Citric Acid Free Spiced Apple Cider

Total time25 min

Prep time5 min

Cook time20 min

4.9

(14)

Warm, fragrant, and deeply comforting, this spiced apple cider is the kind of drink that makes a cold evening feel instantly cozier. Unfiltered apple cider gets a slow, gentle infusion of Ceylon cinnamon, fresh ginger, whole cloves, and turmeric — building layers of spice without any shortcuts or additives. The fresh lemon juice stirred in at the end adds just enough brightness to balance the sweetness of the maple syrup, and because it comes from the whole fruit rather than a processed additive, it keeps the recipe clean for anyone avoiding citric acid as an ingredient. Many packaged ciders and spiced drink mixes sneak in citric acid as a preservative or flavor enhancer, so making this from scratch gives you full control over every element in the cup. The technique is simple — warm, steep, strain, and serve — and the result is a beautifully clear, golden mug of something that tastes far more special than the effort involved. Garnished with a cinnamon stick and a thin apple slice, it's as pretty as it is satisfying.

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Ingredients

4 servings

4 cups fresh apple cider (unfiltered)
2 ceylon cinnamon sticks
1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
½ tsp ground turmeric
4 whole cloves
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

For serving

4 ceylon cinnamon sticks, for serving (optional)
4 thin apple slices, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the apple cider, Ceylon cinnamon sticks, ginger slices, turmeric, and whole cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Warm, stirring once or twice, until the cider just begins to steam and small bubbles form at the edges, about 8–10 minutes — do not let it boil.
2
Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the cider is fragrant and deeply spiced.

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