Sesame Free Hot Honey-Cinnamon Apple Cider
Warm, spiced, and deeply comforting, this hot apple cider is the kind of drink that makes a cold evening feel like a celebration. Fresh cider gets gently simmered with Ceylon cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and sliced ginger until the kitchen smells absolutely incredible — earthy, sweet, and a little bit spicy all at once. Honey stirred in at the end adds a floral sweetness that you can dial up or down to your own taste, making every mug feel personal. Ceylon cinnamon is worth seeking out here; its softer, more complex flavor sets this apart from anything you'd pour out of a packet mix. Every single ingredient in this recipe is naturally free from sesame, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved — just straightforward, wholesome ingredients doing their thing. Strained smooth and served with a fresh apple slice and a cinnamon stick, it's as pretty as it is delicious. This is the kind of cozy drink you'll want on repeat from the first cool day of fall straight through to February.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 cups fresh apple cider (not apple juice)
- 2 ceylon cinnamon sticks
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 whole cloves
- 3 tbsp honey, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
For serving
- 1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced, for serving (optional)
- 4 ceylon cinnamon sticks, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the apple cider, Ceylon cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, and whole cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Warm, stirring occasionally, until the cider just begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edges, about 8–10 minutes — do not let it boil.
- 2
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the honey and ground Ceylon cinnamon. Continue to heat gently for 10 minutes, until the cider is fragrant and the honey is fully dissolved.
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