Spiced apple cider is the perfect fall beverage for cooler weather and is so refreshing. Spiced apple cider is one of my favorite drinks to relax with during cool weather, besides hot cocoa . It is a staple in our household and this recipe is so versatile. I like hot spiced apple cider because it reminds me of warm apple pie on an early autumn evening.

I usually blend all the dry ingredients together when I make my spiced apple cider and store them in an airtight glass jar so all I have to do is add a little bit of mix to hot apple juice instead of going through the fuss of making a large batch from scratch every time. I’d suggest you do the same.

My spiced apple cider is a traditional blend of ingredients you probably already have on hand in your spice cabinet and pantry: brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves. This recipe is so versatile you could easily switch one ingredient out if you don’t like it or cannot eat it. I like to add orange slices to my spiced cider.

Spiced Apple Cider

Ingredients

• 2 quarts apple juice
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp powdered cloves
• 2 oranges, sliced

Directions

Mix together all of the spices and brown sugar. Double, triple or quadruple this recipe according to the size of storage container you have if you plan on storing it for later use (one cup mix to two quarts apple juice).

Heat the apple juice over medium heat. Add the orange slices. Measure and pour in one cup of spiced apple cider mix. Stir and simmer over low heat for thirty minutes to one hour. You may remove the orange slices after the cider has simmered or you may leave them in.

Enjoy your hot spiced apple cider in a mug. Makes 8 one cup servings.

Tip: You may also make your spiced apple cider in a mug in the microwave. Simply add one cup of apple juice to a mug and stir in 1-2 tablespoons mix. Heat in the microwave.