Mulling Spices for Apple Cider

You’ll love these DIY homemade mulling spices for apple cider or mulled wine. Perfect for chilly fall nights! Add a jigger of spiced rum for extra warmth.

DIY homemade mulling spices recipe for apple cider or mulled wine. Perfect for chilly Fall nights! Add a jigger of spiced rum for extra warmth.

DIY homemade mulling spices recipe for apple cider or mulled wine. Perfect for chilly Fall nights! Add a jigger of spiced rum for extra warmth.

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Mulled apple cider is one of the first things I make as soon as there is even a hint of nip in the air. Everything — from the smell as it simmers on my stove to the spicy sweet goodness that hits my tongue and warms my insides — is cozy. I used to buy prepackaged mulling spices from the grocery store, but one year it became hard to find so I decided to make my own.

I learned that making your own mulling spices for apple cider is not only easy, but cheap. If you can find a store that sells spices in bulk, it’s even more effective per ounce than the packaged stuff from the store.  Once you purchase all your spices, you’ll have more than enough for one batch.  Double or triple the recipe so you’ll have mulling spices on hand all season long. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container to keep the spices fresh.

How to Make Mulling Spices for Apple Cider

A few days before plan on making a batch of mulling spices, I save my orange peels. My family and I eat a lot of clementine oranges in the fall and winter months. After I peel the fruit, I tear the peel up into little pieces and leave it to dry on a paper towel for a day or two.

You should be able to find most or all of the ingredients in this recipe in the spice aisle at your grocery store. However, if you have trouble locating any items, I’ll include links where you can purchase them online. You’ll need whole allspice, cloves, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks and star anise. Be sure to check the label when purchasing your spices to ensure you are buy whole and not ground.

I measure all my spices into a small mixing bowl. You’ll need to break the cinnamon sticks up into smaller pieces. Simply place the sticks in a resealable plastic bag, take a hammer or a rolling pin and give it a few good whacks! Once the cinnamon sticks are in more manageable pieces, add them to the spices. Don’t forget to include your dried orange peels. Stir everything together.  Once everything is combined, I like to store my spices in a pint mason jar in my spice cabinet.

DIY homemade mulling spices recipe for apple cider or mulled wine. Perfect for chilly Fall nights! Add a jigger of spiced rum for extra warmth.

How to Use Your Mulling Spices

After spending a day chasing around Little Tot, I set a pot of this to simmer right before I put him to bed. By the time he’s asleep, it’s ready and SO AM I! Measure four cups of apple cider into a medium sauce pan. Measure two tablespoons of mulling spices and add them to the apple cider. Bring the pot to a simmer, then cover and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the cider from the heat. Be sure to strain the spices from cider before pouring serving. Sometimes I add a jigger of bourbon to my mug, you know, just to help me unwind. This recipe will also work for mulled red wine.

Here’s a little tip —  you can actually simmer the spices more than once. They will lose some of their potency the more you reuse them, so I wouldn’t recommend mulling the same spices more than twice.

One of the advantages of making your own mulling spices for apple cider is you can play around with the ingredients to concoct your own special blend. Think about adding dried lemon peels, crystallized ginger, or cranberries!

Mulling Spices for Apple Cider

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mulling spices for apple cider
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Mulling Spices for Apple Cider

You'll love these DIY homemade mulling spices for apple cider or mulled wine. Perfect for chilly fall nights! Add a jigger of spiced rum for extra warmth.
Course Beverages
Cuisine American
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Lisa B.

Ingredients

For the mulling spices:

  • 1/4 cup whole allspice
  • 1/4 cup whole cloves
  • 1/4 cup whole juniper berries
  • 6-8 whole star anise
  • 4 whole cinnamon sticks crushed
  • Dried orange peel segments from one small orange

For the mulled apple cider:

  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 2 tablespoons mulling spices

Instructions

For the mulling spices:

  • Combine all spices in a mason jar or container with a lid. Should keep for one year

For the mulled apple cider:

  • Pour apple cider into a medium saucepan.
  • Add mulling spices. Bring cider to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Strain cider.
  • Pour into four individual mugs. Add bourbon or rum if desired.

Notes

You could also add all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

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