Sweet, warming, and aromatic – cozy up with a hot mug of this apple pear cider! It’s made with fresh fruit, whole spices and just a touch of natural sweetener. Simply pile everything into a slow cooker then simmer and strain. Easy and delicious!

Originally shared this recipe on October 30, 2015 – updated December 2, 2022 with improved photos, recipe, tips and ingredient explanations.

Who needs scented candles when you make your house smell like a cozy winter wonderland with the help of your crock pot?!

Apple Pear Cider Ingredients

• Whole Fruit: Combine whole apples, pears and one large orange. No need to peel or core anything here yet as everything will ultimately strain out in the end.
• Whole Spice: star anise, cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, nutmeg, whole cloves
• Sweetener: Maple syrup or agave to keep this vegan, otherwise honey is another great option!
• Water:

Steps

All-in-all, this cider is super simple to make! Simply pile the ingredients into your slow cooker, cover and cook.

1. Add to pot: Wash and quarter the fruit then add to the crock pot along with the whole spices. Cover in water then add the lid. Cook on a high heat for 3-4 hours or a low heat for 6-7 hours.
2. Mash fruit: After the cider has simmered and softened, remove the lid and start mashing the fruit (still in the pot). The idea here is to mash up the fruit to release even more juices/flavor into the water. Add the lid back on and cook a final 30-60 minutes.
3. Strain: Place a large pot in your kitchen sink, then place a large fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth over the pot. Pour the cider into the strainer/pot to strain out the remaining fruit and spice solids. Discard the solids.
4. Sweeten & enjoy: Finally, add your sweetener. The cider should still be warm enough to dissolve the maple/honey/agave. Give it a good stir and taste. If you like it a bit sweeter, feel free to add more.

And that’s it! Serve the cider hot or cold and enjoy!

Homemade Cider FAQ’s

Can I make this on the stove top instead?

Yes! You’re basically doing everything the same, you just need to baby the pot a bit more closely.

Warm the pot over a medium-high heat until you reach a very gentle simmer, then cover reduce down to a medium-low. Cook time will vary depending on your stove top temperatures, but it will take about 4-5 hours in general before you can mash everything together.

What type of apples and pears should I use?

Any! Sweet, tart, whatever variety you can find – it’s ultimately up to you and what you enjoy!

I do recommend that you use a variety of apples and pears here though as this will provide a more balanced blend of sweet and sour flavors.

Do I have to use whole spice? Can I use ground spice instead?

I strongly recommend whole spice here. The problem with ground spice is mainly the fact that it’s quite tricky to fully strain out of the cider. If it’s not fully strained out you’ll end up with gritty spices at the bottom of every mug.

Feel free to just omit whatever you don’t have/can’t find. Even if you made this apple pear cider without any added spices at all, you’d still end up with a delicious drink! That being said – it’s worth including the spice if you can!

Can I make this in the instant pot instead!

• Absolutely! I actually have similar recipe for an Instant Pot Apple Cider already. You can follow the steps as instructed in that recipe if you’d like to make use of your pressure cooker. You can also check out my Instant Pot Cranberry Orange Juice for more inspiration if you feel like adding cranberries!

More Winter Recipes You Might Enjoy

• Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie
• Leek And Sweet Potato Soup With Sweet & Spicy Roasted Pepitas
• Roasted Root Vegetable Stew
• Golden Cauliflower Quinoa Curry
• Instant Pot Chicken And Wild Rice Soup
• Ginger Turmeric Tea With Lime (Herbal Tisane)
• Honeyed Herbal Orange & Pomegranate Mocktail

Yield: 8 servings

Mulled Apple Pear Cider (Non-Alcoholic)

4.6 Stars (18 Reviews)

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

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Simply pile everything into a slow cooker then simmer and strain. Easy and delicious!

Ingredients

• 4 medium pears, any type
• 4 medium apples, any type
• 1 large orange
• 3 cinnamon sticks (or about 6-7 inches worth)
• 2-3 whole star anise
• 2-3 slices of fresh ginger
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 6 cups or 1.5L filtered water
• 1/3 cup (105 grams) maple syrup, agave or honey

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Wash the apple, pears, and orange and cut them into quarters. Don't worry about removing the stems, seeds, and peels because you will strain it all out later. Place the fruit in the bottom of your slow cooker along with the cinnamon sticks, star anise, ginger slices, nutmeg and cloves.
2. Add the water to the crock pot making sure to leave about 1/2 inch of space at the top of the pot. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or on low heat for 6-8 hours.
3. An hour before the cider is done cooking, use a potato masher to mash the fruit. Cook for another hour.
4. Strain the cider through a fine-mesh strainer or cheese cloth into a clean pitcher or pot. Stir in the maple syrup or your alternative sweetener until it is dissolved and serve hot or wait for it to cool and add ice.

Notes

• Use a cheesecloth the strain the cider if you want a smoother, less pulpy drink.
• Only use honey if you don't need this drink to be vegan.
  

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

g
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Sodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 4gSugar: 22g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Drinks Cuisine: American