Stay warm and cozy through all the chilly months with this easy Homemade Crock Pot Apple Cider. All your favorite fall flavors in a delicious made from scratch drink.

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It’s not fall without apple cider and when it’s so easy to make it from scratch at home there’s no reason you can’t enjoy delicious apple cider all season long! I love drinking apple cider but I also love adding it to all my fall dessert recipes!

If apple picking is one of your yearly fall traditions, then making homemade crock pot apple cider needs to be on your must do list! Get ready for your house to smell a-mazing!

What you’ll need

Fresh apples– a mix of tart and sweet apples is the way to go! See the notes below for more details on which apples are best.
Fresh Oranges– Navel oranges or mandarin oranges work well. You can choose to leave the peels on for extra flavor.
Brown sugar– for sweetness. You can substitute maple syrup or honey for the brown sugar.
Cinnamon sticks– a must! I love the sticks for the flavor but you can definitely use a tablespoon or two of cinnamon.
Whole cloves– just a pinch for a kick. Careful not to add too much because the cloves can be overpowering.
Water

Equipment:

Crock Pot– the bigger the better for a large batch of cider.
A fine mesh strainer, or cheese cloth to strain the ingredients.
A potato masher– to extract all the flavors after cooking.

How to make homemade crock pot apple cider

Chop the apples and oranges. Leave these in large chunks. I leave the skin on the apples (make sure to wash first) It’s your choice to leave the orange peels on or not. If you leave them on make sure to clean the oranges first.
Combine all ingredients in the crock pot, pouring the water over last.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Your house will smell incredible!
Smash the fruit. Using the potato masher give the apples and oranges a good mash to get all the juice out.
Strain. Carefully strain out all of the fruit and spices using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
Serve. For a party leave the cider in the crock pot on the warm or low setting and serve. Or refrigerate in an air tight container for up to a week.

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What else to make with apple cider

What apples to use

I love to mix sweet and tart apples for cider, it gives such a good flavor! Try these varieties:

Sweet Apples:

Gala
Red Delicious
Fuji
Honey Crisp
Golden Delicious
Cortland

Tart Apples:

Granny Smith
Pink Lady
Braeburn
McIntosh
Jonathan

Can I freeze apple cider?

Yes! This freezes so well! You can enjoy apple cider from scratch all year long.

To freeze: Let the cider cool completely. Add to a freezer safe container or gallon-sized freezer bag. Lay the bag flat in the freezer for easy storage. This will stay fresh in the freezer up to 8 months. To reheat just add the cider to a large pot and warm on the stove.

Tips, Tricks, and Suggestions

Make this on the stove top: Add all ingredients to a very large stock pot or dutch oven. Simmer for 2 hours and strain.
Spike your cider by adding rum, whiskey, or bourbon.
Halve this recipe by using a 3 quart crock pot.
Substitute honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar for the sweetener.
Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Add fresh ginger, all spice, or star anise for deeper flavors.

Try these fall recipes

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