Mulled cider (sometimes called wassail) is made even easier by preparing it in the slow cooker. A great crock pot recipe for holiday entertaining.

Growing up in the South I don’t think I ever really fully appreciated mulled cider. There’s something about wearing flip flops at Christmas that makes an eggnog more appetizing than a hot cider. Fast forward to living in chilly Kansas, then Washington DC and now here in England and, well, a nice mulled cider definitely hits the spot!

There are so many variations of mulled cider (also called wassail) recipes that you really can’t go wrong. This is my favorite wassail recipe, made in the slow cooker so it’s perfect for entertaining!

Ingredients in Mulled Cider

1 gallon apple cider
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
4 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
1 medium orange, sliced
1 inch of ginger, sliced thinly
2 star anise

How to Make Mulled Cider in the Slow Cooker

Pour the cider and cranberry juice into the slow cooker. Wrap cinnamon, cloves, ginger and star anise in a cheesecloth or coffee filter and place in the cider mixture. Add sliced oranges and cook on low 4-6hours or high 2-3 hours. Garnish with sliced oranges and additional cinnamon sticks if desired.

Can I add Alcohol to Mulled Cider?

Of course, you may choose to add a cup of spiced rum or the alcohol of your choice to the cider but what I like to do when entertaining is keep a bottle of rum next to the slow cooker so guests can spike their drinks to their own taste preference. This also makes it so nondrinkers and kids can enjoy the cider as well!

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If you’ve tried this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!