Artificial Flavors Free Spiced Mulled Cherries
Warm, jewel-toned, and deeply aromatic, these spiced mulled cherries are the kind of thing that makes your whole kitchen smell like a holiday market. Every ingredient pulling flavor here is completely real — pomegranate juice, fresh ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, a strip of orange zest — no synthetic shortcuts needed. That's actually the beauty of this recipe: the complexity comes entirely from layering whole spices and fruit, so there's nothing hiding in the ingredient list that shouldn't be there. The apple cider vinegar adds a subtle brightness that keeps the sweetness from going cloying, while the turmeric gives the sauce a gorgeous, golden-tinged depth. As the mixture simmers down, it transforms into a glossy, spoonable compote that works beautifully over yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, or a wedge of good cheese. Store-bought cherry sauces and pie fillings are notorious for sneaking in artificial flavoring agents, so making this at home puts you fully in control of what ends up on the plate. It's a small-batch recipe that delivers big, honest flavor every single time.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 lb frozen or fresh sweet cherries, pitted
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 ceylon cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 strip orange zest (about 3 inches), pith removed
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the pomegranate juice, honey, Ceylon cinnamon stick, grated ginger, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, orange zest strip, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey dissolves, about 1 minute.
- 2
Add the cherries and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are tender and the liquid has reduced by about half and coats the back of a spoon, 15 to 18 minutes.
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