One of the things I love most about fall and winter are the all of the warm, yummy drinks. I’m kind of obsessed with them, actually. I’m sure a lot of you are used to having a hot drink in your hands just about every morning, year-round. But see, I don’t drink coffee, so I look like a total weirdo walking around with a cup of hot chocolate in the middle of July. So I love when warm drink season comes around and during the fall months, there’s nothing better than a warm, spicy cup of cider. This Hot Caramel Apple Cider is a relatively small batch that can be scaled up easily if necessary, but doesn’t leave you with a party’s worth of leftovers if you just want a few mugs full.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Apple cider – A good apple cider should look kind of murky and when you shake it you should be able to see lots of pulp and stuff swirling around. It seems like there aren’t too many regulations when it comes to labeling because I still see some brands of apple cider in the stores that are indistinguishable from apple juice.
The biggest difference, however, is the taste. Apple juice is super sweet, yet watered down and not very flavorful. Apple cider is so flavorful it almost has a little zing to it. It really tastes like fresh apples all mushed up…because that’s what it is! Don’t even attempt this recipe with apple juice. You should be able to find apple cider just about anywhere these days. Look for one like this that is clearly labeled as cider, is made from 100% juice, and has no added anything!
A note for our international readers: apple cider here in the states is non-alcoholic. What you’re likely used to as apple cider is called hard cider here. This recipe is for a non-alcoholic warm cider! - Orange juice – Use freshly squeezed or a good quality freshly bottled brand like Simply Orange. There’s only half a cup of orange juice in there, so you want it fresh enough that the flavor shines through.
- Orange and cloves – Think of this as a fresh flavor bomb! You’ll press the cloves into the orange and pop it right into the pot whole. If you are doubling the recipe you can still just use one orange. Just double the amount of cloves you add to it.
- Cinnamon sticks – A lot of us only use these in seasonal recipes, so if yours have stored in your cupboard it’s time to buy fresh ones. Trust me on this!
- Ground allspice – Allspice comes from a single berry, but it has hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, so it’s perfect in recipes like this!
- Caramel sauce and/or syrup – The caramel sauce in the recipe is mostly used for sweetness and provides a very subtle caramel flavor. It’s also good for drizzling over the top of your whipped cream as a garnish. If you’d like a deeper, more distinct caramel flavor, you can also add a shot of flavored syrup. You can find these types of syrups in the coffee aisle of most grocery stores. You could also try the Starbucks brand.
- Sweetened whipped cream – To top your cider!
How to Make Hot Caramel Apple Cider
- You’ll start by adding half a gallon of apple cider to a stock pot over medium-high heat. you’ll add orange juice, cinnamon, and allspice.
- Then you’ll poke some cloves into a clean, fresh orange. This releases some of the orange oil and keeps track of all of your cloves for easy removal later.
Note: Since I have a feeling people will ask, no, I wouldn’t replace the cinnamon sticks and cloves with ground spices. They will leave a grainy pulp in your finished cider. The only reason we’re using ground allspice is because it’s a very small amount and can be hard to track down fresh allspice berries. - The whole orange gets added to the pot and simmered for at least an hour. At that point you’ll remove your orange and cinnamon sticks and add some caramel sauce and an optional shot of caramel flavoring syrup.
- Ladle into mugs, top with sweetened whipped cream, and enjoy!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover cooled cider in a pitcher with a lid in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Freeze leftover cider in ice cube trays for easy reheating for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave.
- If you’re keeping this warm for an extended period, be sure to remove the orange. After an hour of simmering, all the flavors will have transferred to the cider. If you notice your orange split open, remove it. The exposed white pith can add a bitter flavor to your cider.
- You can also make this recipe in a crock pot and keep it warm for extended serving time. See full instructions in the recipe card below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yep! Just be sure to cool thoroughly and store in the refrigerator in a covered pitcher. Reheat over the stove within 3-4 days when ready to enjoy. If you’re only reheating one serving, be sure to stir the cider to redistribute flavor components before pouring.
Can I drink the leftovers cold?
Sure! Serve it over ice or straight from the refrigerator. If you like cold spiced cider, you could use it in this Apple Cider Float recipe or this Creamy Apple Cider Slushy recipe.
How do I keep apple cider warm for a party?
Keep warm in a crock pot, with the lid on, set to low heat. You can make it on the stove and then transfer it to the crock pot, or make it in the crock pot from the beginning. Just be sure to remove the orange and cinnamon sticks after the recommended cooking times to prevent the bitterness from the white pith affecting the flavor of the cider.
You can also keep it warm on the stove over very low heat. Keep the lid on to retain heat and make sure your exhaust vent is going if you have a gas stove!
Hot Caramel Apple Cider
This warm drink is perfect for a crisp fall day. Now all you need is a pumpkin to carve!
Servings (1 cup) servings
Ingredients
- ½ gallon apple cider 64 ounces, or 8 cups
- ½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed or good quality bottled like Simply Orange
- 1 orange
- 8 cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks if yours are more than a year old- buy new ones!!
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅓ cup jarred caramel sauce* more to taste if needed
- optional: caramel flavored syrup link in post
- sweetened whipped cream link in post, or from a can is fine!
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Pour 8 cups of apple cider into a large stock pot on the stove pot. Set heat to medium-high. Add orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and allspice.
- Thoroughly wash your orange and then gently stab the whole cloves into it.
- Gently drop the whole orange into the pot. Bring cider to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer on low for 60 minutes, longer if you wish.
- After you've simmered for an hour, add caramel sauce and stir to combine and dissolve. Add more caramel sauce or caramel syrup to taste if needed.
- When ready to serve, ladle into mugs, top with whipped cream, and give it a drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
If you find it hard to do that without destroying the cloves, use a toothpick to poke little hole first and then insert the cloves. If you are doubling the recipe, you can still just use one orange, just double the number of cloves you poke into it.
If you're keeping the pot on the stove for an extended period, keep an eye on the orange. If at any time it splits open, remove it from the pot. If the white pith is exposed it will add a bitter taste to your cider. If you're going to have the pot warming for hours on end, take out the orange.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add apple cider, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and clove-studded orange to a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1½-2 hours, until hot and fragrant.
- Remove orange, cloves, and cinnamon sticks, and add caramel sauce.
- Keep on low or warm setting for serving. When ready to serve, top with sweetened whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Keep an eye on that orange! If it splits at any point, remove it from the slow cooker to prevent the bitter white pith from making your cider bitter.
Notes
- Important Note: I made this in a relatively small batch with measurements that are easily doubled to use the whole container of cider.
- Great tip: For a delicious twist, substitute maple syrup for the caramel sauce in this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 131kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 10mg, Potassium: 309mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 86IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Calories: 131kcal
Cost: $5
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Questions & Reviews
I made this yesterday for a party and OH MY….it was fabulous! Everyone loved it.
My husband decided we should do a Halloween treat tonight while we watch movies. I agreed and so he chose this recipe. 3 grocery stores and 1 hour of shopping later I finally found all of the ingredients and bought a pot big enough to hold the amount we were making. I was a little skeptical about this as I’m not a huge fan of apple cider, or caramel, but man… I am glad he picked this recipe. It is delish!! (even if a tiny thing of whole cloves costs 5 bucks)
Pretty popular recipe! Sounds wonderful and I’m going to try it myself! Thanks for the cool blog and have a great day!
At what point do you remove the cinnamon sticks? Or do they stay in the cider the whole time? Thank you and I can’t wait to try it.
Being the depths of winter here in Australia, I’ve been on the search for nice warm, non milky drinks – it never even crossed my mind that cider was non-alcoholic in America! My local supermarket has just started stocking an awesome cloudy apple juice that is just apples, nothing else, so I plan to try this recipe out with that and see how it goes – yummo!!! I can see this being very popular at our (late afternoon/evening) playgroup!
Erica, ya that works to double everything but the orange. Glad you like it! Also you *could* double the orange too, if you wanted a stronger flavor. Up to you.
This was so good! (and this coming from someone who barely likes apple cider) I want to double the recipe. Do I double everything except the orange?
I am hosting a chili feed for 18 high school boys and want to make your cider to go along with the meal. How many servings do you think I can get out of your recipe?
I made this recipe today and everyone thought it was delicious! I do have a question though. It seems as if the caramel sauce curdled in the hot cider so there were small feathery bits floating around. I used Hershey's caramel topping. Was that supposed to happen, or did I do something wrong?
Oh thank you!
I had some caramel apple cider at The Cheesecake Factory and it would be swell to have some at home as well.