Crock-Pot Apple Chai Cider

There are so many things that I love about this time of year. From the falling leaves to the holidays and festivals, life is good in the Fall. One of my more favorite things this time of year? Crockpot Apple Chai Cider.

This warm, spicy, soothing drink is always a favorite for family get-togethers, and even for fun, family movie night deep in the Fall. What I love about this recipe is that it’s super easy to make, stores well, reheats like a dream, and encompasses my two favorite drinks, cider, and Chai tea.

The best part? It can be prepped in under fifteen minutes!

Now if your looking for a fun, frugal way to get an early start to the fall season here’s how to make Crockpot Apple Chai Cider:

I start by gathering my ingredients, including whole organic apples. I generally use a blend of the gala, granny smith, and Macintosh apple varieties. I also gather my other supplies including apple cider, ground cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, chia seeds, and Himalayan pink salt.

I always start by peeling, coring, and seeding my apples. This is easily done with an apple peeler. I like to use my cores to make apple cider vinegar.

Take the cored sections and place them in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle each apple, including all of the inner rings, with a generous amount of the cinnamon and sugar blend. Then set aside.

Then need to fresh-brew 3 cups of organic chai tea. This is my favorite brand to use, but feel free to use whatever you have on-hand at home. To save time, I use my Keurig to brew three batches into my measuring cup and steep for 10 minutes. Then the cider is ready to spice!

I like to soup up my blend by adding my own chai spices to the cider, including cardamom, fresh ginger, whole cinnamon sticks, whole black peppercorns, and clove. Adding 3 cups chai tea, 1 teaspoon chia seeds, dried orange slices, and ground spices to the bottom of your crockpot. Stir gently to combine.

Finally, add your apple slices and top with 1/2 gallon apple cider and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Let your cider meld together for 5-minutes.  Then set your slow cooker to high for 1 hour and then turn down to low and cook for 3-4 hours. Adding more cider to cooker if liquids reduce too quickly.

Tip: When turning your slow cooker down to low is a great time to test your blend for sweetness and spice. Add more to your cider accordingly. 

When your drink is done, serve warm and garnish with star anise or a cinnamon stick. This drink is always a favorite for family get-togethers, and even for fun, family movie night deep in the Fall. While for everyday use this awesome cider gets placed in a mug.

Now be sure to not throw out your apples! Simply remove your star anise and whole cinnamon sticks and then add additional apple cider back into your crockpot and purree your blend with an emulsion blender to create some of the best apple butter you’ve ever had!

It freezes well and makes for awesome, frugal holiday gift and hostess gift offering too! Also be sure to check out my other holiday recipes here!

So, friends, tell me, do you have any tips, tricks, hacks, or suggestions for homemade apple cider drinks, I’d love to hear about it below!