Nitrate & Nitrite Free Hot Spiced Cranberry Drink
Warm, tart cranberry juice simmered low and slow with whole spices and a curl of fresh orange peel — this is the kind of drink that makes a cold evening feel genuinely special. The sweetness comes entirely from maple syrup, which you can dial up or down to your own taste, so there's no mystery about what's going into your mug. That matters more than it might seem, because many bottled spiced drinks and cider mixes rely on preservatives and cured flavorings that can sneak in unwanted additives. Here, every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify at a glance. The technique is gentle — you're coaxing flavor out of cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and ginger without ever pushing the liquid to a hard boil, which keeps the aroma bright and the color a gorgeous deep ruby. Straining everything out at the end gives you a silky, clean sip that looks as good as it tastes, especially with a fresh orange slice on the rim.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 4 cups cranberry juice (100% juice, no added sweeteners)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 3 strips orange peel (about 3 inches each, pith removed)
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For serving
- orange slices, for serving (optional)
- cinnamon sticks, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cranberry juice, water, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel strips, and ground ginger in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- 2
Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edges, about 8–10 minutes. Do not bring to a full boil.
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