Snowy days, Christmas, cozy nights in … there are so many reasons to enjoy hot chocolate! This Crock Pot Hot Chocolate makes whipping up a big, rich batch super easy – and it’s rich, creamy, and super chocolatey. Plus, we’re talking just a couple minutes prep time and only 5 ingredients!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Crock Pot Hot Cocoa
• Tips for Success
• More Crock Pot Drink Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I wanted to create a large-batch hot chocolate recipe that was super easy to make, stayed nice and warm for whenever the crowd is ready to start sipping, and was pretty hands-off. Needless to say, the Crock Pot was the answer!

I strived to keep this Crock Pot hot chocolate recipe as simple as possible. If you’re using the Crock Pot, you’re probably already looking for hands-off and easy. I know I am! So I pared it down to what, I feel, are only the necessary ingredients yet still deliver a creamy, dreamy, chocolatey hot cocoa situation.

And you can even pare down even further, if you like, by subbing milk for the whipping cream and using a sweeter chocolate chip then skipping the sugar.

Ingredients

• Heavy whipping cream – Rich and creamy heavy whipping cream makes a luxurious hot chocolate. If you want a simpler, lighter hot cocoa, you can sub in 2 additional cups of milk.
• Milk – Whole milk or 2%, preferably.
• Chocolate chips – I like to go with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• Sugar – Start with two tablespoons, then stir in a third if you think it needs to be a bit sweeter.
• Salt – Optional, but a hefty pinch of salt helps to highlight the chocolate flavors while helping tame the sweetness.
• Pure vanilla extract – Adds another note of sweet, cozy flavor.

Adaptations/Variations

• Vegan/dairy-free hot cocoa: Substitute the whole milk and heavy whipping cream with 6 cups of full-fat unsweetened oat milk and make sure your chocolate chips and whipping cream are dairy-free. If vegan, skip the marshmallows or buy vegan marshmallows like Dandies brand. 
• Almond hot cocoa: I once accidentally dumped almond extract into a warm batch of Crock Pot hot cocoa. Almond extract is strong – you need a lot less of almond vs. vanilla! But when I cautiously tasted it to see if I could salvage it, it was absolutely delicious! Though I recommend maybe only 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract instead of the full teaspoon if you try this.

How to Make Crock Pot Hot Cocoa

It’s super easy to make this hot chocolate recipe in the Crock Pot. Just add all of the ingredients, except the vanilla, to your Crock Pot, and turn it up to high. Stir every 30 minutes or so until steaming hot and the chocolate chips are melted. Switch the Crock Pot to the “warm” setting to keep the hot cocoa warm without it boiling.

Add the vanilla extract, taste and add more sugar if you like, and serve with copious amounts of whipped cream and/or marshmallows!

Tips for Success

• This is more of a hands-on Crock Pot recipe than most. While it is super simple and easy, you’ll want to be around so that you can stir it every 30 minutes or so to help the chocolate chips melt and distribute without sticking to the bottom of the Crock Pot.
• Make it a hot cocoa bar. Serve the warm Crock Pot of hot cocoa alongside a variety of toppings like marshmallows, whipped cream, candy canes, nuts, toffee, cookies, coffee syrups, chocolate syrup, and more. You can even provide disposable travel mugs with lids and sleeves if they need to take their hot cocoa on the go!

I hope you love this Crock Pot Hot Chocolate recipe as much as we do! It’s simple and easy, the perfect way to get piping hot cocoa into the hands of a gaggle of kids or group of grown-ups.

More Crock Pot Drink Recipes

• Gingerbread Pumpkin Latte
• Vanilla Latte
• Mulled Apple Cider
• Cranberry Orange Mulled Wine
• Eggnog Latte
• Peppermint Mochas
• Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider

Print

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe

Rich, creamy, and chocolatey! A big batch of hot cocoa that stays warm for a crowd. Only 5 ingredients and almost entirely hands off!

Servings 8

Calories 555kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 [16-ounce] container
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 bag
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Add all ingredients except for the vanilla extract to your Crock Pot.
• Switch the Crock Pot to high and cook for 3-4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so until the chocolate chips are melted and the hot cocoa is steaming hot, at which point you should switch the Crock Pot to “warm.”
• Stir in the vanilla and ladle into cups to serve. Top with whipped cream and/or marshmallows.

Notes

Vegan/dairy-free option:

Substitute the whole milk and heavy whipping cream with 6 cups of full-fat unsweetened oat milk and make sure your chocolate chips and whipping cream are dairy-free. If vegan, skip the marshmallows or buy vegan marshmallows like Dandies brand. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1mug | Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1095IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 3mg

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If you’re a Pinterest user, surely you’ve seen all of the “Make your house smell like Christmas!” posts this year. I adore the whole simmering pot idea and have done it many times myself.

But today, let’s talk about killing two birds with one stone. Except we’re a peaceful bunch, so we’re not going to kill birds (yikes!), nor throw stones for that matter. Um, I guess what I’m trying to say is this: Why don’t we make our houses smell fabulous and get a scrumptious sipper out of the deal at the same time?

This Slow Cooker Rosemary-Cranberry Mulled Cider is sort of an amped-up version of my favorite Crock Pot Spiced Cider recipe. I include rosemary for a festive green touch, and the subtle herbal note it adds is fantastic. And then cranberries, because I’ve decided that cranberries in spiced apple cider are the bomb. They add this wonderful tart element that makes the cider much less cloying than most – and therefore infinitely more drinkable.

Drink it straight up, booze-free, or try adding a splash (or pour) of rum. We were out of rum when I was making these, but we found apple vodka to be a fine substitute.

House smells good? Check. Tummy warmed? Check. Well, aren’t we an efficient bunch?!

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Here are 5 Cozy Crock Pot Coffee Recipes for a caffeinated Christmas.

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Why is it that Christmas trees always look way, WAY bigger once you get them in your house? More than ever before, our eyes were bigger than our living room this year. We ended up with a giant of a tree I still gape at it whenever I pass by.

This year is the first year we’ve had to use an actual ladder to dress our tree, just like in the movies, teetering dangerously on the top step – you know, the one you’re not supposed to use – risking life and limb. Literally life and limb, because I nearly took down both myself and the tree. BUT we made it happen. And now we’ve got a mammoth tree lording over our living room, with one bottom branch so heavy with toddler-hung ornaments that it’s touching the ground.

And all is right with the world.

Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year, and one of the reasons is the excuse to brew up fancy “lattes” and pile copious amounts of whipped cream on top.

These Slow Cooker Peppermint Vanilla Lattes are just plain necessary on Christmas morning. Plus, once you pour all of the ingredients in, they’re fuss-free. The Crock Pot keeps the coffee nice and warm so refills are quick and easy – and you can get back to what matters.

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Slippers. I totally forgot about slippers! Now fuzzy socks, that’s another matter. I have probably 15 pairs stuffed in my sock drawer. Last year, my feet got so cold as I shuffled around that I would double up on them. Quite attractive. And then I was like, oh yeah. Slippers exist! So I bought two pairs – thick bottoms, cute colors, plush interiors – and every morning when I wake up, every time I get home, every evening as I curl up to work, they’re my happiness. How could I have forgotten about slippers?!

These Slow Cooker Gingerbread Pumpkin Lattes are sort of like slippers for the belly. Except they’re not fuzzy, because that would be gross and feel weird going down. And I have never forgotten about their existence, primarily because I just came up with the recipe a few days ago.

But they’re definitely warm! And they make you feel cozy! So there is that.

Slow Cooker drinks are pretty much best thing ever (other than slippers), especially when Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas roll around.

They heat up quickly (at least, as far as heating in Crock Pots goes) and they keep your drink warm until you’re ready to sip. They feel special, but they’re low maintenance – perfect for holiday get-togethers.

I am as obsessed with pumpkin as I am with slippers right now, so it wasn’t a stretch for me to want to create a pumpkin-based coffee drink for the Crock Pot.

I’ve already gone to pumpkin spice land coffee-wise this year, so I thought I’d twist it up a little bit. Span the bridge between now and Christmas. Grab some pumpkin and spices, but trash it up with a little gingerbread flavor, too. Because gingerbread lattes are kind of one of the best things ever come December.

Gosh, there’s lots to love this time of year.

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Slow Cooker Gingerbread Pumpkin Lattes

These hot-spiced lattes are like a warm, cozy sweater for your belly. But not in a weird way.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 6 cups 1 1/2 quarts 2% or whole cow’s milk or almond milk*
• 3 tablespoons instant espresso granules
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup can also use 1/4 cup packed brown sugar + more to taste
• 1 teaspoon molasses optional
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 5- inch cinnamon stick
• Pinch cloves

For topping/serving:

• Lightly whipped cream or coconut whipped cream additional ground nutmeg, and additional cinnamon sticks, if desired

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a 2-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to combine.
• Cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Make sure it doesn’t boil! Turn slow cooker to warm setting to keep latte warm for 2 – 3 hours. You can use low to keep it warm if your slow cooker doesn’t have a warm setting, but keep an eye on it. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t scald. For faster lattes, you can start on the high setting then switch to low, but I wouldn’t cook these on high for more than one hour.
• Stir again right before serving and taste. Add additional sugar or syrup if desired. Ladle into individual mugs. Top with whipped cream, a dusting of nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick, if desired. Serve.

(I totally drank this in my slippers.)

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CONSUME WITH CAUTION.

There is something oh-so very drinkable – and almost weirdly addicting – about this slow cooker mulled wine. I don’t know if it’s the tart/sweet combo, the cinnamon, the cloves, the wine, the brandy, its ability to warm you from the inside out, the magic of the season, all of it together, or what, but it is very easy to drink.

Possibly too easy to drink.

Contrary to how I may have represented myself here, I really am not that much of a drinker. I like cocktails and wine (okay, and beer too) but most often, I stop at one – or half of one. Usually because, depending on the alcohol content, it’s put me half to sleep. Because I’m usually kind of lame. (Occasionally – like, once every couple of years – I will power through and keep drinking and then … well, hoo boy. And oy.)

But this slow cooker mulled wine, for some reason, compels me to keep sipping. And sipping. Others who have tried it have experienced the same thing. So: please, heed the warning.

A slow cooker might be a host/hostess’s very best friend in the kitchen, especially during the holidays – and especially when you’re serving a warm, seasonal drink like mulled wine. A Crock Pot filled with an irresistible warm-spiced drink, a collection of mugs, a ladle – they take up a little big of room on the counter, and that’s it. So easy when entertaining.

A fruity wine like Merlot or even a Zinfandel or jammy Cabernet Sauvignon will work best in this slow cooker mulled wine recipe. But nothing too sweet, please, which could easily take the cocktail from clink-worthy to cloying. If you’re not sure, just sure start off with less sugar, tasting and adding more until you’ve hit the right balance of (strangely addictive) tart/sweet.

More Warming Winter Cocktails

• Warm Vanilla Cinnamon Bailey’s Drink – so cozy!
• Gluhwein – hot mulled red wine. YUM.
• Hot Spiced Cider – so good with a splash of rum!

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Slow Cooker Cranberry-Orange Mulled Wine

Get toasty! Red wine simmers in the slow cooker along with orange, cinnamon, cranberries, and cloves. A couple of glugs of brandy add a nice little kick, too.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 211kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 750 ml bottle of Merlot or another fruity (but not too sweet!) red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel
• 2 cups orange juice I either like squeezing my own or buying a 100% pure fresh-squeezed version
• 1 cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries rinsed and picked through
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar plus more to taste
• 1 medium orange I like to use an organic orange for recipes like this because it will be soaking in the beverage, peel and all
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves
• 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 cup brandy
• Garnishes if desired: cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and/or fresh cranberries threaded onto a cocktail pick

Instructions

• Add wine, orange juice, cranberries, and sugar to a 3-quart or larger Crock Pot. Stir to help sugar begin to dissolve.
• Wash orange thoroughly and stud the orange with the cloves – just stick the cloves directly into the peel, pointy end first. I like to poke it all over with a toothpick first to make holes for the cloves.
• Add the clove-studded orange and the cinnamon sticks to the wine.
• Cook on low for 2 – 3 hours, or until the berries are tender. You can cook it for an hour or two longer if you wish, but take care that it doesn’t boil.
• Remove the orange and the cinnamon sticks, then VERY CAREFULLY pour the mulled wine through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heat-proof bowl. Using the back of the spoon, press on the cranberries to get all of the juices into the bowl. A berry or two may burst, so watch out!
• Return wine to the Crock Pot and stir in the brandy. Taste and add additional sugar until it’s just sweet enough. I like it just past the pucker point; you may prefer a sweeter mulled wine.
• Ladle into mugs and serve with a cinnamon stick, an orange slice, and/or fresh cranberries pushed onto a cocktail stick, if desired.
• Keep your Crock Pot on the “warm” setting to keep the wine nice and hot. If your Crock Pot doesn’t have a warm setting, try alternating between “low” and off.

Notes

A Crock Pot with a “warm” setting tends to work best for this recipe. Crock Pots do vary, but I’ve found if I keep it on low for more than three hours, it will boil – and you want to avoid boiling as it will burn off the alcohol.

Refined Sugar Free Option

Use pure maple syrup in place of the granulated sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ounces (1 cup) | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 7mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g

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It’s also warm coffee season (bye bye, beloved iced coffee), which actually turns out to be convenient, because this post is where the twain shall meet. Crock Pot? Check. Hot coffee? Check. Easy? Delicious? Check check.

For this ridiculously easy Crock Pot Vanilla Latte, I use Vanilla Coffee Syrup, milk, and coffee. And maybe a little whipped cream, if I feel like being particularly decadent. And … that’s it.

Crock Pot coffee drinks are perfect for busy holiday mornings or weekend brunches – it’s such an easy way to brew up something special in a completely hands-off way, and keep it warm to boot.

Usually, I brew an extra-strong pot of coffee, then set aside two cups of it. A little later on, I throw the coffee, milk, and syrup into an airtight pitcher and stick it in the fridge. Then next morning, in the wee hours in which I’m inevitably awake, I take all of 30 seconds to pour the coffee goodness into the Crock Pot and turn it on.

And then two hours later: lattes for all!

It couldn’t be easier to caffeinate.

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Crock Pot Vanilla Latte

Brewing up decadent vanilla lattes couldn't be any easier. Perfect for busy weekends and holiday mornings!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk I like 2% but whole is, of course, also delicious
• 2 cups very strong brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup Vanilla Coffee Syrup
• Whipped cream optional

Instructions

• Add milk, coffee, and vanilla coffee syrup to a 2 quart or larger Crock Pot. Stir.
• Cook on high for two hours or until heated through. Make sure it doesn't boil! You may also heat it on low, but it will take a little longer to heat up. Turn Crock Pot to warm setting to keep latte warm for 2 - 3 hours. You can use low to keep it warm if your slow cooker doesn't have a warm setting, but keep an eye on it. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't scald.
• Scoop by the ladleful into individual mugs. Top with whipped cream if desired. Serve.

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I can’t help myself. They’re so wonderfully hands-off, especially when it comes to this recipe. Pour all the ingredients in, give ’em a stir, wait a couple of hours. Then turn your Crock Pot to low and enjoy wonderful hot drink after hot drink all day long if you want. All day! For a heckuva lot less than it costs for the same thing at Starbucks! Yay Crock Pot!

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Okay, more. Maybe a lot more. I’m slightly recovered from my three-a-day habit (I live in Seattle! There were three within close walking distance from my office and I needed the caffeine!), though I must admit the addiction has seen a bit of a resurgence since I’ve recently discovered that, indeed, it is difficult to get much sleep when you have a baby, even when the baby is nearly a year old. This discovery goes hand in hand with how I’ve really discovered the true beauty of the Starbucks drive-thru for new moms … so convenient when you’ve got a sleeping baby strapped in the back (oh now she sleeps).

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With notes of cinnamon, cloves, and orange, this cozy spiced hot apple cider is perfect for sipping all fall and winter long. You can make it in the Crock Pot for hot apple cider that’s ready whenever you are, or brew up a batch fast on the stovetop. I’ll show you how to make hot apple cider both ways!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Hot Apple Cider
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Your Clove Orange for Cider
• How to Make Hot Spiced Cider
  • Crock Pot Spiced Cider
  • Stovetop Hot Apple Cider
• Tips for Success
• Make-Ahead Notes
• More Cozy Fall & Winter Drinks

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve been making this hot apple cider recipe for decades. Seriously. If I recall correctly, my sister first started making it something like 30 years ago, and it quickly became a fall and winter staple for me, too.

There’s just something about having a warm batch of spiced cider steaming away on the stovetop or brewing up in the slow cooker. It makes the entire house smell amazing!

Why You’ll Love Hot Apple Cider

Not only is this mulled apple cider recipe seriously easy, it’s also quintessentially autumn and winter. It looks cozy. It tastes cozy. It IS cozy!

This mulled cider, with all its wonderful spices, makes the entire house smell like a palace of coziness. (That can be a thing, right?)

It warms you up after an hour or two of kicking around in the fall leaves or picking out that perfect pumpkin or trick-or-treating on a perfectly frosty night when you can see your breath.

And then, basically all of December is spiced apple cider season. What’s better than loading up a travel mug with spiced cider and heading out to find your Christmas tree? The smell of frosty pine + the aroma of hot spiced cider.

I LOVE this time of year!

Ingredients

This spiced cider is special because it takes only four whole ingredients – no special mulling spices required. We’ve got:

• Apple cider – can’t have spiced apple cider without that!
• Cinnamon sticks – because apple cider and cinnamon are BFFs.
• An orange – yep, it’s true! Trust me.
• Whole cloves – you stick them in the orange and float it in the cider.

Adaptations/Variations

• Spiked Hot Apple Cider: For a boozy hot spiced cider, add a splash of rum, bourbon, or brandy. I’m partial to rum. But please wait until AFTER you heat your cider before adding or most of your spirits will evaporate. I like to add any alcohol to the mugs when serving.
• Spiced Pear Cider: Swap out some or all of the apple cider for pear cider.

How to Make Your Clove Orange for Cider

My favorite part about this spiced apple cider recipe is, in fact, the clove-studded orange. It just looks so festive, and the tiny amount of orange juice that comes out, the oils from the peel, and the cloves impart the most wonderful, heady flavors – both into your cider and wafting about your home.

I used to just stick the cloves directly into the orange, but would break off every other clove and they’d crumble … super frustrating. I get around this by first poking the orange with a toothpick, then inserting the cloves.

To make your clove orange, just poke your orange all over, then insert the cloves, and plop it in with the other ingredients.

How to Make Hot Spiced Cider

I make mine one of two ways: Crock Pot or stovetop. The slow cooker method is great, because it’s so easy to just pour everything in, walk away, and come back in four hours to mulled cider goodness. Plus, you can just switch it over to the “warm” setting and have hot apple cider on the ready all glorious evening long. Perfect for when you have company over, when you’re busy decorating the Christmas tree, or you just want a steady stream of goodness at the ready.

On the other hand, it’s handy to know you can whip some hot apple cider up on the stovetop whenever you have a craving and haven’t had the chance to plan ahead. So I’m showing you how to make it both ways!

Crock Pot Spiced Cider

1. Add your clove-studded orange to your slow cooker along with a few cinnamon sticks and apple cider.
2. Turn it on.
3. Wait four hours.

You have Hot Apple Cider! The mulled cider of your dreams. A wassail wonderland. (And your house smells wonderful, too.)

Stovetop Hot Apple Cider

1. Add the clove-studded orange to a large pot set over low heat, along with a few cinnamon sticks and the apple cider.
2. Cover and keep the cider just below a simmer for about 30 minutes
3. Enjoy!

Tips for Success

• Don’t slice your orange! Keep it whole and poke your cloves into it. I’ve found that sliced orange in mulled cider can often lead to an unpleasant bitter taste because of the exposed pith. Instead, this hot apple cider recipe calls for poking cloves directly into the orange. It helps keep the cloves contained so you don’t have to fish them out later, it helps release the oils from the orange peel without exposing the pith, and it looks festive!
• Don’t let it boil! Depending on the type of apple cider you buy, the solids in the cider can cause the solids to cook and separate. Keep it at just below a simmer for best results.

Make-Ahead Notes

If you want to make hot apple cider beforehand then reheat when I want to serve it, you totally can!Yes, absolutely. When we do this, we either just cover the cooled Slow Cooker crock with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge or we will even pour the cooled cider back into the cider bottle to store it.

Then just reheat it gently in the Crock Pot or over the stove.

More Cozy Fall & Winter Drinks

• For a straight-up spiked situation, you can’t go wrong with Glühwein, a festive hot spiced wine with red wine, brandy, the classic clove-studded orange, and cinnamon.
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Orange Mulled Wine is so cozy and comforting. Hygge to the max!
• I love how these Slow Cooker Gingerbread Pumpkin Lattes bridge the gap between fall and Christmastime. Perfect for a crowd!
• Rosemary lends a welcome herbal note while cranberries color this  Rosemary-Cranberry Mulled Cider the most gorgeous shade of pink.
• If you like your warm winter drinks caffeinated and cocktail-esque, this Amaretto Coffee should hit the spot!

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Mulled Hot Apple Cider Recipe (4 Ingredients!)

With just four ingredients – okay, five if you spike it with your favorite rum – this hot spiced apple cider recipe couldn't be any easier to make. It's the perfect excuse to get out there and rake the leaves. Crock Pot AND stovetop instructions!

Course beverages

Cuisine American

Keyword crockpot hot cider, hot apple cider, hot cider, hot spiced cider, mulled cider, slow cooker hot apple cider

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 125kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 quarts apple cider 64 ounces or 8 cups
• 6 cinnamon sticks I use 3-inch sticks, but you can use longer ones + more for serving
• 1 orange medium; I prefer naval oranges and I tend to go with organic
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves

Instructions

Make Your Clove-Studded Orange

• With a toothpick, poke holes all around the orange, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch apart. Carefully poke the cloves into the toothpick holes in the orange. Set aside.

Hot Apple Cider in the Crock Pot

• Pour apple cider into a 2.5-quart or larger Crock Pot or other slow cooker. Add cinnamon sticks and your clove-studded orange.
• Cook on low until hot and fragrant, about 4 hours.

Hot Apple Cider on the Stovetop

• Place a 3-quart or larger pot on the stove. Add apple cider, cinnamon sticks, and your clove-studded orange.
• Cover and cook over low heat, keeping the cider just below a simmer (boiling your cider can cause the solids to cook and separate). Heat gently until spiced through, warm, and fragrant, about 30 minutes.

Serve!

• Ladle into mugs along with an ounce or so of rum if using. Place a cinnamon stick in each glass if desired and serve.
• If you and yours aren't drinking it all at once, you can keep your hot spiced cider warm by flipping your slow cooker setting to low or keeping your pot on the very lowest setting on your stovetop.

Notes

Doubling the recipe

Doubling or tripling notes: No need to add more than one orange! I’d would add a few more cloves to the orange for oomph though.

Make-ahead notes

To make hot apple cider beforehand then reheat when ready to serve, just cover the cooled Slow Cooker crock with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Pull it out and rewarm when ready to serve. We will even pour the cooled cider back into the cider bottle to store it. It keeps for 3-4 days. 

Adding spirits

To spike your cider, add a splash of rum or brandy are AFTER you heat your cider – or most of your spirits will evaporate. I like to add any alcohol directly to the mugs when serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

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