Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

Name: Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 121 min
Ingredients: 750 ml Red wine; 50 ml Orange gin; 50 ml Maple syrup; 1 Orange ((juice and zest only, then sliced)); 3 Cinnamon sticks; 5 Cloves; 3 Star anise

Diet: Gluten Free / Low Fat / Vegetarian

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Traditional homemade mulled wine is a must make at Christmas time and this slow cooker version is so easy and great for serving to a crowd. Slow Cooker Mulled Wine is the perfect dump and leave festive drink that will have your whole house smelling amazing. Zesty orange and cinnamon laced red wine with a gin kick.

Two glasses of mulled wine surrounded by fruit and Christmas decorations.

About this mulled wine recipe

Mulled wine in the slow cooker is so warming and cosy, it is like a festive hug in a mug. All of the best festive flavours like cinnamon, cloves, orange and star anise, cooked low and slow in a mixture of red wine, orange flavoured gin and maple syrup. It takes just 1 minute to prepare and only 7 ingredients needed.

If you have guests over this Christmas, then a big batch of the BEST mulled wine recipe is a must to greet them in from the cold. What a way to start off a Christmas party!

It is said that mulled wine originated in the 2nd century and it was created by the Romans. They would heat wine to defend their bodies against the cold winter - sounds good to us.

Looking for some other festive drinks to try? Why not try our Mulled Cider, Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon Coffee and Chai Tea Latte?

Also, have a look at our collection of 25 of the best Christmas Drinks.

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About this mulled wine recipe
Mulled wine ingredients
How to make mulled wine - Step by step
Variations
Stove top (hob) mulled wine
Top tip
FAQs
Extra tips
More festive recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Mulled wine ingredients

All the ingredients needed for this recipe each with a text overlay label.

Red wine - We have use a shiraz cabernet, however any red wine will work in this as it will take on all the other flavours. Try to avoid a cheap red wine, as not only will it taste cheap, but you will feel it the next morning!
Gin - We like adding a little something extra to our slow cooker mulled wine. Whilst brandy would be the usual addition, we are gin drinkers and we find that an orange gin adds a delicious festive flavour to this.
Orange - Is it even a Christmas drink without some orange? Just the juice and zest of one orange adds so much citrusy flavour.
Maple syrup - We like to add a touch of sweetness to take the edge off. You could add honey, but we love the flavour of maple syrup, and it keeps this vegan too (assuming you use vegan wine).
Cinnamon - Cinnamon is a must when it comes to anything festive. Just a few sticks of cinnamon added to the slow cooker add so much flavour, and they look nice served up in the glass too.
Star anise and whole cloves - Another flavour bursting addition. You can pick these up in the herbs and spices aisle of any supermarket.
Cranberries - You don't have to include these, however we find that they look really nice in the glass when they are all served up.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

How to make mulled wine - Step by step

One: Put everything into the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours. It's that simple!

A slow cooker with mulled wine ingredients in it.

Variations

Red wine is the star of this drink, however you have some other options. You could swap the red wine for white wine if that is all you have.

You then need to add some kind of spirit or liqueur. Brandy is the most traditional thing to add, however we like a glug of gin. You can get so many flavoured gins, so we went with orange gin for an extra festive twist.

You can also add some apple cider, and you would need a lot more of this than you would brandy or gin, as it isn't as strong.

If you wanted to make a non alcoholic version of slow cooker mulled wine this, then you can either use a non alcoholic red wine (you can get some really great ones in the supermarket) or use grape juice. You could also use a mixed of cranberry and apple juice instead. Have you tried our Non Alcoholic Mulled Apple Cider recipe?

A glass of red wine with whole cranberries floating on top.

Stove top (hob) mulled wine

If you don't have 2 hours to cook this on the slow cooker, then you can cook it on the hob (stove top) with all the same ingredients.

Simply add everything to a large pan and then heat the wine on a medium heat until just before it starts to simmer (you don't want to boil off the alcohol) and then turn down to a low heat and cook for a further 15 minutes. Then follow the same instructions for this slow cooker version by straining the liquid.

Top tip

This will be hot/warm when served, so it can't be served in normal glasses. Either serve in mugs or heatproof glasses.

Glasses of mulled wine viewed form above next to orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

FAQs

Can slow cooker mulled wine be made with white wine?

Yes, you can make this with a dry white wine. We don't think it tastes as nice, as red wine is so warming and comforting. But if white wine is all you have, then that works too.

Can this be made without sugar?

You could leave the maple syrup out, however we find it takes the bitterness away a little bit.

Does the alcohol cook off from mulled wine?

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.

How to store slow cooker mulled wine.

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 like that.

Can it be reheated?

You can drink it cold, however it is best enjoyed warm. You can either heat it through in the slow cooker, or on the hob.

Is mulled wine vegan?

Yes, if you use maple syrup rather than honey then this recipe is vegan. Just make sure that the red wine you are using is vegan too.

Extra tips

• A splash of cranberry juice also adds a nice burst of flavour.
• You could also add the fresh cranberries to the wine mixture to cook at the same time, rather than adding them just before serving.
• There might not look like a lot of spices in the slow cooker, but trust us on this. They all have such strong flavours, so you don't need to go overboard. Make sure you use WHOLE spices and not ground, as ground will just float to the top and be gritty.
• Make sure you strain all the spices from the wine mixture, as nobody was soggy cloves in their drink!
• To keep the mulled wine warm, turn your slow cooker to the warming setting and it will keep warm for the evening.
• You could add some halved strawberries for a bit of a summer twist to this.

More festive recipes

If you’ve tried this slow cooker mulled wine, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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