Nitrate & Nitrite Free Spiced Mulled Apple Cider
Warm, fragrant, and deeply comforting, this spiced apple cider is the kind of drink that makes a cold evening feel like a celebration. Fresh ginger, crushed cardamom pods, whole cloves, and Ceylon cinnamon sticks slowly infuse into the cider over a gentle simmer, building layers of flavor that no store-bought packet mix can touch. Speaking of store-bought mixes ā many commercial mulled cider blends and flavored drinks sneak in preservatives like sodium nitrate or nitrite to extend shelf life, so making your own from scratch is genuinely the smarter move. Every ingredient here is clean and whole, sweetened only with a touch of pure maple syrup, so you know exactly what's going into your mug. The technique is simple: warm low and slow, never boil, and let the spices do the heavy lifting. Strained into a mug and finished with a fresh apple slice, it looks as good as it tastes. This is the kind of recipe you'll come back to all season long.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
- 4 cups fresh apple cider (not fermented or hard cider)
- 2 ceylon cinnamon sticks
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup, or more to taste
For serving
- 2 fresh apple slices, for serving (optional)
- 1 ceylon cinnamon stick, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the apple cider, Ceylon cinnamon sticks, ginger slices, cardamom pods, and cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Warm until the cider just begins to steam and small bubbles form at the edges, about 5 minutes ā do not let it boil.
- 2
Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the cider is deeply fragrant and the spices have fully infused.
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