Warming mulled cider has all the flavours of Christmas in a mug. This mulled cider recipe is so easy to make, by just putting everything in a saucepan and letting it heat for 12 minutes. Perfect for serving at a Christmas party. It's sweet, a little spicy a full of winter flavour.
The smell of this alcoholic mulled cider is incredible. It's better than any air freshener and it just screams Christmas. This hot cider will warm you up and it's our favourite drink to serve guests when they arrive in from the cold. Even if you don't usually like cider, the flavours in this are just incredible!
If you are looking for some more warm festive drinks, why not try our Chai Tea Latte, Slow Cooker Mulled Wine or Baileys Hot Chocolate.
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Why you will love it
- All of the flavours of Christmas - This mulled cider has all the flavours that you would associate with Christmas. Cinnamon, cloves, and orange. YUM!
- 1 minute to prepare - You just dump everything in and leave it to warm through on the hob.
- Easy to adapt - You can easily adapt the spices, and even the alcohol that is used.
- Great for making a big batch - You can easily double the recipe, as long as you have a pan big enough for all the ingredients.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cider - Whilst you can use any cider, the type of cider you use is important. Use a really good quality one for the best flavour. You could even use a flavoured cider, like orange or pear, for some added flavour.
- Apple juice - This adds some extra sweetness and helps it go further, without having to add some more alcohol.
- Brown sugar - We like this really sweet and using brown sugar adds a caramel flavour. You could use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup if you prefer.
- Mulled spices - Mulled cider spices is a combination of all of the best festive flavours like cinnamon, orange, cloves, allspice and star anise. Cinnamon is a must when it comes to anything festive. Just a few sticks of cinnamon added to the pan add so much flavour, and they look nice served up in the glass too.
- Rum - Just a little splash to make it extra boozy.
- Orange - Is it even a Christmas drink without some orange? Just the juice and zest of one orange adds so much citrusy flavour.
- Apple - As well as adding extra apple flavour, we think it looks really nice.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make mulled cider - Step by step
One: Put all of the ingredients into a large pan.
Two: Simmer over a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Pass through a sieve and serve.
What to serve with mulled cider
We think this is the perfect addition to any Christmas party. If you are thinking of a serving platter, then why not try our Greek Meze Platter, Antipasto Platter, Vegetarian Charcuterie Board or Tapas Platter?
Some other delicious party canapés that could be served with this is Christmas Sausage Rolls, Easy Melba Toast, Salmon Pate, Mushroom Tartlets or Smoked Salmon Canapes.
Variations
There aren't too many ways that you can change this, but there are a couple of options. Firstly, if you wanted a non-alcoholic version of this, why not try our Mulled Apple Juice?
We used a splash of rum to give it an extra boozy kick. You could swap that for brandy or even an orange flavoured gin. We like using a spiced dark rum as it just adds to the spices.
To give this mulled cider recipe even more of a festive twist, add some fresh cranberries in.
Slow Cooker Mulled Cider
What we love about this mulled cider recipe is that it only takes 15 minutes to warm through. However, if you want to get ahead of yourself and have this ready and warming when your guests arrive, then why not try making slow cooker mulled cider?
Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours. You can then turn it down to warm and keep it like that all evening.
Storage
Store: You can store this in a bottle in the fridge for up to 3 days, so make a big batch of it for Christmas. Make sure that it has fully cooled before you put it in the fridge. The bottle needs to have a lid on it and be air tight. I would recommend removing the spices before storing, as they will intensify otherwise, but some people might not like that.
Freeze: We don't recommend freezing this.
Reheat: You can drink it cold, however it is best enjoyed warm. You can heat it through on the hob.
Frequently Asked Questions
Much like our Slow Cooker Mulled Wine, this works really well in the slow cooker.
Yes, you could leave the sugar out, but we really like the sweetness.
Some of the alcohol will cook off, however not all. How much alcohol you are left with will depend on a few variables. Such as: how much alcohol you start with, how long it is cooked for and at what temperature, and what kind of vessel it was cooked in. Cooking it in an open shallow pan will evaporate faster compared to a slow cooker with a lid.
As long as all the ingredients you are using are certified vegan, then this can be vegan.
More Christmas drink recipes
If you’ve tried this mulled cider recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Mulled Cider
Ingredients
- 1.5 litre (3 pt) Cider
- 1 Orange - Juice and then sliced
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) Apple juice
- 1 pack Mulled spices
- 4 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 2 Apples - Quartered
- 75 ml (0.33 cups) Dark rum
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients into a large pan.
- Simmer over a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Pass through a sieve and serve.
Notes
- This is also a really good recipe to make when camping, as even in the summer it gets pretty cold at night and this is a nice way for the adults to warm up.
- A splash of cranberry juice also adds a nice burst of flavour.
- There might not look like a lot of spices in the pan, but trust us on this. They all have such strong flavours, so you don't need to go overboard.
- Make sure you strain all the spices from the cider mixture, as nobody was soggy cloves in their drink.
- Don't let the mixture boil. It just needs to simmer gently.
Nutritional Information
Made this recipe? Let me know!