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    Home » Recipes » Drinks » Easy Hot Apple Cider Drink Your Kids Will Love

    Published: Aug 5, 2022 · Updated: Aug 5, 2022 by Sharon Garofalow | This post may contain affiliate links. See the privacy policy linked in my footer.

    Easy Hot Apple Cider Drink Your Kids Will Love

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Close up of a white mug with hot apple cider on a napkin on a table.

    Tart and flavorful, this super easy Hot Apple Cider Drink recipe is soul-satisfying. With nutmeg and pineapple juice, this non-alcoholic drink is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays with friends and family.

    Overhead shot of small white mugs on a table with hot apple cider.

    This Hot Apple Cider is a family recipe. And by “family recipe,” I mean I’m sure it came off of a can or out of a cookbook at some point and we adopted it as our own.

    Not maliciously, I assure you. But you know how things go. It gets passed around over the years and made as a holiday tradition. And recipe credit gets diluted.

    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Spiced Apple Cider
    • Make it Wassail
    • How to Store Hot Apple Cider
    • How to reheat the cider
    • Related Recipes
    • Easy Hot Spiced Apple Cider with Apple Juice

    At least it wasn’t purposely stolen (like my grandma did with this Blue Cheese Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe).

    Why This Recipe Works

    This tasty homemade hot apple cider SCREAMS fall to me. It makes the whole house smell amazing while it cooks away on the stove-top.

    It’s sweet with a touch of seasonal spice and is absolutely perfect on a crisp fall or winter day.

    This Hot Apple Cider with apple juice is also great for parties since it serves about 16 (½ cup) portions. And trust me, this is meant to be sipped and enjoyed, not guzzled.

    While, of course, you can spike this recipe, it’s non-alcoholic and great for kids! Mine love how sweet it is and it is one of those drinks you will crave!

    See more non-alcoholic drink recipes!

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to make hot spiced apple cider on a counter.

    Scroll down to the end of the post for a printable recipe card with full measurements and more detailed instructions.

    The ingredients for this warm cider are simple and readily available. They’re even easy to keep on hand during the holidays to ensure you can whip up a batch whenever you need it.

    Store-bought apple juice or apple cider (from the shelf-stable juice aisle, not the flavored seasonal varieties you can sometimes find in the refrigerated section) is the base of the drink.

    Although Simply Apple Juice is found in the refrigerated section, it has simple ingredients and no extra spices. I think it has a little bit more apple flavor so it’s my favorite brand to use, but this recipe is fine with any plain apple juice.

    The pineapple juice adds sweetness to the drink and also another layer of flavor. The thing I love about pineapple juice is that it really gives a general fruity flavor as opposed to a specific pineapple flavor. It helps to make this rich and wonderful.

    That’s why so many dump cake recipes use canned pineapple.

    Lemon juice, zest, cinnamon and nutmeg really jazz everything up. These ingredients add a little zing and give it that holiday feel.

    And honey adds a natural sweetness that blends perfectly with all the other flavors.

    And if you want to garnish your finished cider, you can slice an orange and lay the slices in whatever you’re serving it in. Orange is another flavor that pairs well and looks pretty. But if you don’t have one, no worries.

    How to make Spiced Apple Cider

    Saucepan on a counter with apple cider next to a cinnamon stick.

    To a saucepan add 6 cups of apple juice, along with one cinnamon stick.

    A covered sauce pan on the stove.

    Bring to a boil on the stove then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Spices and honey in small bowls next to a saucepan.

    Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, honey and nutmeg and stir to combine.

    Hot apple cider boiling in a sauce pan on the stove.

    Simmer for 5 more minutes.

    This photo is more of a boil so be sure to check your heat and turn it down if you need to.

    Overhead shot of small white mugs holding hot apple cider on a table with napkins and cinnamon sticks.

    Ladle into heat-proof mugs and garnish with orange.

    At this point, your house will smell so good. You’re probably going to want to put on some sweatpants and watch a Hallmark holiday movie.

    If you are serving this hot apple cider drink at a holiday party, you can also pour it into a heat-proof pitcher to make serving super simple.

    Or you can even serve it in a crock pot to keep things warm. A mini-sized crock pot is also great for keeping dips, like this Hot Bacon Cheese Dip warm throughout a party.

    Close up shot of hot apple cider in small white mugs.

    Make it Wassail

    Wassail is a hot mulled cider and usually is spiked with alcohol. You can use this apple cider base and add whiskey, spiced rum or even hard cider to turn this into an adult-friendly beverage.

    Just make sure your kids know that this version is off-limits. Otherwise, that would turn into a holiday you all would never forget.

    How to Store Hot Apple Cider

    Once the cider has cooled completely, store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

    It should last for 1-2 weeks. Because there aren’t any additives to preserve it, it won’t last for as long as a store-bought variety might.

    How to reheat the cider

    This recipe for the best hot apple cider can be made ahead of time making holiday party prep easy. To reheat the whole batch, just return it to the stove and heat it until warm.

    If you’re just making it for your family to enjoy throughout the season, ladle a serving into a microwave-proof mug and reheat it for about 1 minute in the microwave.

    Related Recipes

    • Sometimes you just need a quick and easy Hot Green Tea with Vodka. Your favorite tea gets a little kick and is even better for helping you to relax.
    • YUM! It’s not the holidays without Orange Cardamom Hot Chocolate. It’s a quick recipe with so much flavor. It’s a fun twist on a winter favorite.
    • Make some White Hot Chocolate for a rich and decadent drink to sip whenever the temperatures start to drop.
    • This CrockPot Mulled Cider is great to make for your holiday movie binge-watching.
    • Spiced Cranberry Juice is a great drink base to use! Serve it to kids as is or with a little club soda or use it in a cocktail!
    • An Apple Cider Mule with Whiskey is so tasty! It’s a must-try all season long.
    Close up of an overhead shot of hot apple cider in a small white cup.

    Easy Hot Spiced Apple Cider with Apple Juice

    Cinnamon and nutmeg make this tart, flavorful easy Hot Apple Cider drink a favorite holiday tradition to sip when the temperatures drop.
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    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 16 servings
    Calories: 83kcal
    Author: Sharon Garofalow

    Ingredients

    • 6 cups apple juice or apple cider without any extra spices
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ¼ cup honey
    • 3 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
    • 2 ¼ cups pineapple juice
    • orange for garnish

    Instructions

    • To a sauce pan add apple juice and cinnamon stick. Heat until boiling, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
    • Add lemon juice, lemon zest, honey and nutmeg. Stir and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and ladle into heat-proof mugs or a punchbowl if serving for a party.
    • Garnish with orange slices or quarters if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Sodium: 5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @CupcakesCutlery or tag #cupcakescutlery!

    Originally posted October 31, 2011. I updated the post to include better photos, a printable recipe card and more detailed instructions to make this delicious drink.

    More Non-Alcoholic Drinks

    • 21 Easy Mocktails to Make for Dry January and Beyond
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    • Non-Alcoholic New Year’s Drinks

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    About Sharon Garofalow

    Sharon lives in Southern California with her adorable family. She loves to share ideas to make mom life easier and encourage busy gals to make time for themselves too! Sharon's "me" time often includes watching Hallmark Channel movies, sipping sauvignon blanc, trying not to eat Salt and Pepper potato chips, and planning girlfriend getaways.

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    Welcome!
    Based in Southern California, I am the mom to two amazing boys and married to the raddest man in all the land. Cupcakes and Cutlery is your resource for simple solutions to help you be an awesome wife and mother and not lose yourself in the process. Email me at [email protected]

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    Posts about wine, liquor and/or cocktail recipes are expressly for people 21 years of age and older. Drink responsibly.

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