Crockpot Apple Cranberry Cider

I wanted hot apple cider Halloween, sipping the hot spicy beverage as the trick or treaters came to our door. What could be better? Well when I went to pick some up at our grocery store, they were all out of cider! So…I made my own. Easy peasy.

When my husband and I lived in Ottawa, one New Year’s Eve there was no heat or hot water in our apartment (long story) so we lived in front of our tiny space heater drinking a cranberry apple cider to get us through that New Year’s Eve. For some reason that makes me think fondly of that apple cider. That company has never made that apple cider since so I figured since I loved it so much that I would make my own version of the cider that helped keep us alive!

Since this was going to be a crockpot apple cider, I gathered the ingredients in the early afternoon so they could meld on low all day together. I got a very high quality apple juice and poured it all into the crockpot. Then I topped it off with some cran/raspberry juice. I got some cheesecloth and added cinnamon sticks, all spice and some cloves, tied it up with some butcher’s string.

I added a handful of brown sugar to the crockpot and stirred. I let it brew all day on my counter and the results were delicious:

Rich, dark, earthy and tangy… just what you want in an apple cider for those crisp autumn afternoons or those long and dark winter nights. You could easily make this on your stove top quick and easy too and for those who drink alcohol, add a touch of brandy for that additional tummy burn.

After the kids had finished showing up at our door this Halloween and we were full of beef stew and chocolate cake, we sat in front of our TV with our friends sipping hot cider and snacked on candy while watching Scream. Yup, another great memory to go with a fantastic recipe. Life is good.