Crockpot apple cider made from scratch with fresh apples is the perfect fall treat. Not only does the apple cider cook on its own with just a small handful of ingredients, but this recipe will also make your house smell amazing.
Just the word “fall” elicits thoughts of cinnamon and spice for me. This delicious slow cooker apple cider is the quintessential fall recipe. It is the perfect way to use the apples from apple picking, and it is very low effort. There is no peeling necessary, and everything simmers together in the slow cooker. In the end, you get a delicious and steamy cup of apple cider. If you are craving apple cider but just can’t wait for the slow cooker, make my stovetop apple cider.
Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Apple Cider
- Made completely from scratch with fresh apples
- No need to peel the apples
- Only a few minutes of hands-on prep
- The slow cooker does almost all the work
- Perfect for fall parties, Thanksgiving, and chilly weekends
- Makes your whole house smell incredible
Homemade Apple Cider Ingredients
- Apples: Using plenty of fresh apples and just enough water gives this homemade cider a rich apple flavor. I like to use a mixture of sweet and tart apples. No need to peel them, just wash them thoroughly and quarter them.
- Sugar: This recipe is written to have the same level of sweetness you would get from cider at the orchard. My family loves their cider sweeter, so we typically add more sugar.
- Whole spices: Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and whole allspice infuse the perfect spiced flavor into this apple cider. Ground spices may make the cider gritty, so I do recommend you use whole spices so they can be easily strained out.
How to Make Apple Cider
- Add all ingredients to your slow cooker, first adding the apples, sugar, and spices, then adding water. I try to make sure the whole spices are submerged in the spices before adding the lid.
- Cook the apple cider ingredients on high for four to six hours or on low for eight to ten hours.
- Strain the apple cider first through a mesh strainer, pressing the apples to extract as much juice as possible. Then pour the strained mixture through a cheesecloth (or a disposable coffee filter) in a mesh strainer to strain a second time, discarding anything the filter catches. Serve warm and enjoy!
Best Apples for Apple Cider
The best apple cider comes together with a combination of both sweet and tart apples. Their flavors balance each other in the perfect way. I use a combination of Gala and Granny Smith, but there are so many options. If you have just gone apple picking and still have a bounty after making this recipe, then try my applesauce.
Sweeter Apples
- Gala
- Fuji
- Honeycrisp
- Golden Delicious
Tart Apples
- Granny Smith
- Pink Lady
- Mcintosh
How to Strain Homemade Apple Cider
This recipe is double strained to make the smoothest apple cider, while still keeping it a simple recipe.
First strain: First we take out the apples and whole spices with a mesh strainer, gently pressing the apples to get out as much cider as possible.
Second strain: Then we strain the liquid through the mesh strainer lined with a cheesecloth or a disposable coffee filter. This will remove any apple solids that made it through the first strain.
Making for a Party and Serving
Keeping warm: If you are making this for a party or for a holiday gathering, after straining, make sure that there are no apple or spice remnants in the slow cooker. Then return the cider to the slow cooker and put on the warm setting, allowing guests to serve themselves.
Serving: Ladle this warm apple cider in mugs. Keep cinnamon sticks, fresh apple slices, orange slices, cranberries, and star anise near the slow cooker so they can be added to mugs.
Making it spiked: Adults can add brandy, whiskey, or rum to their mugs, making this a great spiked apple cider.
FAQ
You can, but it will change the taste. If you use only sweet apples, you may want to decrease the amount of sugar added. If you only use tart apples, you may want to increase the amount of sugar.
This recipe fits perfectly in a 6 quart slow cooker.
No. There is no need to peel the apples, especially because we are straining the apple cider twice before serving it. You do need to quarter the apples, remove any seeds, and the stem.
Storing and Reheating Homemade Apple Cider
This apple cider recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat only the portion you want to drink over low heat in a small saucepan on the stove, in the microwave, or return it to the slow cooker if you are reheating the whole batch.
More Cozy Fall Recipes
If you make this homemade apple cider recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you enjoyed it.
Crockpot Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 12 apples unpeeled, and cut into quarters, see note
- 6 cups water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar see note
- 8 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in your slow cooker.12 apples, 6 cups water, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 8 cinnamon sticks, 1 tablespoon whole allspice, 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- Strain through a mesh strainer, and press the apples as you strain them to get as much liquid out of them as possible.
- Strain a second time using a mesh strainer and a cheesecloth (a disposable coffee filter is a great replacement for the cheesecloth).
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Apple Type: I like to use a mixture of sweet and tart apples, like Gala and Granny Smith. But you can truly use whatever apples you love most. If you use only tart apples, you may need to add more sugar. If you use only sweet apples, you may need to cut back on the sugar.
- Cutting Apples: There is no need to peel the apples. You do need to quarter them, cut out the seeds, and remove the stems.
- Sugar: This recipe is written to have the same level of sweetness you would get from cider at the orchard. My family loves their cider sweeter, so we typically bump the sugar up to 1 or 1 1/4 cups. I recommend making this recipe as written, tasting the recipe, and adding more sugar to the hot cider if desired.
- Serving size: This makes about eight 6-ounce servings.
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