Homemade Apple Cider (No Added Sugar)

Learn how to make homemade apple cider in a few easy steps! This Crockpot Apple Cider recipe is so simple to make with customizable flavor options and no added sugar! Have your hot cider mulling away in your slow cooker, filling your home with all the cozy aromas of fall and winter! No fancy equipment, you can even make this healthy apple cider on the stovetop!

Hot, cozy, mulled apple cider, simmering away and filling your home full of warming spices and the sweet notes of fresh seasonal apples! Beat the winter chill with a warm glass of cider that's perfect for the entire family and so easy to prep for holiday gatherings. Let your slow cooker do all the work with just a little mashing and squeezing on your part. Use your favorite combination of apples and spices to customize the taste and flavor of your homemade apple cider recipe!

The Best Recipe For Apple Cider At Home

Apple cider is one of those things you either love or hate. There's also debating around drinking it ice, ice cold or hot and steaming. Do you buy local from your favorite farm or whatever the grocery store has in stock? We can settle all that here with this easy from scratch recipe! Whether you think you don't like cider or you absolutely love it, this slow cooker recipe is a game-changer! From being totally customizable, it's also:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Coconut-Free, Corn-Free)
• Paleo
• Sugar-Free
• Kid-Friendly (or spike it for adults!)
• Customizable Ingredients (technically just apples and water!)
• Easy & No-Fuss; Enjoy Hot or Iced
• Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly

What's The Difference Between Apple Juice & Apple Cider?

If you take a look at a bottle of cider and juice side-by-side, you'll see the (cloudy) difference. Apple cider is made from washed, cut, and mashed apples (like super chunky applesauce). The mash is then wrapped in cloth, pressed, and squeezed to release every last drop of raw fresh juice. Cider is raw apple juice that hasn't undergone a filtration process to remove any coarse particles of pulp or sediment. It's typically made with apples picked earlier in the season as well.

Apple juice has been filtered and pasteurized, giving it that clearer, less cloudy, and smooth look. It also has a longer shelf life, sweeter taste, and smoother texture. Nowadays, both cider and juice you'll find in a grocery store have been pasteurized so both can be shelf-stable and last without refrigeration. However, old-fashioned cider is highly perishable and must be refrigerated and used within days of making. If left too long, the unpasteurized raw cider can even start to ferment and turn into hard cider due to natural yeast growth!

What Are The Best Apples For Cider?

The best apples will be ones fresh, in-season, and full of natural flavor! You can develop your own customized mix of your favorite apple varieties for a unique and ultra-delicious apple cider! Keep in mind that certain varieties are sweeter while others are more tart and sour. Try to choose a balance between the two. If you opt to go with only one variety, choose a sweeter apple!

• Sweet Apple Varieties (higher sugar, lower acid): Cortland, Gala, Fuji, Envy, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Winesap, Pacific Rose, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Macoun
• Tart Apple Varieties (lower sugar, higher acid): Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonathan, McIntosh, Granny Smith, Pippin

Ingredients For Homemade Apple Cider

• Fresh Apples: Here's where you can mix and match the types of apple you use for your cider. If you don't plan on adding any sweetener, make sure you choose sweeter apple varieties. I went with all Honeycrisp which has its own perfect balance of sweet and tart!
• Sweetener: If you want a richer sweetness to your cider, you can add in some brown sugar sweetener (like Swerve to keep it sugar-free), granulated sugar, or even some maple syrup at the end when you can taste-test the cider and sweeten to taste!
• Warming Spices: For the best homemade crockpot cider, you'll want to use whole spices. Anything from cinnamon sticks, cloves, to star anise.
• Other Flavorings: By adding some sweet citrus like orange, you'll balance out the apple flavor. My secret ingredient is vanilla bean! This adds such a cozy, warm, and well-balanced flavor to the cider that you wouldn't expect, but tastes divine!
• Water: Fresh filtered water is the base of your homemade apple cider! Pro Tip: The more water you add the less concentrated the flavor and color of your cider will be.

What's the Difference Between Apple Cider & Mulled Cider?

Technically, apple cider is served iced cold with no additional spices or flavors added. Mulled cider is served hot with the addition of spices warming spices that have been simmered into the cider, like cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, etc. Either way is delicious and just depends on what you're craving!

Other Mulling Spices To Consider:

• Allspice or Allspice Berries
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon sticks
• Dried Fruits
• Fresh Fruits (Peel or Zest)
• Whole Cranberries
• Fresh Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Peppercorns
• Star Anise
• Whole Cloves

How To Make Apple Cider At Home

Crockpot/Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Core and roughly quarter or chop your apples, before adding them, along with the additional spices and flavorings to a large 6-8 quart slow cooker. Pour in enough water to cover the apples, leaving an inch or 2 of space from the top rim.
2. Cover the slow cooker and simmer on high for 2-4 hours, until the apples are soft (this time will depend on the type of apple and size of chop). Plan for 6-7 hours on a low heat setting.
3. Mash the apples with a potato masher or wooden spoon to release as much flavor and natural juice as possible. Cover and simmer for another 1-2 hours on high or 2 hours on low.
4. Now carefully strain the solids particles and chunks of fruit from the cider with a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or fine mesh skimmer. Set the solids aside for applesauce, compost, or discard.
5. Taste test the cider for sweetness and adjust as needed. Serve warm from the crockpot or chill in the fridge overnight for a cold cider.

Stovetop Instructions:

1. Add the cored and roughly quartered apples, spices, and flavorings to a large stockpot. Cover the contents with water, leaving an inch or two of space from the top of the pot.
2. Cover and bring the pot to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2-4 hours until the apples are soft.
3. Mash the apples with a potato masher or wooden spoon to release all juices and flavors. Cover the pot again and simmer for another 1-2 hours.
4. Carefully remove the solids from the cider with a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or fine mesh skimmer. Set the solids aside for applesauce, compost, or discard.
5. Taste test the cider for sweetness and adjust as needed. Serve warm from the pot or chill in the fridge overnight for a cold cider.

How To Store Homemade Cider

• Storage: You can store leftover cider in the fridge for 5-7 days.
• Freezing: To batch and freezer leftover apple cider, pour the cider into gallon-sized freezer bags and freeze flat until solid. Then you can move the bags and store them in the freezer where needed. Thaw the frozen cider in the fridge overnight by placing the frozen bag in a bowl to prevent leaking. Frozen cider is best used within 6-8 months.
• Reheating: To reheat cold apple cider, warm on the stove in a pot over low heat or in the microwave in a mug to the desired temperature.

Ways To Serve Apple Cider

• Serve It Hot: Serve your crockpot apple cider immediately after being simmered by using a soup ladle to pour into mugs. Serve with an extra cinnamon stick or whole spices.
• Serve It Cold: Serve your cider cold by allowing it to chill completely in the fridge overnight after being cooked. Serve in glasses with ice or as-is from the fridge.
• Serve It As Italian Ice: You can pour homemade cider into a shallow container and freeze for 30 minutes. Then scrape the ice with a fork until slushy, freeze again until firm, about 2 more hours. Then scoop the icy slush into cups and serve!
• Use It In Recipes: Sure, drinking it is delicious, but let's cook and bake too! Don't forget to whip up some fresh hot gluten-free apple cider doughnuts or muffins. Use it in savory applications like slow cooker chicken, braising proteins or veggies, even as a poaching liquid! It would also be a great addition to smoothies!

Other Easy Apple Cider Recipe Variations

• Add A Tea Bag: You can make an apple cider tea by placing 2-3 tea bags in your cider while it's simmering away instead of whole spices!
• Add Fruit Juice: In place of a few cups of fresh filtered water, you can add some 100% cranberry juice, orange juice, pear juice, or even grape juice for a very fruity cider punch!
• Spike It: If you want an adults-only beverage, feel free to spike your cider and make it a "hard cider" before serving and after you've poured out individual glasses.
• Make It Bubbly: After your cider had simmered and chilled. Serve it with some plain seltzer water for a delicious bubbly mocktail beverage!

What Goes Well With Cider?

Don't forget something to munch on while you're sipping your fresh cider! Some homemade crackers with vegan cheese, a delicious fluffy muffin, or baked doughnut. A slice of coffee cake would be fantastic or even some stuffed apple cookies!

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Homemade applesauce, apple butter, pie, cake, and now cider? The last thing you need to do is plant your own apple trees!

So tell me:

+ Will you leave your cider plain or use mulling spices?

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