Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (2024)

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by Baker BettieOctober 4, 2016

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Did you know you couldmake crock-pot apple cider from scratch at home? Set in the morning or before bed and in 8-12 hours you will have a house that smells amazing and fresh apple cider!

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (1)

A few years ago I learned that you can take fresh apples, an orange, and some spices and make crock-pot apple cider from scratch. My mind was blown. I put everything in my crock-pot before work and when I got home, I had the most amazing apple cider waiting for me. Not to mention my house smelled insane. Holiday candles don’t hold a flame (pun intended) to crock-pot apple cider cooking away!

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (2)

I like to use a variety of tart and sweet apples in my cider. For this batch I used some honeycrisp, granny smith, golden delicious, and braeburn. But you can use really any apples you want. I would avoid using all tart apples, such as granny smith, though.

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (3)

Making apple cider in your slow cooker or crock-pot really couldn’t be simpler. You just quarter all of the fruit and put it in the pot with water and spices and let it heat on low for 8-12 hours.

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (4)

I imagine how amazing this would be to set up on Christmas Eve and have the family wake up to warm apple cider in the morning, with the house smelling amazing. I get giddy thinking about it.

Or it would be so fun to have it going all day on Halloween so that it is ready to add some bourbon to in the evening when you are passing out candy! This stuff tastes GREAT with some bourbon!

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (5)

The first few times I made this, I just spooned the cider out of the crock-pot with all of the apples and spices still floating around in there. It was great. But then, I read some other crock-pot apple cider recipes and learned that if you take a potato masher and mash up all the apples then strain it, you get more appley flavor!

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (6)

I originally published this recipe in 2012, but this week I made it again with updated pictures and a new video to show you just how darn easy it is to make! I had also heard from some readers that there was a slight bitter taste to their cider. I have never had a problem with this, but I decided to change the amount of orange from 2 to 1 and decrease some of the spices to help remedy the problem. It continues to taste amazing and I think the risk of bitterness has been eliminated!

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (7)

Now that I have all this apple cider in my fridge, I’ve got to find some recipes to use it up! Maybe some apple cider co*cktails? Or baking recipes involving apple cider?! Do you have any favorites?!

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (8)

Yield: 12 Cups

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider

Prepare this homemade apple cider in the morning or before bed and in 8-12 hours you will have a house that smells amazing and fresh apple cider to enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 6 quart slow cooker (reduce the amounts for a smaller cooker)
  • 8-10 medium size sweet apples (I like McIntosh, Empire, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, and Braeburn, do NOT use Red Delicious apples)
  • 1 orange
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/2 TBSP whole cloves
  • 2 tsp whole allspice
  • 2 inch knob of fresh ginger (optional)
  • sweetener of choice, up to 1 cup (granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or combo)

Instructions

  1. Chop apples and orange into large chunks keeping the peels on.
  2. Put apples, orange, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger in the slow cooker.
  3. Fill the slow cooker with enough water to cover all of the apples. It should fill it pretty much to the brim of the pot.
  4. Turn it on low and put the lid on.
  5. Allow to brew for 8-12 hours. (12 hours is best and even longer would be fine too!)
  6. Take a potato masher and mash all of the apples up. Strain the cider through a fine mesh sieve or through cheesecloth for a more clear cider.
  7. Add sweetener of choice to taste for your sweetness level.
  8. Store left over cider in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

A few readers commented that their cider tasted a bit bitter. I have re-tested the recipe and made changes to eliminate the risk of the cider tasting bitter. Most of our palettes are used to tasting sweet cider, so make sure you add some sweetness to yours because it does dramatically change the flavor.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 0

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    90 Comments on “Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider”

  1. Pingback: Apple Cider | Kristin Baker's Recipes

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  3. Michelle HReply

    If you are used to real apple cider made at a cider mill, leave out the oranges (it adds a weird sweet and bitter taste) and add twice the sugar. Otherwise, this recipe worked well and I netted a nice bowl of applesauce on my second finer straining.

  4. Pingback: The Ultimate Stress-Free Guide to Planning Thanksgiving- PART 1 Thanksgiving Meal Plan | The Inspired Prairie

  5. Ken WinchelReply

    I enjoyed your class on BEGINNER SOURDOUGH the twelve steps along
    with the video, made baking sourdough bread simple and to the point.

    Thank you : KEN

    • Baker BettieReply

      I’m so glad!

  6. KristinReply

    This recipe is delicious! I have now made it a couple of times. I added fresh cranberries and think the flavor was very complimentary. She recommends bourbon for your spiked apple cider and I will have to say that it is not my new favorite holiday beverage! So good!

    • KristinReply

      It is NOW my new favorite! I love it!

      • Baker BettieReply

        I’m so glad!

  7. SharonReply

    This recipe is incredible! It’s so easy, and the result was great! I did a mix of brown sugar and honey for sweetening and ended up with about 10 cups of cider. I’ll be making this again!

    • Baker BettieReply

      Wonderful!

  8. KaylaReply

    Hi I didn’t realize I would have to cook this for so long! Can I cook on high for 4-5 hours instead??

    • Baker BettieReply

      You can!

  9. Gary CzartoryskiReply

    It must be within the first five or so ingredients, and positively not after the preservatives.

  10. Shari TrepanierReply

    Can I make this a day before and reheat it in the Crock-Pot the next day?

    • Baker BettieReply

      Sure!

  11. LaWIReply

    This was a bit bitter. Cooked for high for four hours and low for four hours. I may try peeling oranges or just using zest next time. Definitely needed some sweetness.

  12. Ashley MillerReply

    I used 4 medium ambrosia gold , 4 medium honey crisp, and 3 small hybrid apples (that’s what I was told when given to me lol). I used 3 cinnamon sticks and one naval orange. I used 3/4cup brown sugar while it was cooking, and now that’s it’s all done, all I taste is overpowering cinnamon. I’ve added some white sugar about a 1/2 cup and it’s better but not quite there yet. Please help?? How do I fix it?

    • Baker BettieReply

      Hi, apple cider definitely tastes quite a bit like cinnamon. If you don’t like the flavor, you could add a little more orange or ginger to the mixture to balance it out.

  13. Patrick b papadakisReply

    can i use a mix of granny smith with a sweet apple ?

    • Baker BettieReply

      Sure thing! That will be great.

  14. Tricia SimonReply

    I made this for Thanksgiving 2023. Expecting to serve with dessert, after dinner. It was gone before we even started eating dinner. Super delicious, was a hit with everyone! The house smelled wonderful and just like the holidays. Put it on as we went to sleep and when we woke, it was aromatic holiday bliss. Am making again for our next holiday party. This is officially a staple for Thanksgiving now. Thank you for sharing. PS, I used a half cup of maple syrup plus a half cup of brown sugar. The mix was perfect.

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie (2024)

FAQs

Homemade Crock-Pot Apple Cider Recipe- Baker Bettie? ›

Using too many spices will result in bitter apple cider. Ground nutmeg. you can substitute one whole nutmeg for the ground, if you prefer. However whole nutmeg is difficult to find, and when I use it to make this apple cider recipe I find it leaves a bitter taste that we don't prefer.

Why is my homemade apple cider bitter? ›

Using too many spices will result in bitter apple cider. Ground nutmeg. you can substitute one whole nutmeg for the ground, if you prefer. However whole nutmeg is difficult to find, and when I use it to make this apple cider recipe I find it leaves a bitter taste that we don't prefer.

How do you make homemade cider better? ›

Caroline advises that with the addition of a little apple juice or elderflower cordial there is every chance that you will be able to turn your cider from puckering to perfect. Just don't put the lid back on it and pop it in the cupboard as it may well start to ferment again.

What are the best apples for apple cider? ›

The apple varieties that we generally find in stores and that are used for the making of modern-style ciders include McIntosh, Golden and Red Delicious, Goldrush, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Idared, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji.

Can you make cider with baking apples? ›

You could make cider out of any apple. A large proportion of commercially produced ciders are made from everyday cooking apples such as Bramleys, or all-purpose apples like James Grieve.

How do you reduce the bitterness in apple cider? ›

There are a few reasons your cider may be bitter: You didn't use enough sweetener. To fix this, taste a spoonful of cider, and if it isn't sweet enough, simply stir in more of your prefered sweetener.

What makes cider taste better? ›

Pectolase Powder. If Pectolase is added at the start it will improve the taste in the cider as they help to bring out flavours and without this addition you won't have clear cider. Add one teaspoon per 5 litres (1 gallon).

Does adding sugar to cider make it stronger? ›

Each 5° of specific gravity is equivalent to about 1% Alcohol (ABV). To raise the gravity by 5° add about 10g of sugar per litre of juice. i.e. 10g of sugar in one litre of juice will give a potential alcohol increase of 1%.

How do you make homemade cider sweeter? ›

If you like your cider sweeter, then you can add a sweetener as well as the priming sugar in the bottling step (not extra sugar) to the bottle at the point of bottling.

What is the best sugar for cider making? ›

Liquid sugar is one of the most widely used sugars in cider production because its 67% sucrose content and low viscosity enable it to deliver consistent and reproducible results.

What fruit is best to add to cider? ›

Using fruit other than apples in hard cider is common and adds great additional flavor. Some of the more common fruit selections are pear, cherry, peach and pineapple. Other options include mixed berries, blueberry, mango, blackberry.

How many pounds of apples do I need for cider? ›

Selecting Apples

It takes 15 pounds of apples to produce a gallon of cider.

How many apples make a gallon of cider? ›

How many apples does it take to make a gallon of cider? - It will take just a little over a peck or 36-42 medium apples to make just one gallon of cider.

What is the best yeast for cider making? ›

The most commonly used yeast is a champagne yeast. Being a very aggressive yeast, it ferments quickly to a very clean, dry flavor that suits the apple character very well. This yeast is cheap, easy to use, and makes a delicious, consistent beverage.

Is it worth making your own cider? ›

Rather than letting them go to waste, thoughts turn to making cider at home. Once you've done it and tasted your own cider, you'll want to make it again and again. It really is such a simple thing to make. And as well as being lovely to drink in the summer, it's great for mulled cider and casseroles in the winter.

What happens when you put yeast in apple cider? ›

Natural yeast in the juice will ferment the sugar to alcohol. Yeast need not be added, although it can without any problem. Some fermentation processes call for killing all the yeast in the pure cider with sulfur dioxide, waiting 24 hours and then adding wine yeast.

Is apple cider supposed to be bitter? ›

Between day 9 and 12 of active fermentation the cider loses all apple flavor and becomes bitter.

Why does my apple juice taste bitter? ›

Background: Apple juice is rich in polyphenolic compounds, especially in chlorogenic acid. A sour and bitter taste has been attributed to the compound.

Is it safe to drink apple cider that has fermented? ›

After several weeks, depending on storage conditions, cider develops a slight fizz that is the result of natural fermentation. According to cider makers, many older folks like fizzy cider while younger consumers do not. Regardless, it's safe to drink, but may contain traces of alcohol.

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