Citric Acid Free Warm Spiced Apple Cider
Warm, fragrant, and deeply comforting, this spiced apple cider is the kind of drink that makes a cold evening feel instantly cozier. Most store-bought ciders and flavored drinks sneak in citric acid as a preservative or flavor enhancer, which makes finding a safe option genuinely tricky. This version keeps things beautifully clean — just fresh apple cider, whole spices, ginger, and a touch of honey, nothing more. The slow, gentle simmer coaxes out every bit of warmth from the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and fennel seeds without boiling off the delicate apple flavor. Honey steps in as a natural sweetener that rounds out the spice without any of the additives you'd find in commercial mixes. Straining everything through a fine-mesh sieve means you get a silky, clear mug of pure spiced goodness every single time. Tuck in a few fresh apple slices on the side and you've got a drink that looks as inviting as it tastes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 cups fresh apple cider juice or unfiltered apple juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 slices fresh ginger (each about ¼ inch thick)
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tbsp honey, or more to taste
For serving
- 1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the apple cider, cinnamon sticks, ginger slices, fennel seeds, and whole cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Warm until the cider just begins to steam and small bubbles form around 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 the spices have fully infused.
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