From the roundup: 12 Easy Non Alcoholic Drink Recipes: Mocktails, Smoothies, and Lemonades
This spiced apple cider mocktail takes about five minutes of actual work. You peel a strip of orange, drop a few whole spices into a saucepan with fresh cider, and then mostly just keep an eye on the heat for twenty minutes while it simmers. That is genuinely it. The hands-off time is what makes it easy on a busy evening or when you already have four other things going on the stove for Thanksgiving.
The key is using unfiltered apple cider, not apple juice. Unfiltered cider is cloudy, sold refrigerated, and has a natural depth that apple juice cannot replicate. Once you simmer it down with the spices and strain it, you get something that tastes like it took much more effort than it did. Serve it hot in mugs straight from the pan, or cool it and pour it over ice if the weather is still warm enough that hot drinks feel like too much.
It is also one of the few drinks I can put on the table at a family dinner where every single person, from my five-year-old to adults who want something festive without alcohol, will actually drink it.
How this one became a regular here
The first time I made this, I let the heat get away from me and the cider hit a hard boil for a few minutes before I caught it. It was still drinkable, but there was a faint sharpness to it that was not there the second time when I kept it at a true gentle simmer. Now I set a timer for fifteen minutes and taste it then, because that is when it is almost done and you can tell whether your cider needs that optional tablespoon of brown sugar or not.
I started making a double batch on the Sunday before Thanksgiving because the strainer cider keeps in the fridge for five days and reheats fast. One less thing to do on the actual day.
Why you will love this
- Only 5 minutes of active prep, the simmering does the rest
- Works hot in mugs or cold over ice, so it fits October through January
- Uses whole spices you likely already have in the pantry
- Naturally sweet from the cider, so added sugar is optional and small
- Easy to scale up for a crowd: double the batch and keep it warm in a slow cooker
Tips for success
- Do not let it boil hard. The moment you see active bubbling, drop the heat to medium-low. A hard boil for even a few minutes can make the cider taste slightly bitter and sharp.
- Taste at the fifteen-minute mark, not just at the end. That is when you can judge whether your cider needs the brown sugar or honey, and it gives you a few minutes to dissolve it in before you strain.
- Use a vegetable peeler and press lightly when cutting the orange peel. Too much white pith underneath will add bitterness. A thin strip of mostly orange skin is what you want.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer, not just a slotted spoon. Whole cloves are small and will end up in someone’s mug if you skip the strainer.
Common questions
- Can I make this in a slow cooker? Yes, combine everything and cook on low for 2 hours, then strain and serve directly from the slow cooker set to warm.
- What if I cannot find star anise? Skip it entirely. Anise extract is not a substitute here, it tastes medicinal in a simmered drink.
- Can kids drink this? Yes, there is no alcohol. It is just spiced fruit cider.
- Does it work with apple juice if I cannot find cider? It will be thinner and sweeter. Unfiltered cider is worth seeking out, usually in the refrigerated juice section near produce.
Substitutions
If you do not have orange peel on hand, a strip of lemon peel works fine. Skip the orange entirely before you use bottled orange juice, it does not behave the same way in a simmered drink. For sweetener, brown sugar and honey both dissolve easily into hot cider. Honey adds a slight floral note; brown sugar keeps it more straightforwardly apple-forward. Either is fine, and many batches need neither if your cider is already sweet.
For anyone avoiding added sugar completely, just taste the cider at fifteen minutes and skip the sweetener step. A good unfiltered cider usually has enough natural sweetness on its own.
Make-ahead and storage
This is one of the better make-ahead drinks for a holiday table. Simmer and strain the cider up to five days ahead, then store it in a covered pitcher or sealed jar in the refrigerator. Reheat individual mugs in a small saucepan over low heat until steaming, which takes about four minutes. Avoid microwaving a large batch at once since it heats unevenly and you risk scorching the bottom of a bowl or pitcher.
For the cold version, pour the chilled strained cider straight over ice when you are ready to serve. No reheating needed. Freezing is not recommended since the spice flavor tends to go flat after thawing.
Spiced Apple Cider Mocktail
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Use a vegetable peeler to cut a three-inch strip of orange peel, pressing lightly so you get mostly peel with very little of the bitter white pith underneath.
- Pour the apple cider into a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, and orange peel strip.
- Watch the heat carefully. You want the cider to reach a gentle, steady simmer where small bubbles rise slowly to the surface. Do not let it come to a hard boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low the moment it starts to bubble actively.
- Simmer uncovered for twenty minutes, stirring once or twice. After about fifteen minutes the cider will deepen in color slightly and smell strongly of cinnamon and clove. Taste it near the end and stir in brown sugar or honey now if it needs a little sweetness.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Set a fine mesh strainer over a heat-safe pitcher or large measuring cup and pour the cider through to catch all the whole spices and orange peel.
- For hot cider: ladle immediately into mugs and garnish each with a fresh cinnamon stick. For cold cider: let the strained cider cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled and pour over ice to serve.
Notes
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