Instant Pot Hot Spiced Apple Cider
Warm up for Fall with this easy Instant Pot Spiced Apple Cider! Packed with seasonal flavors like cinnamon, cloves, and fresh apples, this warming cider comes together quickly using your pressure cooker, making it perfect for holiday parties!
Cozy drinks for Fall are my absolute favorite! From Thanksgiving Punch to Hot Chocolate, there’s just something about sipping something warm when its cold.
And since I love using kitchen gadgets whenever I can, it’s only natural that I decided to make apple cider using my Instant Pot! Instead of simmering on the stove for hours, the pressure cooker infuses the apples, cinnamon, and spices quickly while maintaining their rich taste. Plus, it’s so hands-off! Just throw everything in and let it do all the work!
🍏Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh Apples – You can use any variety of apples you enjoy. The best for making apple cider are the tart apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn.
- Orange and Zest– Add a fresh orange for a bright citrus flavor and sweetness. The zest from the orange gives the apple cider a more pronounced orange flavor from its natural essential oil.
- Cinnamon Sticks – Adds classic warming cinnamon flavor to the cider mixture.
- Fresh Ginger – Gives the drink a naturally spicy kick.
- Whole Cloves – Adds a touch of bold spicy warmth to the drink.
- Brown Sugar – Optional, but can be used to sweeten the homemade apple cider further if needed.
🍎How To Make Apple Cider In The Instant Pot
- Prepare the fruit: Start by removing the zest from the orange. Then peel the rest of the orange and separate it into quarters. Wash the apples, then remove the core and stem from the apples and cut them into quarters. No need to peel.
- Add to the instant pot: Place the fruit into the instant pot along with the whole spices.
- Cover with water: Pour filtered water over the fruit and spice mixture enough just to cover the apples.
- Pressure cook the apple cider: Add the lid and turn it to sealing. Cook on manual HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for an additional 15 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.
- Strain and taste: Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl, then carefully pour the mixture into the strainer until all of the liquid is removed. Taste the apple cider and add brown sugar to taste.
- Serve and store: Serve immediately, or pour into a pitcher and let cool before storing in the fridge.
👩🏻🍳Chef’s Tips
- Choose apples that are high in acidity for the best flavor.
- If you want a sweeter apple cider, use 100% apple juice instead of water.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a larger batch.
- Use an instant pot that is large enough to accommodate all of the ingredients. This recipe can be made in a 6-qt instant pot.
- The apple cider will be very hot after pressure cooking. Before straining, let it cool for a few minutes so you don’t burn yourself.
🍐Variations
- Add additional spices: If you want a more complex flavor, try adding additional spices such as star anise, nutmeg, or allspice.
- Add other types of fruit: If you want to change up the flavor, try adding other types of fruit such as pears, cranberries, or raspberries.
- Omit the sugar: If you don’t want to use sugar, you can omit it altogether or substitute with honey or maple syrup.
- Change the citrus flavor: Instead of using orange, try using lemon, lime, or grapefruit.
- Garnish ideas: Serve the cider with a cinnamon stick, fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme, or slices of fresh fruit.
🧊Storage
- Storage: Store leftover apple cider in a sealed pitcher in the fridge for up to one week.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stove over low heat or in the microwave. Do not boil.
❔FAQ
The best apples for cider are a mix of sweet and tart varieties. Sweet apples like Honeycrisp and Fuji add natural sweetness, while tart ones like Granny Smith or Pink Lady give a nice tang. Mixing both types creates a more balanced and flavorful cider. You can adjust the sweetness by using more sweet or tart apples depending on your taste.
Yes, you can control the sweetness by using fewer sweet apples or adding sugar/honey at the end to taste. Start small and adjust to your preference.
Yes! Once the cider is finished, you can stir in bourbon, rum, or whiskey for a festive adult version. Just add to taste!
☕More Drinks Made In The Instant Pot
Instant Pot Spiced Apple Cider
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Strainer
- large bowl
- pitcher
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Apples
- 1 Orange peeled
- 2 tsp Orange Zest
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 inch Fresh Ginger
- 1 tsp Whole Cloves
- 8 cups Water or enough to cover apples
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar optional
Instructions
- Start by removing the zest from the orange. Then peel the rest of the orange and separate it into quarters. Wash the apples, then remove the core and stem from the apples and cut them into quarters. No need to peel.
- Place the fruit into the instant pot along with the whole spices.
- Pour filtered water over the fruit and spice mixture enough just to cover the apples.
- Add the lid and turn it to sealing. Cook on manual HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for an additional 15 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.
- Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl, then carefully pour the mixture into the strainer until all of the liquid is removed. Taste the apple cider and add brown sugar to taste.
- Serve immediately, or pour into a pitcher and let cool before storing in the fridge.
