Delicious Red Hot Apple Cider

The fall and winter months are all about experimenting with warm and spicy flavors in your meals, and when you think about those flavors, cider almost always comes to mind.

How about trying a delicious and interesting variation to your batch of homemade apple cider? This red hot apple cider is just that- and it is super easy to make too!

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Red Hot Apple Cider

I don’t know about you, one thing I love about fall is apple season. I usually buy in bulk, (or my most generous neighbor gifts me apples from their tree) and I use them to all kinds of apple recipes like my Instant Pot Spiced Apple Butter, and in the winter, I make my Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal a lot.

I also end up batch-making a lot of my favorite recipes and freezing them for later, when apples aren’t in season.

One such recipe I find myself making, again and again, is my easy, old fashioned apple cider. It has such a warm, earthy and sweet taste to it that it has become one of my all-time favorites.

Quite recently, I brought a little variation into it and gave it a twist. This red hot apple cider recipe was just what I wanted- sweet, tangy, and cinnamony- perfect for the fall and winter months.

What I loved the most was that it was incredibly easy to put together- even more so when I had my batch of apple cider ready.

Ready to give it a try? Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Ingredients For the Red Hot Apple Cider

Old Fashioned Apple Cider: I just followed my all-time favorite recipe. If you don’t have the opportunity to make your own apple cider, the kind you find in the store is just fine. Apple cider is different than apple juice, so be sure to buy the cider variety.

Red hot candies: I’ve used red hot candies since they add an incredible zesty-sweet cinnamon flavor to the cider. Sometimes they may be difficult to find unless you go to your local candy shop, but I have also purchased cinnamon candies easily online.

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Cider

Ready to make this super creative drink that you can enjoy while sitting around a warm fire? Making it is super duper easy.

Simply heat your apple cider in any large pot you have on hand. I actually used my Instant Pot on the ‘saute’ function and it worked great! Bring to a boil, and add the cinnamon candies. Stir while the candies dissolve. Done! 

Check for specific measurements and amounts below in the recipe card.

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Tips to Make the Red Hot Apple Cider

All set to go ahead and give this recipe a shot? Keep these little tips in mind to nail it!

• If you want to make this cider in a batch and store it for later, you could totally do that too. Just allow it to cool down completely before transferring it to a clean glass jar or container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
• You can also freeze this cider. Just use a freezer safe container and it can stay delicious for up to 6 months.
• Want to try some more variations to this one? For a more adult drink, try adding some Fireball Whiskey to this red hot cinnamon cider for a double dose of firey hot cinnamony goodness!

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Serving Ideas & Suggestions

Ready to serve your red hot apple cider? Here are a few cool ideas to get you started.

• Pour the cider into glass mugs, add in a sprinkle of cinnamon powder and top with some whipped cream.
• I have served this red hot cider chilled, over ice, and it’s amazing!
• If you find it’s too sweet as it is, try diluting the cider with hot or cold water, depending on how you’re serving it.
• Make up some Cinnamon Sugar or take some extra cinnamon candies and place them in to a ziplock bag or food processor. Pulverize them into a red sugary powder, and dip wet rims of the glasses into the cinnamon powder to make a pretty sugared rim on the cups before serving.
• If you want to make it look a bit fancy, core out some apples and use the hollow portion as a tiny cup to pour the cider in. This can be a super fun way to introduce it to your older children as a nice bedtime drink.