Paraben Free Spiced Mulled Apple Cider

Total time30 min

Prep time5 min

Cook time25 min

4.6

(16)

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 steep into the cider, building layers of spice that feel both cozy and complex. Many store-bought spiced ciders and flavored drinks rely on synthetic preservatives and artificial fragrance compounds — exactly the kind of additives people avoiding parabens and similar chemicals want to sidestep. Here, every single ingredient is whole and recognizable, from the pure maple syrup sweetener to the fresh apple slices used as a garnish. The technique is simple: a gentle simmer that coaxes out maximum flavor without boiling off the brightness of the cider. Straining out the whole spices at the end gives you a beautifully clear, clean mug with nothing hidden in it. It's the sort of recipe you'll want to keep on rotation all autumn and winter long.

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Ingredients

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 — 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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