Spiked Apple Cider

Looking to spice up your fall drinks? This spiked apple cider hits all the cozy notes! Rum complements the cinnamon, cloves, and star anise perfectly.

We’ve been dying to share this spiked and spiced apple cider recipe with you. It’s perfect for the transition to cooler weather. We’re taking off for a weekend of fall fun with some dear friends. We enjoyed this warm fall drink around our firepit the other night, and just may have to bring it along! Spiced apple cider is very easy to make, and the rum complements the cinnamon, cloves, and star anise perfectly. (You could make it without the “spike” and it would be delicious as well.)

How to make spiked apple cider

Don’t worry, you don’t have to press any apples to make this simple spiced cider! For the base of this drink, you’ll want a high-quality apple cider, preferably from your farmers market or local orchard. Some ciders are sold already spiced, so double check that what you’re buying is pure apple goodness. Although if you’re in a time crunch and want to make your life super easy, you can always buy a pre-spiced apple cider and add rum to that.

Making homemade spiced and spiked apple cider is incredibly easy. Simply combine the cider with the rum and spices, heat until warmed through, and serve. If you plan on serving this warming drink at a party, we’d recommend doubling or tripling this recipe and combining all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Using a slow cooker to keep the cider warm is an especially good idea if you’ll have kids running around, as it’s all too easy for tiny hands to get burnt on hot sauce pans. Head to our Slow Cooker Apple Cider.

Spices for this spiked apple cider

This spiked apple cider recipe is made with whole spices that infuse a cozy flavor. Make sure to use the whole versions of these spices, not ground. This is the key to getting the best flavor. Here are the spices you need:

• Cinnamon sticks
• Cloves
• Star anise

Star anise is the most unique of all these spices. It’s star-shaped and should be available at most grocery stores. You can also buy star anise online.

Use best quality rum!

If you’re making this spiked apple cider recipe, a quick note on the rum you use! We recommend using best quality rum. Because the flavor of the drink is all about the quality of the rum. The better the quality of rum, the tastier the cider! So if you’re on the fence about whether you should spring for a few extra dollars on the alcohol, we’d say yes! You won’t regret it.

Looking for more apple recipes? 

• Granola Instant Pot Apple Crisp
• Skillet Apple Cobbler
• Cinnamon Apple Chips
• Mini Bourbon Apple Pies
• Apple Pomegranate Galette

Looking for more drink recipes?

Outside of this spiked apple cider recipe, we have lots of delicious drink recipes on A Couple Cooks! Here are our favorite drink recipes:

• Lemon Herb Cucumber Water Recipe
• Sparkling Blood Orange Rosemary Water
• Naturally Sweetened Whiskey Sour
• All Natural Frose Recipe (Frozen Rose)
• Naturally Sweet Simple Margarita Recipe
• Homemade Kombucha

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan.

Spiked Apple Cider

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(20 votes, average: 4.55 out of 5)

4.6 from 20 reviews

• Author: A Couple Cooks
• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 12 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Looking to spice up your fall drinks? This spiked apple cider hits all the cozy notes! Rum complements the cinnamon, cloves, and star anise perfectly.

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Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 star anise
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cups apple cider
• 1 cup rum
• For the garnish: orange slices, whole cranberries

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Instructions

1. Combine the cloves, star anise, and cinnamon sticks in a medium pot. Warm over low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Skim off any particulate that forms, or stir to reincorporate. 
2. Stir in the rum. If desired, garnish with orange slices and whole cranberries. Ladle into mugs and enjoy.

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• Category: Drinks
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: spiced apple cider, spiked apple cider, apple cider with rum, fall apple cider, apple cider spices, homemade

Last updated: November 2019

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