Make this caramel apple cider topped with whipped cream and if you want, some flaked salt. This quick, cozy, and warm Fall drink is better than Starbucks’ caramel apple spice. It is like having a salted caramel apple in the form of a drink… and you can easily make it into a cocktail or low-carb drink!
It feels like Fall!
Instead of driving to Starbucks and paying big bucks for a caramel apple spice, I am making this caramel apple cider!
It is ready in just 20 minutes and is skinny and delish!
After spending the week not feeling and eating a lot of nutritious, healing meals such as this chicken soup and salmon chowder, I am ready for a scrumptious warm drink.
Our Salted Caramel Apple Cider fits the bill!
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick + Easy— You will need only 6 ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Budget-friendly: It costs less than Starbucks Fall drinks!
- Comforting and warm!
- It’s gluten-free and can be low-carb, vegan, dairy-free, and sugar-free.
CARAMEL APPLE CIDER RECIPE
Our Apple Cider has warm spice and apple notes combined with the creaminess of the whipped cream, as well as the contrasting flavors of rich sweet caramel and flaked salt.
It is a drink to please any palate, while at the same time warming up the body, wouldn’t you agree?
Even if you are not a fan of combining salty and sweet profile flavors together, you can still enjoy this drink — skip the sea salt. Yes, it’s as easy as that! 🙂
Try it and you’ll get hooked on this fantastic caramel apple cider. Enjoy, and stay warm!
You can also try these favorite Fall drinks and this Christmas mulled wine and apple cider punch recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this apple cider with caramel you will need:
- 3 cups bottled apple juice (If you are on a low-carb diet, use a sugar-free apple juice)
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or you can make your own at home by mixing together 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and then storing any leftovers in a sealed jar)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2-4 tablespoons sweetener of choice (caramel sauce, maple syrup, honey, or sugar substitute such as stevia in the raw if you are on a low-carb diet)
- Whipped cream (use coconut whipped cream for a vegan version)
- 2 tablespoons store-bought caramel sauce for drizzling on top (your favorite, a vegan one, or this keto caramel sauce)
- Flaked salt to sprinkle on top, optional (or some kosher salt to garnish the rim of your glass if making an apple cider cocktail with vodka)
- 1 tablespoon vodka or white rum to spike your drink, optional (only if you’d like to transform it into a caramel apple cider cocktail)
NOTE: To garnish the rim of your glass, invert your glass (upside down) and dip the rim in a bowl with some caramel sauce. Then, roll the rim on some kosher salt which is more coarse than table salt)
HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL APPLE CIDER
1. STOVETOP: In a medium saucepan, combine apple juice, apple pie spice, and cinnamon sticks together and let cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
2. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in your sweetener of choice very well. Pour apple cider into 2 heat-resistant glasses, top with whipped cream, drizzle with 1 tablespoon caramel sauce per glass, and sprinkle flaked salt on top. TIP: If making a cocktail, stir the vodka into the drink right after adding the sweetener. In addition, garnish the rim of the glasses according to the instructions in the notes. You may add or not the whipped cream, caramel, and flaked salt right after. If you want your drink to have only the caramel, skip the sweetener and mix the caramel into the drink.
3. Serve while warm and enjoy!
SLOW COOKER:
Add apple juice, all the spices, and the sweetener to a 3-quart slow cooker, stir well, place the lid, and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours or until heated throughout. Pour apple cider into 2 heat-resistant glasses, top with whipped cream, drizzle with 1 tablespoon caramel sauce per glass, and if desired, sprinkle flaked salt on top.
Variations
- Starbucks apple spice: Make our quick apple cider recipe sweetened with cinnamon syrup for coffee that you can buy in your local supermarket and serve topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
- Mulled cider: Add orange peel, cranberries, and cloves to our recipe while simmering the apple juice and spices on the stovetop. You can add red wine as well if you prefer!
- Homemade apple cider: Make our apple cider recipe and serve it as it is without any toppings.
- Hot apple cider cocktail: Add vodka to the apple cider mixture right after adding the sweetener and garnish the rim with caramel and kosher salt.
- Bourbon cider cocktail: Add bourbon instead of vodka to the drink mixture.
- Other cocktails: mimosas to serve cold (dry champagne), sangrias (cabernet sauvignon) to serve warm, martinis (vodka and Cointreau) served chilled, and margaritas (served cold with tequila) are some of the other apple cider cocktails you can use this recipe to adapt with.
- Affogato: You can serve caramel apple cider with vanilla ice cream, affogato style. Affogato is an Italian coffee drink with ice cream.
Tips for Making Better than Starbucks Apple Spice
Keep Warm: If you make our caramel apple cider in the crock pot, you can keep it warm for a long time just by letting sit on the “keep warm” setting during your party or event.
If you want to add some tanginess to your drink, either squeeze some lemon juice or simmer the apple cider mixture with some orange or lemon peel.
You can use the store-bought caramel sauce, or make your own at home.
FAQs
Can I make this caramel apple cider recipe in a crockpot?
Of course, you can! For this, stir together apple juice, spices, and the sweetener in a crockpot and cook on HIGH for 2 to 4 hours, or until heated through.
Can I use store-bought caramel sauce?
Yes! You can use it as a topping and/or to replace the sweetener.
What’s the difference between apple juice and apple cider?
Apple juice is filtered and pasteurized, having it a longer shelf life, a sweeter taste, and a smoother texture. On the other hand, apple cider is fresh, unfiltered, and often unpasteurized, being considered a seasonal or Autumn drink.
What’s in caramel apple cider?
Apple juice, spices, sweetener, whipped cream, and caramel sauce.
HOW TO STORE APPLE CIDER
FRIDGE: Store apple cider in a pitcher or sealed bottle in the fridge for up to 7 days. Only top with whipped cream and caramel right before serving.
FREEZER: Freeze leftovers for up to a year but leave about 2 inches of headspace in the airtight container, allowing the caramel apple cider to expand naturally.
OTHER DRINK RECIPES TO ENJOY
PIN AND ENJOY!
Caramel Apple Cider
Make this caramel apple cider topped with whipped cream and if you want, some flaked salt. This quick, cozy, and warm Fall drink is better than Starbucks’ caramel apple spice. It is like having a salted caramel apple in the form of a drink… and you can easily make it into a cocktail or low-carb drink! It’s gluten-free and can be vegan, dairy-free, and sugar-free.
Servings 2 people
Calories157.1 kcal
Cost $ 1.00 per person
Equipment
-
1 stovetop
-
1 pot or slow cooker
-
2 glasses
Ingredients
- 3 cups bottled apple juice If you are on a low-carb diet, use a sugar-free apple juice.
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or you can make your own at home by mixing together 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and then storing any leftovers in a sealed jar.
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 tablespoons sweetener of choice caramel sauce, maple syrup, honey, or sugar substitute such as stevia in the raw if you are on a low-carb diet.
- Whipped cream use coconut whipped cream for a vegan version.
- 2 tablespoons store-bought caramel sauce for drizzling on top your favorite, a vegan one, or a keto caramel sauce.
- Flaked salt to sprinkle on top optional (or some kosher salt to garnish the rim of your glass if making an apple cider cocktail with vodka)
- 1 tablespoon vodka or white rum to spike your drink optional (only if you’d like to transform it into a caramel apple cider cocktail)
Instructions
STOVETOP:
-
In a medium saucepan, combine apple juice, apple pie spice, and cinnamon sticks together and let cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in your sweetener of choice very well.
-
Pour apple cider into 2 heat-resistant glasses, top with whipped cream, drizzle with 1 tablespoon caramel sauce per glass, and sprinkle flaked salt on top. TIP: If making a cocktail, stir the vodka into the drink right after adding the sweetener. In addition, garnish the rim of the glasses according to the instructions in the notes. You may add or not the whipped cream, caramel, and flaked salt right after. If you want your drink to have only the caramel, skip the sweetener and mix the caramel into the drink.
-
Serve while warm and enjoy!
SLOW COOKER:
-
Add apple juice, all the spices, and the sweetener to a 3-quart slow cooker, stir well, place the lid, and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours or until heated throughout. Pour apple cider into 2 heat-resistant glasses, top with whipped cream, drizzle with 1 tablespoon caramel sauce per glass, and if desired, sprinkle flaked salt on top.
Recipe Notes
- FRIDGE: Store apple cider in a pitcher or sealed bottle in the fridge for up to 7 days. Only top with whipped cream and caramel right before serving.
- FREEZER: Freeze leftovers for up to a year, but leave about 2 inches of headspace in the airtight container, allowing the caramel apple cider to expand naturally.
Nutrition
Calories: 157.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.5g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 118.6mg | Potassium: 201.7mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 12.9IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 41.9mg | Iron: 0.5mg
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This post was first published on October 16, 2013.
