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+ servings

Wassail Recipe

This Wassail Recipe is a fix it and forget it comforting slow cooker recipe After a few hours you'll have a warm, irresistible fruity drink to sip on all Fall and Winter long.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 176kcal

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

  1. You can use a 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves if you don't have whole. 
  2. Adding other things is totally acceptable, I shared some ideas above. 
  3. I like to use both brown sugar and honey as it brings such an amazing depth of flavor and the honey helps your throat. But if you don't have one or the other, just sub with more of what you have on hand. 
  4. If you don't like a light licorice flavor then you can leave the star anise out. There's nothing else you need to use in its place. 
  5. When storing this on the warm setting, only do so up to 4 hours. This will continue to cook, allowing the liquid to evaporate over time and in return, makes the drink even stronger. The spices will become more prominent the longer it cooks, so keep that in mind when you are storing it on the warm setting.
  6. You can enjoy this cold, but if you want to reheat it, see the method suggestions above. 
  7. Freezing this is totally doable, see my tips above. 
  8.  

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 213IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg