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This Slow Cooker Wassail is a cozy, spiced apple cider punch that fills the whole house with the smell of cinnamon and orange, and it simmers away on its own while you wrap presents. I make a big batch every Christmas Eve so the girls can ladle warm mugs while we decorate the tree, and it is just as easy as our slow cooker Grinch hot cocoa.
Just pour everything into the crock, give it a stir, and let it warm into the coziest holiday drink of the season.
Slow Cooker Wassail Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 4 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 176kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Warm, spiced, sweet, and citrusy
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our eggnog Christmas punch
Quick Answer
To make slow cooker wassail, pour apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice into an 8-quart slow cooker, then stir in brown sugar, honey, star anise, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, whole cloves, ground ginger, and nutmeg. Add sliced apples and orange rounds, stir to coat, then cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Switch to the warm setting and ladle into mugs. The slow cooker does all the work while the spices steep into a warm, mulled holiday drink.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The slow cooker does the work. Everything simmers low and slow on its own, so the spices have hours to steep into the cider with no stovetop watching.
- Real fruit and warm spices. Fresh apple and orange slices plus whole cinnamon, cloves, and star anise give it a deep, mulled flavor you cannot get from a packet.
- It is a self-serve crowd-pleaser. Set it on warm and let guests ladle their own mugs all night long during a party or holiday gathering.
- Naturally sweet, lightly spiked optional. Brown sugar and honey balance the citrus, and you can keep it family-friendly or add a splash of rum for the grown-ups.
- Makes the whole house smell amazing. As it warms, the cinnamon and orange fill the kitchen with the coziest holiday scent.
- Easy to scale up. Made in a big 8-quart crock, it serves a dozen and is simple to double for a larger crowd.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It simmers hands-off in the slow cooker, so you can prep it and walk away.
- Warm apple cider, citrus, and mulling spices make it taste like Christmas in a mug.
- It is a cozy, self-serve holiday drink, just like our boozy white hot chocolate for the grown-ups.
Key Ingredients
A few pantry staples and warm whole spices are all you need for this cozy holiday wassail.
- Apple cider: The base of the wassail, giving it that sweet, autumnal apple flavor. Use a good fresh-pressed cider for the best taste.
- Orange and lemon juice: They add bright citrus to balance the sweetness and round out the mulled flavor.
- Brown sugar and honey: A touch of each sweetens the cider and adds a deep, caramel-honey warmth.
- Whole mulling spices: Cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole allspice, and cloves steep slowly for a classic spiced flavor, with ground ginger and nutmeg for extra warmth.
- Apple and orange slices: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and navel orange rounds float on top for fresh flavor and a pretty presentation.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this wassail your own with a few easy swaps and add-ins.
- Spike it: Stir in a cup of spiced rum, brandy, or bourbon at the end for an adults-only batch.
- Use different juice: Swap part of the apple cider for cranberry or pineapple juice for a fruitier twist.
- Add a tea bag: Steep a black tea bag for a more traditional, slightly tannic wassail.
- Adjust the sweetness: Use more or less honey and brown sugar to taste depending on how sweet your cider is.
- Serve it with apples: Ladle it alongside a bowl of warm fried apples for the ultimate cozy fall dessert table.
How to Make Slow Cooker Wassail
- Pour the apple cider into an 8-quart slow cooker.
- Add the orange juice and lemon juice to the slow cooker with the cider.
- Stir in the brown sugar, honey, star anise, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, cloves, ground ginger, and nutmeg.
- Whisk everything together until the sugar and honey dissolve into the cider.
- Add the sliced apples and orange rounds, stirring gently to coat them in the liquid.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, then switch to warm, ladle into mugs, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use fresh-pressed cider for the deepest apple flavor, the cloudy kind in the refrigerated section tastes far better than shelf-stable apple juice.
- Keep the spices whole so they steep cleanly and are easy to strain or scoop out, ground spices can make the wassail cloudy and gritty.
- Stir occasionally if you can to help the sugar dissolve and the spices distribute evenly.
- Set it to warm to serve, this keeps the wassail hot for hours without boiling away the citrus flavor.
- Make it a drink bar next to mugs of our eggnog latte so guests can pick their favorite cozy sipper.
- Float fresh slices on top just before serving so the apples and oranges look bright and pretty in the crock.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This slow cooker wassail is made for a crowd, so set the crock on warm and let everyone ladle their own steaming mugs. It is the perfect drink for a tree-trimming night, a Christmas morning, or a holiday open house alongside finger foods and cookies. Pair it with a tray of hot cocoa bombs so guests have a chocolate option too.
Garnish each mug with a fresh cinnamon stick, a star anise, or a thin orange slice for a festive touch. For the grown-ups, set out a bottle of spiced rum or brandy so they can spike their own cup to taste.
Serve it as part of a full holiday drink spread with our eggnog Christmas punch for a sweet, creamy contrast to the spiced cider. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat beautifully right in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.
Slow Cooker Wassail FAQs
Traditional wassail is a warm, spiced drink made from apple cider, citrus juice, sugar or honey, and mulling spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and star anise. This slow cooker version layers apple cider with orange and lemon juice, brown sugar, honey, and whole spices, then floats fresh apple and orange slices on top. It can be served family-friendly or spiked with rum or brandy for the adults.
Wassail can be made either way. This recipe is naturally non-alcoholic and family-friendly, made with apple cider and warm spices. If you want a spiked version, simply stir in a cup of spiced rum, brandy, or bourbon at the end, or set out a bottle so guests can add a splash to their own mug.
You can keep wassail on the warm setting for up to 4 to 6 hours during a party, stirring occasionally so the spices and fruit stay distributed. After that, transfer it to the fridge in a covered container, where it keeps for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the slow cooker or on the stovetop before serving again.
Yes, wassail is great for making ahead. You can combine everything in the slow cooker the night before and refrigerate the crock, then cook it the next day. You can also cook it fully, refrigerate, and simply rewarm it on the warm setting before guests arrive. The flavor actually deepens as it sits.
You do not have to strain it if you use whole spices, which is what makes this method so easy. The cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, and cloves stay whole and are simple to scoop out or just avoid as you ladle. If you prefer a clearer drink, you can tie the spices in a cheesecloth bundle or pour the wassail through a fine strainer before serving.
A mix of sweet and tart apples works best. This recipe uses Granny Smith for tartness and Honeycrisp for sweetness, sliced into rounds so they float prettily on top. Any firm baking apple holds up well to the long, slow simmer without falling apart, so use whatever you have on hand.
Looking for more cozy sippers? Warm up the whole family with our slow cooker Grinch hot cocoa next.
My eggnog pudding shots hand the holiday party a spoonable nightcap.
My boozy hot chocolate is the chocolate lover”s answer to a warm winter cocktail.
Love cozy fall drinks? Make our apple cider rum punch.
Slow Cooker Wassail
Ingredients
- 2 quarts apple cider
- 1 quart orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup honey
- 5 star anise
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 Granny Smith apple sliced into rounds
- 1 Honeycrisp apple sliced into rounds
- 1 navel orange sliced into rounds
Instructions
- Add the apple cider, orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, honey, star anise, cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg to an 8-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Add the apple and orange slices, stir them in to coat them in the liquid.
- Add the lid and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, occasionally stirring if you can. Place the slow cooker on the warm setting and serve.
Notes
- We like to use a mixture of sweet and tart apples for this, but use what you’d like.
- If you are not a fan of star anise you can leave it out.
- Make sure you use apple cider and not apple juice.
- This can be made ahead of time, but I only recommend keeping on the warm setting for 4 hours.
- Ground spices can be used in place of whole, use 1/4 teaspoon each of ground clove and allspice.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Make sure that you are using a large enough slow cooker, at least a 6 quart.
Nutrition
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