Welcome back to another month of the KAYLA & CO. LIVING Cocktail Calendar! Since starting this series in July, we featured two lemon focused drinks (strawberry lemonade and lemon drop martini) that just screamed summer. Oddly enough, these drinks also paid tribute to each of my parents and memories we’ve shared throughout my childhood and early 20’s. With fall officially here, I could help but select my go-to hot beverage that fills me with warmth easily. It’s not a pumpkin spiced latte (lol, sorry if you’re a fan), but rather a homemade apple cider recipe so good that I may never buy cider from the store again.

Why Homemade Apple Cider

There are so many reasons to make this homemade apple cider recipe, but three really stood out for me.

First, apples are timeless fall flavor, along with pumpkins, maple, and cinnamon. While pumpkin takes the primary seat during this season, apples have a prominence that is unmatched and adds a sweetness to this time of year. Making apple cider is simple with apple varieties readily available in any grocery store or check an item off your autumn bucket list by going apple picking at a nearby orchard.

Second, I have been itching to learn how to brew my own apple cider as I could enjoy a cup every day of the fall (and winter, if I’m being honest) season. I remember mentioning this to my mom every year when autumn would roll around. For whatever reason, I never tried until this year, and I never realized how easy it would be.

Lastly, the smell alone of this apples and spices brewing in a crock-pot just exudes fall. It fills the entire house and could transcend you to another place. If it doesn’t fill cooler outside your house, this recipe will surely make you feel like it has.

Homemade Slow Cooker Apple Cider

A September fall doesn't feel complete without apple cider. Drink it hot with bourbon or cold over ice…homemade cider is a fall flavor that can't be beat.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 9

Total Time 9 25

Servings: 8 glasses

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Calories: 120

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

12 Honeycrisp Apples medium sized
6 Mandarin Orange Peels Halos or Cuties for easy peeling
3 Cinnamon Sticks
¾ tsp Whole Cloves
1½ tsp Whole Allspice
½ cup Light Brown Sugar Pure Cane
4½ cups Water

Equipment

Crockpot or Slow Cooker 6 quart used for this recipe
Potato Masher
Apple Slicer
Mesh Strainer

Method

Begin by peeling apples and slicing into chunks. Be sure to remove core of the apples.
Remove the mandarin orange peels and discard the flesh.

You can separate the peel from the white pith; however, mandarin orange piths add a mild bittersweet taste and is not as strong as other oranges.

Place the apple chunks, mandarin orange peels, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and whole allspice into a slow cooker.
Add water to slow cooker. The water should not cover the apples, but rather reach the bottom of the top apple chunk layer.
Close the lid of the slow cooker and brew for 8-10 hours on low.
Once time is up, mash apples in slow cooker and stir in pure cane light brown sugar until well mixed. Place lid back on slow cooker and let cider brew for another hour.

Brewing the cider for an additional hour allows for a more well-blended flavor profile with the addition for the sugar.

Let the cider cool slightly. Carefully, strain the cider through mesh strainer and into a glass pitcher

Notes

Drink this homemade cider straight from the fridge cold or serve it hot with many variations. When serving hot, I like to top with whipped cream and cinnamon stick. You can also pair this with your favorite whiskey or bourbon to make a delicious hot toddy to warm you up during the cooler weather season.

Why Homemade Apple Cider

Homemade Slow Cooker Apple Cider

Ingredients

Equipment

Method

Notes

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