Slow Cooker Apple Cider

Slow Cooker Apple Cider with caramel sauce and cinnamon syrup is so easy to make. Serve it in the fall and winter for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Along with cold weather comes delicious warm drinks from coffee and hot chocolate to apple cider and tea. There’s nothing better than wrapping your hands around a warm mug of a steaming beverage and watching the snow fall down leaving the ground covered in a sparkling coat of white.

Here in Minnesota, we have Caribou Coffee and it’s my favorite coffee shop. When I travel out of state, it’s one of the things I miss. One of the drinks sold at Caribou is the Hot Apple Blast which is a mouthwatering combination of apple cider and caramel. This Slow Cooker Apple Cider with Caramel is my version of that beverage and there’s enough for a crowd!

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How To Make Slow Cooker Apple Cider

For this recipe, I used my 6-quart crockpot and it was completely full.

Pour the apple cider, orange juice, cinnamon syrup (I used sugar free brown sugar cinnamon syrup), caramel sauce, apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and star anise in the crock pot and stir to combine. Cover and warm on low until heated.

Ladle into mugs and top with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of caramel. Store leftovers in the fridge and warm up in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider with caramel sauce and cinnamon syrup topped with whipped cream is one of the BEST things I’ve had to drink all season! I’m looking forward to making this often throughout the winter.

Slow Cooker Apple Cider FAQs

1. How can I make a smaller batch of apple cider? If you want to make less, you can cut back on the amounts of the ingredients and use a smaller crockpot. There is a slider on the serving size in the recipe card below. Move the slider to the number of servings you want and the ingredients should adjust accordingly.

2. Can I make this apple cider WITHOUT a slow cooker? Yes! If you prefer, you can heat this in a large stockpot on the stovetop.

3. Would this recipe work with apple juice? Yes, apple juice can be used instead of apple cider.

4. Can I substitute caramel coffee syrup for caramel sauce? Caramel syrup for coffee can be used instead of caramel sauce but the texture of the hot apple cider may change.

5. What can I use in place of the cinnamon syrup? If you can’t find cinnamon syrup or sugar free brown sugar cinnamon syrup, you can leave it out of the recipe. Or you can add a 1/2 cup of brown sugar and a few more cinnamon sticks if you want to increase the cinnamon flavor.

6. How can I make a lighter version of this apple cider? To cut back on the amount of sugar in this recipe try using light apple juice, light orange juice, sugar free caramel sauce or syrup, sugar free brown sugar cinnamon syrup, and light whipped topping. Please note, I have NOT tested this suggested lower sugar version.

7. How much ground cinnamon equals three cinnamon sticks? One teaspoon of ground cinnamon can be substituted for the cinnamon sticks.

8. What can I use in place of the star anise? If you can’t find star anise, you can leave it out or substitute with one teaspoon of anise seed. Or try a different spice such as one teaspoon of allspice.

10. What glasses did you use to serve the apple cider? This slow cooker apple cider looks so pretty in my favorite double wall glass mugs!

Continue to Content

Slow Cooker Apple Cider with Caramel and Cinnamon

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 gallon apple cider
• 1 cup orange juice
• 17 oz caramel sauce
• 1 cup sugar free brown sugar cinnamon syrup
• 4 apple slices
• 3 orange slices
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise
• 1 cup caramel sauce,, for garnish
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon,, for garnish
• 4 cups whipped cream,, for garnish

Instructions

1. Pour the apple cider, orange juice, cinnamon syrup (I used sugar free brown sugar cinnamon coffee syrup), caramel sauce, apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and star anise into a 6-quart crock pot and stir to combine.
2. Cover and warm on low until heated about 4 hours.
3. Ladle into mugs and top with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of caramel.
4. Store leftovers in the fridge and heat in the microwave.

Notes

If you want to make less, you can cut back on the amounts of the ingredients and use a smaller crockpot. If you prefer, you can heat the apple cider in a large stockpot on the stovetop.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Crockpot SCV700-KT Deisgn to Shine 7QT Slow Cooker, Turquoise
• 
  Indian Summer Apple Cider - 4/128oz Bottles
• 
  McCormick Cinnamon Sticks, 0.75 oz
• 
  Frontier Natural Products Anise Star Select Whole, 0.64 Ounce

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 279Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 1gSugar: 27gProtein: 1g