This is such a great and easy thing to serve up for the holidays. It pairs so well with the rich, comfort meals and cold weather of November and December. To me, a Thanksgiving is incomplete without it.
Add any other spices you love to this delicious mixture which doubles as a way to make your house smell incredible and holiday-ish (yes, it’s a word – now).
You can top it off with a little whipped cream, caramel, and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, or just drink it plain.
You can also add alcohol to the mixture for a great cocktail, either in the crock-pot itself (if your company warrants that), or keep it kid-friendly until it hits the glass by adding a shot of your favorite mixer after the fact.
By all accounts, once this is served, it’s officially a party!

CrockPot Hot Apple Cider
I've made this for Thanksgiving day every year since I can remember and it fills the house with the best smells you can imagine. It also tastes great!
Ingredients
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp allspice (whole)
- 1 tsp cloves
- 3 star anise
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 orange, cut into slices, optional
- Whipped cream for topping, optional
- Cinammon, ground, for topping, optional
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a crockpot and let simmer as long as you wish.
- To serve, strain just the liquid into cups (or brew spice ingredients using a tea brewer)
- Top with whipped cream and cinnamon, if desired.
Notes
Size: I buy the gallon sized apple cider and refill the crockpot as needed with it, but note that you will have extra as you don't want your crockpot to overfill.
For a Spiked Cocktail: If you would like to make this an alcoholic version, add your preference of Rum, Bourbon, or Whiskey.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 171Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 15mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 1gSugar 36gProtein 0g
This nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although alteredrecipe.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.