s quick to prepare and extremely simple. You can make it on the stove or in a crock pot—whichever works best for you!

A glass of homemade apple cider garnished with cinnamon sticks, cranberries, and chopped fruit

grab these ingredients

Hot apple cider goes heavy on the fruit and easy on the method. Jump to the recipe card for the quantities.

  • Apples: Go for assorted colors to get the most flavor! I like to use a mix of Honey Crisp, Gala, Granny Smith, etc.
  • Oranges: Remove the peels for extra sweet, citrus flavor, or leave them on for a touch of bitterness.
  • Cinnamon Sticks: For a cozy spiced flavor, include whole cinnamon sticks.
  • Spices: Next, we’ll use ground cloves, allspice, and ground nutmeg for that warm fall flavor.
  • Water: Everything will brew together in hot water. You’ll need about 1 gallon, or enough to cover the apples.
  • Brown Sugar: This will help sweeten things up while bringing out the flavors of the spices. Maple syrup works too.

optional but highly recommended

My favorite addition to this cider is fresh ginger! It adds the perfect bite. For serving, I like to set aside cranberries, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks for garnishing the drinks.

A rainbow of apples and an orange laid out in a vertical line from red to green

How to make homemade apple cider

It’s all in the simmer! After slicing up your fruit and placing it in a big pot, just fill it with water and wait. Here’s an overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.

Step 1: Prep the Fruit
Quarter and remove the core from each apple. Quarter the oranges – remove the peel for a sweeter cider, or leave it on for a slightly more bitter cider. Add all of the fruit, cinnamon, and spices to a large pot. Cover with water.

A rainbow of quartered apples and sliced oranges laid out on a white background

Step 2: Simmer for 2 Hours
Bring to a simmer and cover (you may need to leave the lid ajar if it keeps boiling over). Simmer for 2 hours, or until the apples are very soft.

A stove pot filled with homemade apple cider ingredients like quartered apples, sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks

Step 3: Mash the Fruit
Mash the fruit to release the flavors, and then continue simmering for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Strain and Sweeten
Carefully pour the mix through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher or pot. Stir in brown sugar, adding more as needed to suit your taste. Then serve with your favorite garnishes!

Mashing homemade apple cider ingredients in a stove pot
A potato masher works great for this! Otherwise, the back of a fork will work too.

you can make cider in a slow cooker too!

A slow cooker is another easy method for cooking cider.

To do so, chop the fruit and add it to the slow cooker with the water and spices as directed. Cook the mixture on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Mash, then continue simmering for 15 minutes before straining.

A glass of homemade apple cider garnished with cinnamon sticks, cranberries, and chopped fruit

more fall beverages to enjoy

A glass mug of homemade apple cider brimming with orange slices, cranberries, apple pieces, and cinnamon sticks sits elegantly amid cut oranges and extra cinnamon sticks on a pristine white surface.
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Easy Homemade Apple Cider

By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 16 cups
Easy to make at home, this homemade apple cider is better than any store-bought and perfect for sipping on all fall. It's made with loads of apples, oranges, and wintery spices! It's basically a hug in a cup.

Ingredients 

  • 10 apples, assorted colors
  • 2 orange
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • ¼ tsp each ground cloves, allspice, ground nutmeg
  • 1 gallon water, 3.75 L
  • Optional: 1 thumb fresh ginger
  • ½ cup brown sugar, 100 g
  • Garnish with: cranberries, oranges, cinnamon sticks
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Instructions 

  • Prep: Quarter and remove the core from each apple. Quarter the oranges, removing the peel for a sweeter cider. Add all fruit, cinnamon, and spices to a large pot. Cover with water.
    A pot filled with water containing sliced apples, oranges, and two cinnamon sticks simmers, creating the perfect homemade apple cider.
  • Cook: Bring to a simmer and cover (you may need to leave the lid ajar if it keeps boiling over). Simmer for 2 hours, or until apples are very soft.
  • Mash: Mash the fruit to release flavors, then continue simmering for 15 minutes.
    A pot brimming with chopped apples and liquid sits invitingly, with a metal potato masher poised on top, ready to create homemade apple cider, all set against a clean white background.
  • Strain: Carefully pour the through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher or pot. Stir in brown sugar, adding more as needed to suit your taste.
  • Serve: Serve hot, optionally garnished with fruit, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks.
    Homemade apple cider fills clear mugs, garnished with orange slices, cranberries, apple chunks, and cinnamon sticks. Resting on a white surface sprinkled with scattered orange slices and cinnamon sticks, it invites you to savor autumns flavors.

Notes

To make this apple cider in a slow cooker, cook mixture on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. Mash, then continue simmering for 15 minutes before straining.
Storage: This will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge (without the fruit). Or, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray for up to 3 months. It makes great ice cubes for a fall sangria!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 0.6g | Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21.1g | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
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4 Comments

  1. Margarida says:

    Sarah

    You’re amazing

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      💛💛💛💛💛

  2. G says:

    I love your recipes, and very accessible for non-Americans as you normally kindly put the measurements also in metric. For this one, I guess you forgot – I had never even heard of a gallon!!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Oops! Adding metric in now! 1 gallon = 3.75 liters 😀