Hot apple cider recipe made with apple juice

While I would call myself a coffee drinker through and through, I always love a good cup of hot apple cider come Fall. The warmth, the scent and flavour awaken my senses and just make my day that much better. I especially love getting them when we visit a local farm or pumpkin patch. It’s basically tradition at this point.

Of course, getting one from my local cafe regularly can be costly (warm apple cider is surprisingly expensive). For years I’ve been saying to myself that I need to try and make some at home but I was always worried it would require too much work. I finally put some time aside for it and not only did I discover that it was super easy to make, but if you make a large batch, you can store it in your fridge for a week. Talk about saving money and efficiency.

I also got my boys to try it to see if they liked it. Kyle gave it the thumbs up and Ryan made a sour face when he tried it. Nathan didn’t even want to try it. I think that next time, for the kids, I would add in some maple syrup to make theirs a little sweeter. Check out the recipe below:

Warm Apple Cider using Apple Juice Recipe

Ingredients

8 cups of Allen’s Apple Juice

6 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp whole cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp black peppercorns

orange zest from a full medium size orange

Directions

1. Over Medium heat, add to pot cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, ground nutmeg and peppercorns. Let it heat, stirring frequently, for about 4-5 minutes until fragrant.

2. Add in Allen’s apple juice and orange zest. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes.

4. Pour cider through a fine mesh strainer directly into mug or glass container for storage.

5. Serve with cinnamon stick and orange slice.

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Allen’s Apple Juice. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.