Slow Cooker Mulled Wine (with apple cider)

Slow Cooker Mulled Wine is cozy and perfect for the holidays. Mulled wine is red wine that has been spiced and slightly sweetened with apple cider. Making a batch in the crock pot is so easy!

Making mulled wine in the slow cooker is the easiest method! Just add the wine, apple cider, honey, fruit, and spices to your crock pot and let it warm. A comforting, but festive drink for the holidays. For another festive cocktail try this Christmas Moscow Mule or Cranberry Gin Cocktail.

⭐Why I Love It:

• Festive Recipe - I love how cozy and festive this recipe is for the holidays. Other festive favorites include Candied Pecans, Puff Pastry Brie Bites, Brussels Sprout Salad with Pears.
• Slow Cooker Recipe - Let your crockpot do all the work!
• Slightly Sweet and Spiced - Adding apple cider and honey to the red wine adds a touch of sweetness, while the spices give it that mulled flavor.

🥘Ingredients:

• Red Wine - I like to use a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Red Blend
• Apple Cider - If you use apple juice instead of apple cider, you can add extra cinnamon.
• Honey - you could also use pure maple syrup.
• Fresh Orange
• Apple
• Spices - Cinnamon Sticks, Whole Cloves, Star Anise. You can use extra spices to make stovetop potpourri!
• Optional - Brandy - I often make mine without, but you can add brandy to make the mulled wine stronger.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🍷Serving

Place an assortment of coffee mugs next to the crockpot along with a ladle for serving. I also like to set out a bowl of extra garnishes such as:

• Orange Slices or Strips of Orange Peels
• Apple Slices
• Fresh Cranberries
• Cinnamon Sticks and Star Anise Pods

🔪Step by Step Instructions

Making Slow Cooker Mulled Wine with Apple Cider is as easy as adding all of the ingredients to the crockpot and letting it warm up.

📖Variations - Stovetop

If you prefer to make mulled wine on the stovetop instead of in your crockpot, you can do that!

1. Combine Ingredients - Add the wine, apple cider, and honey to a large pot. Top with the sliced fruit and whole spices.
2. Cook - Cook on medium-high heat until it ALMOST comes to a simmer, then lower the heat. You do not want the mulled wine to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and allow to stay warm and the spices infuse the wine for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
3. Serve - Mulled wine can be served warm or at room temperature. I prefer to serve warm with mugs.

🍽Storage and Reheating

• Storage - Leftover mulled wine can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to store it in large mason jars after straining away the fruit slices and spices.
• Reheating - The leftovers can be drank at room temperature or warmed gently on the stove, in a crockpot, or in the microwave.

💭 Recipe Tips

• Heat on LOW not HIGH - Depending on your crockpot, it takes about an hour or two to heat the mulled wine. Heating on LOW is best as if you put it on HIGH, the mulled wine could simmer which can cook off the alcohol.
• Easily Halve Recipe - If you only want to use one bottle of wine, you can easily halve the recipe. Halve the wine, apple cider, and honey. You can use the same amount of apple slices, orange slices, and spices if you'd like. Still heat on LOW until hot - if will take less time if you still make it in a large crockpot.

🍹Related Drink Recipes

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