Hot Spiced Cranberry Cider
Make some memories with the aromas of cinnamon, clove and lemon, mingled with hot apple cranberry cider. If desired, float a fresh lemon slice in each cup.
Make some memories with the aromas of cinnamon, clove and lemon, mingled with hot apple cranberry cider. If desired, float a fresh lemon slice in each cup.
This recipe is amazing. I mixed it early in the day and put it in a crock pot for about an hour before needing it. It made the whole house smell warm and festive. I will definately make this again.
Read MoreThis was just ok. It was a little too tart, even for my husband who is cranberry crazy. I would recommend using an orage instead of a lemon to cut down on the tartness. I did not do this but added more brown sugar. This helped some but made it a little too sweet.
Read MoreThis recipe is amazing. I mixed it early in the day and put it in a crock pot for about an hour before needing it. It made the whole house smell warm and festive. I will definately make this again.
Wonderful...only be careful with the lemon. If cooked too long it becomes to acidy. Next time I am only putting it in the individual cups.
I made this for a holiday party, and it was delicious. I was a little skeptical, so I also made plain apple cider. Everyone wanted the cranberry, and it was so easy to mix up that I am sure to make it again.
This was fantastic! I made it in a slow-cooker and it made the house smell heavenly. Because I didn't want it too tart, I didn't add the lemon, and added a few tablespoons of real maple syrup, which made all the difference. Next time I will only use 3 cinammon sticks, because I don't like cider that's so spiced that your mouth feels overwhelmed and I don't want to lose the flavor of the apples. Served this at a baby shower and the guests loved it.
This is a great spin on a cold-weather classic. I made something like this all last fall and winter, but have never thought of the lemon. I used 1 cup of frozen cranberries because I didn't have cranberry juice. Omitted the sugar, and yes it is very tart but that's how I like it. Cooked in the crockpot for a few hours this afternoon. The house smells heavenly!
Wonderful! I used 2 tsp cinnamon rather than the sticks. I will definitely make again!!
This was just ok. It was a little too tart, even for my husband who is cranberry crazy. I would recommend using an orage instead of a lemon to cut down on the tartness. I did not do this but added more brown sugar. This helped some but made it a little too sweet.
My family has enjoyed hot apple cider for years but this is now my favorite. A wonderful blend and great taste especially around the holiday's.
This is an absolutely perfect recipe for my family Holiday time !!! Everyone has another tradition to add to the old Egg Nog and Cider list ! I love it!!! THANKS!
This turned out delish. I appreciated whoever said to make sure and take the oranges or lemons out soon. The first time I made it, I took them out once it started to boil and it was great. The second time I was a bit lax and took them out probably 10 min. after it started boiling. I could note a definite acidic/rind flavor, so be sure to do this. I did use oranges instead. I thought there was enough tartness with the cranberry and this complemented it nicely.
Excellent and very easy! Makes the house smell wonderful!
This cider has what I call a "kick" - a zesty, tangy afterbite after the initial sweet favor. It will warm up you and your taste buds. The aroma is fabulous too; I will make this in the future if anything to enjoy the natural Christmas-like air freshener. Like many of the other reviewers, I had trouble chasing the cloves out of the final mixture so I poured it through a mesh strainer into a pitcher. Problem solved and ready to serve!
Yummy! I couldn't find apple cider so I used apple juice. It was a bit sweet, so I didn't add the brown sugar. The spices temper the sweetness. Guests liked it and I will make again.
My roommates and I had a Christmas party, served this with vodka in it (!). Everyone seemed a bit skeptical at first, but it made the house smell great and once tried, everyone loved it! I would say add vodka 'to taste', but we added about 3 cups or so to this recipe. The tartness of the cranberry really neutralized the vodka. Also, we added orange slices at the beginning, and stewed with that. A keeper!
Yum! I've made this twice now & forgot the brown sugar the second time. It still turned out great. I did remove the lemons as soon as it was heated as other suggested.
Absolutely fabulous!! The smell spread through my entire apartment too, leaving a wonderful scent. I would recommend this recipe to anyone!
I served this at my cookie exchange this year and boy, was it a hit. I put it in the crock pot early in the morning and by the time of the party at 2pm it was really wonderful. I had to make more shortly into the party. Of course, we served it with a side of Apple Jack. (Kept the bottle right next to the crock pot so people could help themselves.) We had planned to make everybody laugh by giving a prize at the end of the party to the person who drank the most cider, but we weren't able to keep track, everybody like it so much. So far this season, I've had six people call and ask for the recipe. That's a record. Forgot to add, instead of the whole cloves, I added three pinches of ground cloves. (I didn't want to have to dig them out later!)
This is a favorite my family enjoys each and every year. Try it, you'll love it.
Very good reception at a ladies' brunch I hosted. Lovely flavor when made correctly! Unfortunately, I left it heating too long and the second/third cups were too strongly flavored.
This recipe was great! If you brew loose tea at home and you have one of those wire-ball tea strainers, you can use that to hold the cloves; that way there's no loose cloves floating around. Also, give the cinnamon sticks a rinse (run some water through the cinnamon stick itself) to wash out any little loose bits before adding them to the recipe. As for variations, I tried adding some whole cardamom pods along with the cloves, and we omitted the lemon. We used apple juice instead of cider so we omitted the brown sugar. I cooked it on HIGH in the crockpot for about an hour, turned it to LOW for a few hours after that, then turned it off for the rest of the day; between the three adults in the house, we polished off about 12 cups of the stuff (which was all I'd made). This is a wonderful wintertime drink and would be ideal for parties. :)
My mom made this every year for the holidays and I thought I'd lost that tradition. I'm so thankful that I found it here. This cider is so great! We make it in a crock pot and just let it simmer while we eat, bond, and mingle.
This is wonderfully spicy and very easy! Brought it to a moms club potluck - what a hit! An added bonus: my house smelled like a Christmas gift shop after making it! This one and the maple syrup cider recipes are my favorites.
Very good. Had a problem with some 'scum' that precipitated out of the mixture during the boil though would be easy to deal with using some cheese cloth and a strainer.
Last Thanksgiving I made this cider in a crockpot -- I made in advance the orange slices studded w/the whole cloves. Stored them in a plastic resealable bag until the cider was warmed up, then added on top to float. With the cinnamon sticks, I wrap them up in cheesecloth. This way it's easier to remove, & not as many granules in your cider. My two oldest grandsons kept going back for more & more; between the 2 of them they finished up the whole pot!
This is wonderful! Lemon slices in individual cups are a must - also, don't be afraid of the lemon making it too acidic - I had the leftover cider refrigerated with the lemons in it for several days and it only got better! A must-try for the holidays.
Yum! I didn't find the lemons to make it too tart, although the cider I used was quite sweet with very little tartness, so that may be why. This was very popular with everyone at Thanksgiving and I'll be doing it again at Christmas.
This was a hit on Thanksgiving. It was even good the next day chilled from the fridge.
I enjoyed this so much that I made it again, the day after I ran out of the first batch. Very good.
Terrific cider recipe. My guests couldn't get enough of it. Very refreshing on a cold evening.
This was delicious and a huge hit with my guests. I can't wait to make it again.
This is the first time, after years of using Allrecipes, that I have felt the need to comment. This is the best beverage I've ever had. I made it in the crock pot, like many others. I wrapped the cinnamon and cloves in cheesecloth for early removal. I let the lemon stay in for about two hours, and after tasting, removed and replaced with oranges. My husband laughed at me, but my exact words were "This seriously wamrs my soul!" The depth of flavors is a treat. Thank you for the delicious (and easy) recipe. It will definetely be at our Thanksgiving dinners from here on out.
This was great and I don't usually like cider. All of my guests liked it very much. Thanks!
Making it in the crockpot is a no-brainer! Thanks to whomever suggested that in the comments. It smells great in the house. People really liked this. I used cider from the store shelf, and 100% cranberry juice from the frozen can. I think you would want it in on high for 2 hours at least prior to the first cup you want to drink. It allows the spices to bloom a little. Delicious! Thanks!
Yum! I got mixed up and purchased apple juice instead of apple cider. It still was very tasty. Thanks for sharing.
I have been drinking this almost every other day for about 3 weeks. For individual servings use the following measurements 1/2 cup apple juice 1/3 cup cranberry juice sprinkle cinnamon and a sprinkle of clove
I made this for Thanksgiving this year. I put it in a slow cooker for the day and the house smelled wonderful. Everyone enjoyed the cider. I put lemon wedges on coffee cups for some decoration and they filled their own glasses. I will be making this one again, thank you for the recipe!!
I made this cider with Christmas dinner and everyone just loved it. Very, very simple, sweet, and delicious! I used an orange instead of lemon and took it out right when it started boiling as others suggested.
I served this to my church choir Christmas party. I had over 40 people in attendance. Made a double batch and not a drop was left. I served it in my percolator. Easy for them to help themselves and not have a mess. They loved this. I shall definitely be making this recipe again. Having another party this next weekend and this drink will be on the menu. Thanks
Drinking this as I type! I put it in the crock pot on high while the spices were in and left it for about 30-45 minutes, 1 hour max, while I ran some errands. When I came back I took the cloves, lemon, & cinnamon out and turned it down to low. It's amazing!!
I made this for our group of 10 at Thanksgiving. I'm glad that I changed the serving calculator to 35, because even at that amount, we just about ran out. This is an awesome recipe! I made it early in the day and put it in a stock pot on my wood burning stove. Heavenly! I believe it was an entirely sensory experience; the lucious aroma as they walked into the house, the nostalgia for my guests who ladeled it into their cups from atop the woodstove, the warmth in their hands as they wrapped them around their cups, and of course, the singing of their tastebuds as they sipped on it! Will definitely make this again...and again..and again!
Made this tonight for a Halloween party. Total hit. So much better than the apple cider I made. This one is a keeper. I too took out the lemons after boiling before simmering. Will make this on regular days when it's cold outside!
I made this for an open house and got many compliments. It is very good...something different than the usual plain apple cider. It makes the house smell good too! I forgot to mention that I did strain my finished drink thru a cheesecloth to remove all the excess "debris". I prefered to serve a clearer looking drink rather than have the clumped cinnamon floating around in it.
I really love this recipe. Followed it as written except I put the whole cloves in a coffee filter and stapled it shut. I can't think of a special fall or winter occasion that I would host without serving this. Will definitely make again.
I made this for a recent party and I cannot believe how many comments I had on it and requests I got for the recipe! The only change I made was to add some orange slices to it.
This was a HUGE success at my anual holiday tea for my friends. People who said they normally do not like cider, couldn't get enough of this yummy beverage.
This is a great recipe that I love to use during the holidays. I put the spices, lemon and brown sugar in the basket of my coffee urn and pour the juices into the urn. I then plug it in and let it brew. When it is ready, I take out the basket and serve from my urn. I put a small bowls of cinnamon sticks, lemon slices, and red hot candies by the urn and let everyone serve themselves.
This cider is delicious! I combined all ingredients, minus the lemon, in a slow cooker and cooked on LOW for about 2 hours. Whole cloves were expensive at the grocery store so I used ground cloves from my pantry, about 1/8 tsp. Lemon slices were offered on the side, but it was perfect without. I will be making this every holiday season. Thank you, Michele!
Delicious recipe.. but I omit the sugar. I use cranberry juice mixed with other fruit juice for sweetness as to avoid high fructose corn syrup.
I served this last week at my mother's book club, and it was a Huge Success. We had 11 guests here for about an hour and a half, and would you believe it, there was not a drop left. They commented that it was just right - unlike the too-sweet warm punches they are so often served. Very fragrant and easy to do. The one change I made was using cran-raspberry instead of straight cranberry. As for method, I used a slotted spoon to remove the bits from the cider when we were ready to serve, but next time will use a fine mesh sieve. Otherwise the cloves are too hard to extract. Really a lovely recipe though!
I recently made this for my Christmas Cocktail party as a non-alcoholic choice for my guests. This is WONDERFUL for a party! I made it about 3 hours before the start of the party after all the cleaning and other cooking had been completed. After it was finished on the stove I transferred it to my Crock-Pot and my house smelled wonderful for the entire evening. I followed the directions exactly and it came out delicious! It wasn't overly sweet, or sugary, as I find most non-alcoholic drink recipes are. It was wonderful to offer a beverage suited to adult tastes to my guests that don't choose to drink alcohol instead of a more child themed beverage. Also, I witnessed many of the alcohol drinkers switching to this at the end of the evening as a nightcap. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I liked this, but next time I'll use more apple cider and less cranberry juice. I know it's supposed to be a combo of the two, but it wasn't sweet enough for me. I do like things sweet though, so it could just be me!
Yummy!!! Made this for movie night w/ the girls, coulnt find apple cider so I used apple juice, and instead of the lemons I used oranges. Isnt a drink that I could drink a lot of (very spicy), but just a cup full was enough to warm me up!! I have made this 4 times in the 3 weeks that I found this recipe!
Awesome recipe! I didn't want an overpowering lemon taste so I just cut the lemon in half and stuck the cloves into the zest of the lemon halves. I made this a hot toddy by adding some Bacardi rum!
This recipe is quick and awesome tasting! I made it right in my slow cooker. I had it on high for about 1.5 hours before my guests arrived. It was plenty of time for the flavors to meld and acheive the warm fermented notes you would get by boiling it first. This one is a keeper! Enjoy!
This is delicious and so easy to make! We used Cranberry Pomegranate juice instead of regular cranberry. I followed all directions and then strained it and put it in the crockpot (as others suggested). It's easy to reheat, just turn it on warm! So wonderful, I'm sharing the recipe with all my friends!
Made this for an early Thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved it. I used only 1/2 of a lemon and I think that made it just tart enough for us. Very easy and will definitely be making it again.
I had 16 guests for Thanksgiving this year. As the guests walked in, I offered them this cider or mulled wine. It was sleeting outside, so most of the guests were soaking wet. All of them were very appreciative to have something warm. I plan to make this wonderful tasting cider all winter. I put the fruit in at the end of the cooking process as to not make the drink too acidic....I also added a few more cloves to give it more of a punch. Serve this cider at your next event on a cold night and you will make many guests feel very welcome and warm on cold snowy nights...
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and everyone had something good to say about! I LOVE it, I make small batches just for myself whenever the mood strikes me! I will definitely be using this recipe for many many years to come. It's so simple and so good, those are the exact kind of recipes I like! Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! We had dark rum on hand, and added this (after the fact) so that both adults and kids, alike, could enjoy this very Fall beverage!
This was sooo tasty; I wanted to make a non-alcoholic beverage for my Christmas gathering - something everyone could enjoy, and it was a big hit. Everyone loved it.
I cut the recipe in half and put it in my crock pot on high for two hours. I added the lemon slices during the last 30 minutes. I served it to my book club tonight, and it was delicious. Everyone raved about it. I will definitely be making this again.
OH MY LORD! This cider was heavenly... we couldn't stop drinking it. It was absolutely delicious. Definitely definitely try this, it's soooo good. >.
Delicious and so easy. I, too, removed the lemon slices after simmering and it was just the right combination of sweet and tart. I also halved the recipe as I was just having just 6 guests and luckily only 2 chose to drink it (1 with vodka & 1 without). It was gone in a half hour. Next time, I may double the recipe just to make sure I have enough!
Great recipe! The cranberry juice keeps the apple cider from being too sweet which I don't like. My husband calls this Wassail. I made enough for 100 people for a party. We ended up with about 80 people but there was none left at all. Everyone loved this!
I love cranberry juice so I used equal parts cider and juice. I served it at a holiday party and everyone loved it.
I added cranberry/pomegranate juice to it instead of just cranberry juice and took out the lemons after an hour so that it would not have any effects from the rind. I also used 4 sm cinnamon sticks instead of the lg ones cause some people don't like it so strong and put some sticks in a cup on the side for those who wanted it stronger. It is always better to add later than to have it too strong.
This was great -- just what I was looking for. Followed quantities exactly, except that I made half for a small office gathering and the other half the next morning for house guests. The thing I liked best is that it wasn't overly sweet -- I was serving to folks who drink black coffee every day and knew something that was more on the tart side would go over well. This was festive, pretty and tasty!
I made this for a holiday event with reporters. All of which sang my praises for the delicious cider. I kept the cider warm by bringing my slow cooker to the party and used a ladel to scoop it out. The recipe is very similar to my moms recipe that uses some of the same ingridients. I did not keep the lemons in, as mentioned in other reviews. I have made this several times! A sure winner!
4.5 Stars: This is a delicious cider that I kept in the crock pot when my daughter had strep. She didn't like it, but I think it's great.
Very good. I used someone's suggestion and took the lemons out after it cooked and replaced it with sliced oranges.
I made this at Christmas and my family Loved it- definitely part of a new tradition. (And the house smelled wonderful ;)
Recently made this for a company open house where I work. I made it partly in a percolator coffeemaker and heated the cider in a pot on the stove to hurry things along, then added the hot cider to the percolator. Everyone loved it!
Really be careful with the lemon and the cinnamon! It's okay, but I would rather just make apple cider next time
Have made this for many occasions. Its become a traditional part of our Thanksgiving menu. As we run out, I just keep adding the ingredients. Plus it smells sooo good while its warming up! Better than an air freshener. :)
I made this for Christmas and absolutely loved it. I added 1/3c. brown sugar and it was perfect.
My family LOVED this recipe, definitely a hit, and I had to double the recipe!
LOOOVED this!! I'm not the biggest fan of lemon so I left it out and threw everything (put the spices in a cheese cloth) in a crockpot on high for an hour or two and then to warm - so delicious and the spice is just right!
Unlike almost everyone else's, mine was super/super tart (the lemon?). Had to keep adding brown sugar to make it okay. Fortunately, I had a "guinea pig" guest who gave me honest feedback before serving to everyone else.
This is a great holiday drink to keep warm on your stove or in your slow cooker for guests. I scaled it back this time, and next time, I will increase the cranberry juice over the apple cider, just because of personal preference.
Made just as written. Easy to drink lots before you know it! Lovely blend of flavors and smells SO good. Thank you, Michele!
Followed the recipe exactly and it was the hit of the party. I did take out the lemon slices after simmering and transported cider in a crockpot (on low an hour before serving), and just before serving, added lemon slices for colour. Very easy to make and definitely good to drink!
Must make with cranapple! Delicious. **********If you use regular cranberry juice it is very TART. Made my dad start drooling. We think it is much better with cran-apple or reduced sugar cranberry juice because we don't like drool inducing tartness. The spice mix is great.
Wow. This was AWESOME cider! Everyone at my Thanksgiving feast had cups and cups of this stuff! I made it exactly as the recipe stated ~ after cooking on the stove, I strained the cider into a large slow cooker and kept the cooker on low all day. I will definitely make this again!
This is a very delicious recipe. Everyone that tried it said it taste like apple pie!
Excellent. I used an orange instead of a lemon - just my personal preference. It turned out amazing, everyone loved it! Thanks!
MMM! Delicious. I made this on New Year's Eve, and just let it simmer on the stove all evening. It was a big hit!
I enjoyed it quite a bit but my dinner guest thought it was a little plain. Several recommended adding alcohol perhaps Grand Marnier.
Awesome! I skipped the lemon and used 2 qts of cranberry juice cocktail. Also left out the brown sugar as the cider/juice is plenty sweet. I could drink this every day!
DELICIOUS!!! A nice twist from regular spiced cider and a big hit! Thanks for the great recipe!
delicious.... I loved it but the men in my house are soooo picky and anything new they have negative criticism but in my book the drink is a 10!!!
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