Homemade Apple Cider

Hot chocolate has its moment during the winter months, but when the leaves start to change and there’s a slight chill in the air, homemade apple cider is the must-have fall drink we’re reaching for. Our easy homemade recipe is filled with warming spices and just enough sweetness, making it the ideal drink to have on the back burner when you’re hosting guests for Thanksgiving or any fall bash. If you’ve never made apple cider at home before, now is the time to start: it’s easy to make, versatile based on what you have on hand, and is the perfect way to use up all of those extra apples when you just can’t bake another apple pie. 

Keep reading on for all of our top tips on how to make the best mug of this classic cozy drink:

The best apples for apple cider:
You can use whatever apples you want to make this apple cider: your favorite type of apple, or whatever you happen to have on hand. Pro tip, though: the stronger flavored apples (such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp) will give your cider a stronger flavor.

Do I need to peel my apples?
Absolutely not. Honestly, your cider will have a lot more flavor if you leave the peels on. There’s tons of great apple flavor hiding in the skins. Don’t worry—you’ll strain everything through a fine mesh strainer at the end, which will catch all the solids (including the spices). Be sure to have a ladle on hand to help with this; there will be a lot of liquid! 

How to make the best homemade apple cider:
We recommend using the largest pot you have when making this recipe, or split the ingredients between two pots so your cider doesn't boil over. Though it might feel weird to smash the apples after they’ve been cooking for 2 hours, this step is very important—don’t skip it. This will help you extract maximum apple flavor. Use a potato masher if you have one, or do the best you can with a large wooden spoon. After simmering for an additional hour, you’ll strain your mixture and serve. 

Serving a crowd? As long as you’ve got the space, this cider is easy to double (or cut in half!) based on the amount of people you’re serving. 

Variations:
Once you’ve made this recipe, you can use it as a jumping off point to make your ideal apple cider. Feel free to adjust the spices to taste, add some bourbon or whiskey for a spiked apple cider, or add in some ginger for an extra kick. 

While we love a steaming mug of this cider, there are countless recipes you can use this cozy drink, from baking projects to apple cider cocktails. Freeze it to make an apple cider slushie, add it to the classic summer cocktail to create our apple cider spritz, or incorporate it into fall treats like our apple cider donuts or apple cider whoopie pies.  

Storing apple cider:
Apple cider will stay good in your refrigerator for 2 weeks. Be sure to let it cool down completely before storing in an airtight container and popping it in the refrigerator.

Made this? Let us know what you think in the comments below.