Sugar-Free Hot Spiced Apple Cider (No Added Sugar)

Sugar-Free Hot Spiced Apple Cider takes apple juice to the next level – a warm drink on a chilly day that you won’t want to stop drinking! Add cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg allspice, and some fresh orange slices to apple juice or apple cider (with no added sugar), it’s the perfect mix of sweet and spicy!

Originally posted December 2013, updated August 2024.

Sugar-Free Hot Spiced Apple Cider

I started making Hot Spiced Apple Cider a few years ago and now it’s become a tradition for me to make it at least once or twice every holiday season. My whole family loves it! My son Noah loves it so much, he volunteers to make it for us or for parties or potlucks!

Tonight we’re having our children’s program at church, followed by hot chocolate and cookies and I thought a big pot of this traditional apple cider recipe would be welcome by the adults so I put some on to simmer.

This delicious drink is so easy to make! I’m not a big fan of plain apple juice and I don’t drink coffee or hot tea, but this stuff? I could drink it all day long!

It will warm you up, put you in a Fall or Christmas-y mood and just plain make you feel good. And if drinking it is not enough reason to make it, it also will make your house smell so inviting and heavenly when it’s simmering.

Why You’ll Love This Sugar-Free Apple Cider Recipe

• It’s an easy homemade apple cider recipe and can be made stove-top, in a slow cooker, or even in an Instant Pot.
• Your house will be filled with an amazing aroma anytime you make this warm winter drink!
• I sometimes call this Sugar Free Apple Cider, but that’s not exactly true. To clarify, apple juice has natural sugars, but this recipe does not have added sugar or extra sugar, so maybe it’s a bit like a healthy food? Haha. It definitely has fewer carbs than cider that is sweetened with brown sugar. 
• Mulled apple cider is the perfect make-ahead beverage for a party or get-together because it actually tastes better the longer it simmers! You can use the recipe below or check out my full recipe on Mulling Spices here.
• It’s made with apple juice or apple cider, not fresh apples, so that makes it really easy to put together and it doesn’t have to be apple season!

Tools Needed

• Large Pot or Stockpot
• Cheesecloth
• Baker’s Twine
• Metal Sieve
• Sharp Knife & Cutting Board (to slice the oranges)

Hot Spiced Apple Cider Ingredients

Add warm spices and slices of orange to plain (no sugar added) apple juice or apple cider and in a few hours, you’ll have the perfect warm apple cider.

• Whole Cloves – you could use ground cloves small amounts will find their way through the cheesecloth and it will likely make your apple cider cloudy. Which doesn’t change the taste, so it’s just a personal preference.
• Ground Nutmeg
• Ground Allspice
• Cinnamon Sticks – again, you could use ground cinnamon. This is a personal choice.
• An Orange! 

That’s it.

Find the complete recipe with ingredients measurements in the recipe card below.

Substitutions

Apple Juice. First, I usually use plain apple juice, but once I went to the store and they were totally sold out of apple juice, so I bought fresh apple cider instead because they had that in stock during the fall season.

And you know what? I couldn’t tell the difference. So use whichever you like… I don’t think it’ll make a big difference. You could also use fresh apple juice or fresh cider if you live near an apple orchard or travel to one at the right time of year. 

Star Anise – this is a pretty spice (to look at) that adds a slightly different flavor to sweet cider. I don’t use it for a couple of reasons. First, I live in rural Mississippi, and it’s not easy to find Star of Anise in our local stores. Second, when I do find it, it’s expensive. And last, for us, the flavor is overwhelming. It smells great, but to put it plainly, most of us don’t like it. And since it is the best drink ever in the cooler months, I want the entire family to enjoy it! 

Apple Pie Spice – you could skip the individual ingredients and use 4 teaspoons of apple pie spice in place of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Still throw in the whole cloves though!

Fruits  – in addition to the oranges (or instead of), you could use orange peel only, or I’ve even been known to toss in a handful of fresh cranberries at Christmas for a slightly different flavor and a little Christmas vibe. I do exactly that in this Instant Pot recipe for Hot Spiced Apple Cider.

How to Make Hot Spiced Apple Cider

1. Pour the 2 gallons of apple juice into a large pot. Slice the orange in thin slices and add them to the juice. Wrap all the spices in cheesecloth and tie it up with baker’s twine. Sprinkle a few whole cloves on top if you prefer.
2. Cover the pot and bring it to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for several hours on low heat (at least 4 hours, but longer is fine). Your house will smell amazing, and this is the perfect way to warm up during cold weather and Christmas parties!
3. Remove the cheesecloth, oranges, and/or whole cloves with a fine mesh strainer before serving.

How to Make Hot Spiced Apple Cider in a Slow Cooker

If you have a large slow cooker (8 quarts or more), you can make this easy apple cider recipe as written. If you have a smaller slow cooker, you’ll want to cut the recipe in half!

1. Pour the 2 gallons of apple juice into your slow cooker put. Slice the orange in thin slices and put them in the juice. Place all the spices in a cheesecloth and tie it up with bakers twine.
2. Sprinkle a few whole cloves on top if you prefer. Allow it to heat on low for several hours (at least 8 hours, but longer is fine).
3. Remove the cheesecloth, oranges, and/or whole cloves with a fine mesh strainer before serving.

Pro Tips

As mentioned above, I like to wrap up all of my ground and whole spices in cheesecloth to simmer. I sometimes still drop a few whole cloves into the apple juice, but I like for my Hot Spiced Apple Cider to be clear. It’s just a personal preference.

But if you don’t have cheesecloth and/or you don’t mind it looking a little cloudy, you can put all of the spices directly into the apple juice and it will still be fantastic!

Want to make this homemade cider recipe in a pressure cooker? Check out my Instant Pot Hot Apple Cider Recipe! You can get the same fall flavor much faster and it’s just as delicious!

Serving Suggestions

You can use a ladle to serve this hot beverage straight from the pot or if you’re like me and you serve it at parties or get-togethers, I recommend getting a coffee urn or coffee dispenser. It makes life so much easier (and you’re less likely to get burned).

Storage Directions

After allowing it to cool to room temperature, store any leftover apple cider in an airtight container (we use a plastic pitcher with a lid) and reheat individual servings in the microwave.

If you want to reheat a large amount at once, it can be returned to a large pot and brought back to a simmer. It’s such an easy drink to make ahead and keep on hand for all of your delicious fall cravings.

More Fall Recipes

• Easy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes {Recipe}
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip
• How to Make Candy Apples Any Color!!
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitute