Nitrate & Nitrite Free Warm Spiced Apple Cider
There is something deeply comforting about wrapping your hands around a warm mug of spiced cider on a cool day, and this version delivers that cozy feeling in the most wholesome way possible. Fresh apple cider gets gently warmed with cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, fennel seeds, and whole cloves — real, whole spices that fill your kitchen with an incredible aroma as they steep. A spoonful of honey rounds everything out with just the right touch of sweetness, and you can easily adjust it to your taste. Because every ingredient here is completely unprocessed and naturally free of preservatives, you never have to second-guess what's in your cup the way you might with packaged cider blends or flavored drink mixes. The slow, gentle simmer — never a rolling boil — keeps the flavors bright and balanced rather than harsh or bitter. Strained into mugs and finished with a few thin apple slices, it looks as beautiful as it tastes. This is the kind of drink that earns a permanent spot in your cold-weather rotation.
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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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