Simmered with chai spices and fresh citrus, this chai mulled apple cider has both a stovetop and slow cooker option and you can easily prep it ahead of time for holiday drinks.
Happy Thanksgiving week aka the biggest cooking week in the U.S.! In the midst of all the turkey prep, I find that sometimes drinks tend to fall to the wayside but I’m pushing them back into the spotlight with this mulled cider!
Growing up, mulled cider was always a pre-dinner Thanksgiving tradition in my house and that was always the first thing my mom would start cooking on Thursday morning. Within a few hours the entire house would smell like rich spices and sweet apple cider and at the end you’d have a cozy beverage to show for it!
This version of mulled cider is a bit different than my moms as I opted for chai spices instead of traditional mulling spices which means we’re using ingredients like cardamom, fresh ginger, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon.
It’s basically like a hot chai tea meets apple cider and trust me when I say it’s the ultimate Thanksgiving day sipper. You can even add a little bit of liquor to your cup if you feel so inclined!
This Apple Cider features…
- Whole chai spices
- Spicy fresh ginger and orange slices
- Minutes to prep with both a stovetop and slow cooker option
Making the Mulled Apple Cider
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Cardamom
- Peppercorns
- Cloves
- Star anise
- Cinnamon sticks
- Apple cider
- Brown sugar
- Orange
Slow Cooker or Stovetop
Either method works great for this mulled cider! Follow the instructions below for a little bit of extra detail to each method.
Stovetop: keep the cider covered on low heat for 1-2 hours to allow the mulling spices to do their thing, stirring occasionally. Make sure you keep the cider covered so steam doesn’t evaporate and reduce the liquid.
Slow cooker: combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours. Once the cider is mulled, feel free to remove the spices + orange slices and keep on the warm setting for several hours for serving.
Tips for Perfect Mulled Cider
- Use whole spices – ground spices will not work in this recipe – they will give the cider an unpleasant texture.
- Wrap spices in cheesecloth – I like using this method because then you don’t have to go to the effort of fishing the individual spices out after simmering. You can also use a coffee filter if you don’t have cheesecloth on hand.
- Cook cider 1-2 hours – keep the cider covered on low and stir occasionally. This cook time is essential for extracting all the flavors from the spices.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this cider.
- Add pear – try using half pear cider and half regular apple cider.
- Use another citrus – try blood orange or grapefruit in place of the orange.
- Try another sweetener – replace the brown sugar with maple syrup or honey.
Liquor Pairings
This mulled cider is great as-is but also amazing with a little of the fun stuff mixed in your personal cup. I recommend using about 1.5 oz liquor per 8 oz cider. Try my recommendations below!
- Brandy
- Dark rum
- Whiskey
- Bourbon
One sip of this cider and I think you’ll quickly agree that regular cider just doesn’t compare! The chai spices are the perfect level of spicy without being overwhelming with just the slightest background of citrus flavor.
The only question that remains is what are you spiking your cup with??
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More holiday drinks to make next!
Chai Mulled Apple Cider
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Ingredients
- 8 cardamom pods, smashed
- 8 whole peppercorns
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 star anise pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 quarts apple cider
- 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 4 1/4-inch thick slices fresh peeled ginger
- 1 medium orange, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- Optional mix-ins: brandy, dark rum, whiskey, or bourbon
Instructions
- Place cardamom pods, peppercorns, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon sticks in the center of a square of cheesecloth or in a coffee filter. Gather up edges and secure with kitchen twine to form a pouch.
- Pour apple cider into a medium pot or slow cooker and mix in brown sugar. Arrange spice pouch, ginger slices, and orange slices in pot.
- If making apple cider on stovetop, bring cider to a low simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and allow to cook on low 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. If making apple cider in slow cooker, place lid on slow cooker and cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours.
- Remove spice pouch, ginger slices, and orange slices before serving mulled apple cider. Optionally, mix liquors into individual servings. Enjoy!
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