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Cozy Slow Cooker Apple Cider Sangria with Cinnamon Sticks

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A warm, fragrant, and easy slow cooker sangria made with apple cider, red wine, and cinnamon sticks. Perfect for fall gatherings, this hands-off recipe delivers a rich, spiced drink that tastes like comfort in a mug.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 cups (1.4 liters) apple cider (unfiltered preferred)
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine (e.g., Merlot, Zinfandel, or fruity Cabernet Sauvignon)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple brandy or Calvados
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
  • 2 large Honeycrisp or Fuji apples, cored and sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 large navel orange, sliced into thin rounds
  • 4–5 cinnamon sticks
  • 6–8 whole cloves
  • 2 star anise pods (optional)
  • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coins
  • Fresh apple slices for garnish (optional)
  • Extra cinnamon sticks for garnish (optional)
  • Star anise pods for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash the apples and orange thoroughly. Core the apples and slice them into thin rounds, about 1/4-inch thick. Slice the orange into thin rounds. Peel the ginger and slice it into thin coins. Set everything aside.
  2. Pour the apple cider, red wine, and apple brandy into your slow cooker. Add the maple syrup and stir gently to combine.
  3. Drop in the cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise pods, and sliced ginger. Give it another gentle stir.
  4. Add the apple slices and orange slices to the pot. Try to submerge them as much as possible.
  5. Put the lid on your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1.5-2 hours. I prefer the low setting—it gives the flavors more time to meld and the fruit stays a bit firmer. Do not cook for longer than 4 hours on low.
  6. After 3 hours on low, give it a taste. If you want it sweeter, stir in another tablespoon of maple syrup. If you want more spice, let it cook another 30 minutes.
  7. Ladle the sangria into mugs or heatproof glasses, making sure to include some of the cooked fruit in each serving. Garnish with a fresh apple slice and a cinnamon stick for stirring. If you want to strain out the spices, pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pitcher or directly into mugs.
  8. Leave the slow cooker on the ‘Warm’ setting for up to 2 hours while serving. Stir occasionally to redistribute the fruit and spices.

Notes

Don’t overcook the sangria, or the wine’s tannins will become bitter and the fruit will turn mushy. Stick to the 3-4 hour window on low. For a non-alcoholic version, omit the wine and brandy and use 8 cups of apple cider instead of 6. The sangria can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; reheat gently before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker sangria, apple cider sangria, warm sangria, fall sangria, cinnamon sticks, slow cooker drink, hot sangria, apple cider drink

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/cozy-slow-cooker-apple-cider-sangria-with-cinnamon-sticks/