Name: Easy Mulled Cider
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 litre (1.75) pints cider ( (hard cider)); 300 ml (1.25) cups apple juice; 4 tbsp Calvados; 8 tbsp light brown sugar; Zest of 1 orange (peeled into thick strips); 3 mulled fruit teabags (see my recommendations below); Thin slices of unpeeled clementines; Fresh cranberries (they'll be too sour to eat, but they look very pretty)

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The easiest mulled cider - using mulled fruit teabags instead of individual spices. This mulled cider has a lovely warming, spiced flavour with an extra hit of apple brandy!
Definitely one for the grown-ups only!

2 glass mugs filled with mulled cider. There are clementine slices and cranberries in the cider and the mugs are on a wooden table. The front mug has a gold teaspoon in it.

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📋 What do we need?
🍽️ What to serve it with
🍲 More festive drinks
Easy Mulled Cider
💬 Reviews

Whenever I used to go to a Christmas market, I always used to get a Glühwein, and really try to like it. But to be honest, I would find it a little strong and sometimes too acidic.
In recent years, I've noticed mulled cider is becoming more common, and I found that to be so much more palatable!

Sweet, tangy, spiced and warming - the perfect drink to warm your hands and belly on a cold Winter day!

This is my quick and easy recipe - using mulled fruit teabags. It's so much easier than fiddling with spice bags and squeezing out muslins.

📋 What do we need?

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Cider (hard/alcoholic cider) - I like to use a nice fruity cider - such as Misty Maid or Cornish Orchards
Apple juice - a good quality cloudy apple juice is best
Apple brandy/Calvados
Light brown sugar
Orange zest
Mulled fruit teabags (see my recommendations in the notes section of the recipes card below)

👩‍🍳PRO TIP You can easily double or triple this recipe, sticking to the same ingredient ratios and same cooking times, to serve more people.

2 glass mugs filled with mulled cider. There are clementine slices and cranberries in the cider and the mugs are on a wooden table.

🍽️ What to serve it with

Frangipane mince pies
Warm sausage rolls
Amaretti cookies
Bottom-of-the-chocolate-box brownies
A nice wedge of fruity Christmas cake

I love to serve my mulled cider with slices of clementine and a small handful of fresh cranberries. Although don't eat the cranberries - they're very pretty, but definitely on the sour side when they're raw!

Overhead image of two glass mugs filled with mulled cider, cranberries and clementine slices on a wooden table. There is a clementine sliced in half next to the mugs.

🍲 More festive drinks

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Square image of 2 glass mugs filled with mulled cider. There are clementine slices and cranberries in the cider and the mugs are on a wooden table.

Easy Mulled Cider

By: Nicky Corbishley

Ready in 10 minutes, this warming mulled cider is so simple to make. I'm using mulled fruit teabags, instead of individual spices for the ultimate simplicity.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Course Drinks

Cuisine British

Servings 6 small cups

Calories 178 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 1 litre (1.75) pints cider - (hard cider)
▢ 300 ml (1.25) cups apple juice
▢ 4 tbsp Calvados
▢ 8 tbsp light brown sugar
▢ Zest of 1 orange - peeled into thick strips
▢ 3 mulled fruit teabags - see my recommendations below

To serve:

▢ Thin slices of unpeeled clementines
▢ Fresh cranberries - they'll be too sour to eat, but they look very pretty

INSTRUCTIONS

Add everything to a pan.
1 litre (1.75) pints cider, 300 ml (1.25) cups apple juice, 4 tbsp Calvados, 8 tbsp light brown sugar, Zest of 1 orange, 3 mulled fruit teabags
Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the mulled fruit teabags and orange peel.
Serve immediately, or keep warm over a low heat until ready to serve.
Serve topped with slices of clementine and fresh cranberries
Thin slices of unpeeled clementines, Fresh cranberries

✎ Notes

Cider

Use your favourite variety of cider. I like a nice fruit cider, but you can go dry, sweet or anything in between.

My favourite varieties are:

Misty Maid
Sandford Orchards
Cornish Orchards Gold
Thatchers Vintage
Henry Westons Vintage

Mulled Fruit Teabags

You can use any mulled fruit style teabag. My favourites are:

M&S Mulled Fruit Infusion Teabags - this is the one I use for this recipe the most
Pukka Winter Warmer Teabags
Teapigs Glühwein teabags

Nutritional information is approximate, per small (225ml) cup.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.003gSodium: 13mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 0.2mg

Keywords Christmas Cocktail, Christmas drink, festive drink, warm drink

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Hi I’m Nicky

I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.