Apple Cider Recipes

From spiked versions with rum to dressed up varieties infused with citrus, you'll love these recipes for homemade apple cider.

After slowly simmering, unattended, for several hours, this spice-infused cocktail is party ready. Serve straight from the crock (set temperature to "warm"). The drink will stay warm without cooking off the alcohol.

We make old-fashioned, cake-style cider doughnuts even more irresistible by adding maple frosting laced with nutty tahini. Look for tahini in the supermarket’s international aisle or at Mediterranean markets. It’s an incredibly versatile flavor booster, simple yet sophisticated, like peanut butter with a passport.

The cider-honey base of this fall beverage makes enough for both adult and kid twists: one with pale ale, the other with sparkling cider. Beer and cider are refreshing and lower in sugar and alcohol than stronger potions, which tend to go down a bit too easily. 

White wine may eventually lose its flavor after uncorking, but why waste it? Here, we perk up leftover wine with sparkling apple-cranberry cider and add fresh apples, pears, and grapes for an autumn-themed spin on the popular drink. 

Snuggle up to a cozy fireplace with this warm, flavorful, and savory cider. If you'd prefer a beverage with less spice, try substituting apple juice for the apple cider. It's fantastic either way.

Don't forget the drinks! Welcome guests to your home with a warm cup of spiced cider spiked with brandy.

A swivel-bladed vegetable peeler works well for removing the orange peel. Be sure to remove only the colored part of the peel–which contains the flavorful oils–and no more; the white pith is bitter.

If you don't have cheesecloth, remove tea leaves from an ordinary tea bag, fill the empty bag with cloves and ginger, and tie it securely with the tea bag string: let the cinnamon sticks float separately while simmering. Serve in decorative punch bowl alongside a small pitcher of rum marked with a label or card. You may want to have an extra sachet and more of the cider mixture handy in case you have thirsty guests.

A steaming fragrant mug of this cider is a welcome treat on a brisk fall afternoon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or lemon slice, if desired.

This take on the old New England drink features apple brandy rather than the usual rum. Substitute applejack or plain brandy, if you like.