Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider
This homemade apple cider is easy to prepare in the morning or before bed. Throw everything into a crock-pot and 8-12 hours later your house will smell amazing with delicious apple cider!
OVERVIEW
- Skill Level: Beginner
Did you know you can easily make apple cider from scratch with fresh apples, an orange, and some spices? My mind was blown away with how easy it is to make using the slow cooker method. Throw all of the ingredients into a crock-pot and 8-12 hours later it’s done!
Your home will smell amazing and you’ll have fresh apple cider to enjoy all day.
Why I love to make apple cider in a crock-pot
- The prep time for this recipe only takes about 10 minutes! It couldn’t be easier to get your ingredients into the crock-pot.
- The 8-12 hours that the cider is cooking – what are you doing? Nothing! You don’t even have to be in the same room as the crock-pot. I love a passive recipe.
- As the apples break down and the spices mix together, your house will soon smell amazing!
- Make this recipe the morning of a big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas and your guests will enjoy the lovely smell and the delicious drink.
- This cider couldn’t be easier to serve. Keep the crock-pot on warm and let guests serve themselves!
Ingredient list
When I first started researching apple cider recipes, most recipes called for using store-bought apple cider. They mixed this pre-made cider with additional spices and flavors. That was not what I was looking for. So here it is, my from-scratch apple cider recipe.
This homemade version calls for fresh apples, orange, spices, and sugar. That’s it!
Fresh Apples: I like to use a variety of tart and sweet apples in my cider. For this batch I used some Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and a few Granny Smith. I also like Golden Delicious and Braeburn. I encourage you to try a few different varieties for depth of flavor.
I’ve made this recipe several times where I’ve kept the peels on the apples and loved it! However, some readers have noted a bitter flavor with this method. For that reason, I have updated the recipe to remove the peels eliminating the risk of bitterness.
Checkout my guide on the Best Apples for Apple Pie!
Orange: While technically optional, I find fresh orange pairs very well with apple flavor. I wouldn’t swap it for lemon or lime as it would be too tart. Orange is the perfect blend of sweet and sour.
For this recipe, we’re only using the peel of the orange not the fruit or pith. Both the pith and fruit can add too much flavor and risk bitterness.
Spices: I’m using a combination of cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Do not use ground spices but instead use whole. The combination listed in this recipe is my favorite mixture of flavors but feel free to add more or less as desired. I’ve even had success adding fresh ginger root to the crock-pot!
Sweetener: This recipe works great with any type of sugar. I recommend using brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or white granulated sugar. After adding the recommended amount to the crock-pot, give it a taste and add more if desired.
How to make crock-pot apple cider
Prep the apples by peeling off the skin and discarding it. Slice the apples into chunks and add to a slow cooker. For the orange, remove the peel, slice into pieces and add to the slow cooker. Discard the fruit and pith.
Add all of the spices to the slow cooker and fill up with water. The water should reach the bottom of the top layer of fruit. Put the lid on the crock-pot and turn to low. Cook on low for 8-12 hours and enjoy the heavenly smell.
When it’s finished cooking, take off the lid and add the sweetener of your choice. Stir together until it melts into the mixture. Taste the cider as is and add more sweetener if desired. Using a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, smash down the apples against the side or bottom of the pot.
The first few times I made this, I spooned the cider out of the crock-pot with all of the apples and spices still floating around. It was great! However, I later learned that if you strain out the fruit and whole spices, you will get an even richer apple flavor.
This part is up to you, but when I make this recipe now I will strain out the whole fruit using a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve. Put the cider back into the crock-pot and keep warm.
I like to keep the warm cider on the counter all day to enjoy. Any leftovers can be cooled down and stored in the refrigerator. Chilled apple cider over ice is delicious!
Use your homemade apple cider in this delicious apple cider donut recipe!
Ways to serve homemade apple cider
- Ladle the warm cider straight from the crock-pot into a mug with a cinnamon stick garnish
- Enjoy leftover chilled cider from the refrigerator over ice
- Make boozy cider by adding rum, bourbon, or whiskey to a mug and ladling warm cider over the top
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try more recipes that use fresh apples!
Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider
This homemade apple cider is easy to prepare in the morning or before bed. Throw everything into a crock-pot and 8-12 hours later your house will smell amazing with delicious apple cider.
Ingredients
- 6 quart slow cooker (reduce the amounts for a smaller cooker)
- 8-10 medium sized apples (I like McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn. Do not use Red Delicious. Use a few Granny Smith if you enjoy a slightly tart flavor.)
- 1 orange
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
- 1 cup sweetener (granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or a combo *see note below about sugars)
Instructions
PREP
- Peel the apples (8-10 medium) and discard the peel. Chop into large chunks or use an apple slicer.
- Remove the peel from the orange (1) leaving behind the white fibrous pith. The pith will turn the cider bitter.
Slow cook
- Place the apple pieces, orange peel, cinnamon sticks (2), whole cloves (½ teaspoon), and whole allspice (1 teaspoon) into the slow cooker.
- Fill the slow cooker with enough water to reach the bottom of the top layer of apples. It should be pretty close to the top of the slow cooker.
- Turn it on low and put the lid on. Brew on low for 8-12 hours. 12 hours on low is ideal but if you're in a pinch, brew on high for at least 4 hours.
- Add the sweetener of your choice (1 cup) and stir to mix together and melt.
- Using a potato masher, mash all of the apples in the slow cooker.
- If a more clear cider is desired, very carefully strain the cider through a fine mesh sieve or a cheesecloth and pour back into the slow cooker.
- Let cool slightly and taste. Add more sweetener if desired. If you'd like a more concentrated flavor, turn the slow cooker to high and boil off some of the water (keeping the lid off). Alternatively, reduce the cider on the stovetop.
- Store leftover cider in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
A few readers commented that their cider tasted a bit bitter. I have re-tested the recipe and made changes to eliminate the risk of the cider tasting bitter. Most of our palettes are used to tasting sweet cider, so make sure you add some sweetness to yours because it does dramatically change the flavor.
*Note about sugars: White granulated sugar will give a lighter appearance to the apple cider. Brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup will give a darker, richer color. Any choice of sugar will result in a delicious apple cider flavor.
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92 Comments on “Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider”
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If you are used to real apple cider made at a cider mill, leave out the oranges (it adds a weird sweet and bitter taste) and add twice the sugar. Otherwise, this recipe worked well and I netted a nice bowl of applesauce on my second finer straining.
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I enjoyed your class on BEGINNER SOURDOUGH the twelve steps along
with the video, made baking sourdough bread simple and to the point.
Thank you : KEN
I’m so glad!
This recipe is delicious! I have now made it a couple of times. I added fresh cranberries and think the flavor was very complimentary. She recommends bourbon for your spiked apple cider and I will have to say that it is not my new favorite holiday beverage! So good!
It is NOW my new favorite! I love it!
I’m so glad!
So, definitely missed the water step to this recipe. Do you think I could add after cooking? If so, about how much would you say?
You could try it! Just add a little at a time, you can always add more. If you add too much, you can reduce it on the stovetop.
This recipe is incredible! It’s so easy, and the result was great! I did a mix of brown sugar and honey for sweetening and ended up with about 10 cups of cider. I’ll be making this again!
Wonderful!
Hi I didn’t realize I would have to cook this for so long! Can I cook on high for 4-5 hours instead??
You can!
It must be within the first five or so ingredients, and positively not after the preservatives.
Can I make this a day before and reheat it in the Crock-Pot the next day?
Sure!
This was a bit bitter. Cooked for high for four hours and low for four hours. I may try peeling oranges or just using zest next time. Definitely needed some sweetness.
I used 4 medium ambrosia gold , 4 medium honey crisp, and 3 small hybrid apples (that’s what I was told when given to me lol). I used 3 cinnamon sticks and one naval orange. I used 3/4cup brown sugar while it was cooking, and now that’s it’s all done, all I taste is overpowering cinnamon. I’ve added some white sugar about a 1/2 cup and it’s better but not quite there yet. Please help?? How do I fix it?
Hi, apple cider definitely tastes quite a bit like cinnamon. If you don’t like the flavor, you could add a little more orange or ginger to the mixture to balance it out.
can i use a mix of granny smith with a sweet apple ?
Sure thing! That will be great.
I made this for Thanksgiving 2023. Expecting to serve with dessert, after dinner. It was gone before we even started eating dinner. Super delicious, was a hit with everyone! The house smelled wonderful and just like the holidays. Put it on as we went to sleep and when we woke, it was aromatic holiday bliss. Am making again for our next holiday party. This is officially a staple for Thanksgiving now. Thank you for sharing. PS, I used a half cup of maple syrup plus a half cup of brown sugar. The mix was perfect.