Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Cider

The perfect holiday drink, this Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider is made with apple, cranberry and orange juices! Perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas party.

slow cooker cranberry apple cider in black crockpot with apple slices orange slices cinnamon sticks and cranberries

I kind of refuse to believe that Christmas is THIS CLOSE. Ya know??

Are you the kind of person who is way ahead of schedule and already done Christmas shopping? Or are you not even started?

I like to think I'm somewhere in between. I like to be that person who is way ahead of schedule, but the last few years? It just hasn't happened. I almost think it's because we're all getting older, and so most of our siblings and our parents are just getting harder to shop for. We just accumulate more and more things, and really? There isn't usually anything we actually need.

So I guess I put it off later…. and later…. and then I end up scrambling in the holiday madness for my last few gifts at the last minute.

mug of cranberry apple cider in hands with toothpick across holding apples and cranberries

Cider has never really been something my family has at our holiday gatherings. I'm not sure why, really, it was just never one of our traditions.

But I love food, and I love experimenting with different flavors, and I'm all about adding trying new recipes and making new traditions. So here we are.

I've had traditional apple cider, and it's pretty delicious. But I have to say, I enjoy this Cranberry Apple Cider a whole lot more. I don't know why, I just love cranberry anything lately. I also love that you can keep it hot all day in the slow cooker, which is great for parties, and you can control the added sugar by making it yourself!

I used all pure, unsweetened juices, with just a bit of sugar for this recipe (feel free to use sugar or your favorite natural sweetener as desired), to keep the sugar as low as possible. I love that this is a warm, holiday drink that the little ones can enjoy, too! Often when my husband and I make coffee, our 3 year old wishes she could have something of her own to sip on. This cider is the perfect drink for the whole family and perfect for those large gatherings!

overhead image of slow cooker with cider in it and apple slices orange slices cranberries and cinnamon sticks for garnish

1 liter apple juice pure unsweetened
2 cups orange juice pure unsweetened
1 liter cranberry juice unsweetened
1/4-1/2 cup sugar (stevia, honey or other sweetener) (to taste)
3 cinnamon sticks whole
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Add all ingredients to a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Stir.
Cook at least 3-4 hours on low or until hot. Keep warm as long as needed on the low or warm setting.
*Leftovers refrigerate wonderfully and reheat just fine!

I was going to add whole cloves and allspice, but I couldn't find any! I would never add ground spices to a cold drink, but the ground spices dissolve completely as the cider is heated so it works just as well. If you can find ground cloves and allspice and want to go that route, it would also be amazing!

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My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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