4 ingredient Crockpot hot apple cider with brown sugar is good, especially during the holidays! This one is so easy to make and stays warm for hours in the slow cooker! Add alcohol or make as a mocktail for kids, either way it is good. Want to make Instant Pot apple cider quickly?? We have instructions for that too.

Top view of a crockpot hot apple cider in a glass, adorned with a cinnamon stick. The drink rests on a wooden surface beside a white cloth with green dots, while another cinnamon stick peeks onto the table.

It's that time of year again when almost everything is cooked in our crockpot! We're not talking dinners, but drinks too like this crockpot hot apple cider! We love to bake and create yummy creations during the Fall and Winter and this recipe is solid for that time of year. Love this crockpot recipes drink! (affiliate links present)

Crockpot Apple Cider with Apple Juice

If you're looking for something to serve on Christmas morning, a holiday party, or when people come over in the evening this is a great, this drink is great. We normally make our chilled sparkling apple cider but when it's snowy outside this is way better.

You can use plain Motts apple juice with a bit more cinnamon and cloves if you can't find bottled cider. The best thing about this one is it can be served hot or cold! Once it is done you can leave it on warm, turn it off and even after a few hours it can still be enjoyed with some ice in your cup.

Let's talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off we have a few different varieties and we love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

This is our favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it's great for bringing to a potluck too.
We prefer not to use liners, but rather spray olive oil inside before adding our food for easier cleanups.

Let us give you a peek of our pretty thang we bought recently. It goes with our kitchen so we can leave it out on the countertop all the time.

A floral design slow cooker with a white base and lid sits on a kitchen countertop, solid for whipping up a 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe.

Can we heat up apple cider in a slow cooker?

all you need is what you see here below but yes you could essentially buy a jug of cider and pour that in with a cinnamon stick to make it pretty and enhance the flavor. Of course you could make an adult beverage out of this drink too, but this is solid for the whole family. set to low and it can sit for hours!

It's a super easy slow cooker recipe everyone in the family can enjoy for Christmas brunch or Thanksgiving Day. Makes the whole house smell good too which is another perk.

A red cutting board holds an orange, a small bowl of brown sugar, a small bowl of liquid, cinnamon sticks, and cloves on a gray surface—solid ingredients for crafting crockpot hot apple cider.

Hot Apple Cider Recipe with Brown Sugar

We think it needs a bit more sweetness but that is totally up to you. If yours has a lot of it in there already then skip it entirely. Taste and adjust as you like it. If you want it spiked that is easy too. Use the same measurements and add a few shots in there.

What alcohol is good with apple cider?

Rye whiskey gives homemade apple cider a nice, slow and spicy burn
Rum
A blonde beer
Tequila
Scotch is sometimes a favorite
Sparkling wine can give it some fun bubbles
Bourbon is what we think of when we spike cider

And here it is when it is done.

Ingredients

Apple cider or bottled apple juice is an alternative but not as good
Orange you are going to slice but optional add in for flavor
Whole cloves work best, if you must use ground cloves sprinkle in a few
Brown sugar and cinnamon sticks

How to make a spice bag for cider

Cut a 6″ (or so) square piece of cheese cloth
Put 2 dehydrated orange slices inside
Break a cinnamon stick in half and put that inside
Include 3 pieces of dried ginger
3 whole cloves
2 pieces of whole nutmeg

How to make 15 hour slow cooker apple cider

If you have heard of this it is a way of getting a deeper flavor to your drink. You still only want it to “cook” for a few hours but beyond that on keep warm it will continue to become stronger. For this you could start the night before and then allow it to steep overnight, ready for your guests in the early afternoon. What are you waiting for??!!

We are telling you the house smells good when this is cooking! There is nothing like warm homemade apple cider during the holidays. If you're making this for a holiday get together you should also check out our:

Crockpot apple crisp is the solid dessert for all occasions
- We have directions for air fryer apple crisp too
cranberry sangria (you can make it with or without alcohol)

How do you serve apple cider?

Pour it into cute mugs
Add a cinnamon stick for stirring into the cup
Sprinkle in a bit of fresh orange zest
Put a fresh slice of orange on the edge of the mug
Add a cute chai tea bag inside
Complete it with a swirl of whipped cream
Swirl in some liquid or caramel sundae syrup
With some cake mix crinkle cookies and throw a holiday party soon y'all.
Include one of our hot cocoa bombs with marshmallows inside

What can we add to hot cider?

5-Spice you can sometimes find in specialty stores, or make your own to add into hot cider.
A whole chili is great to float in your hot cider if you want to add a layer of warmth. remember the longer it stays in the hotter it will get
Citrus is great to complement the acidity we think but you could go with sweet all the way like we do when we pair this with baked whole apples.. We added an orange but you could add a slice of lemon too.
Booze of course
A spoonful of maple syrup is yummy

How long do you heat apple cider in slow cooker on high?

Grab your favorite Crock pot and cook on high if you're in a hurry, but we always prefer slow and low all day for deeper flavors. If you must you could do it quickly in 2-3 hours but beyond that we suggest that you set to the “keep warm” Crockpot setting with the lid on to help the flavors continue to develop.

What should we do if we accidentally left apple cider in Crockpot overnight?

It should be fine. Typically slow cookers will automatically switch to the warm setting so you may actually enjoy the deeper flavors even better when you try it in the morning. It is warmed apple juice with brown sugar and spices so try it with breakfast!