Chai Hot Apple Cider Recipe {Crockpot} - Cookin Canuck (2024)

This crockpot chai hot apple cider puts a little spin on the classic fall beverage. Five minutes of prep time and your kitchen will smell like autumn! 110 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Chai Hot Apple Cider Recipe {Crockpot}

Nothing says fall like the scent of spiced hot apple cider wafting through the house. And while you're cooking up a batch of your favorite soup or stew (Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash, anyone?), you might as well put the slow cooker to work, too.

The first time I made this crockpot apple cider recipe, my family were drawn to the kitchen like bears to honey, noses in the air and eyes closed in reverential bliss. The flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, star anise and cardamom are all tucked away inside of most chai tea bags and add a wonderful spiced flavor to apple cider.

WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS Chai Hot Apple Cider recipe:

These are the main components for this recipe (including affiliate links)…

• Apple cider: To clarify, when I say "apple cider", I'm referring to the unfiltered, often unpasteurized, opaque juice. Not the clear, filtered variety and not the bubbly alcoholic drink. While the best apple ciders often come straight from the farm, you can often find some good alternatives in the supermarket or health food stores, such as Whole Foods.
• Chai tea bags: There are plenty of options available at your local supermarkets and online. I've made this recipe with a couple of different brands of chai tea bags, such as these ones and these ones. If you're a loose leaf tea fan, pour your favorite variety into a couple of infusers and flat them in the apple cider while heating.
• Apples: Slice them up and steep them in the apple cider. They make a pretty presentation when served in a glass mug.
• Spices: Cinnamon sticks and star anise are what I use. Whole cloves would also be good. Be sure to strain them out before serving. The star anise is optional (more on it below), so don't fret if you don't have any. You'll still get plenty of flavor from the tea bags.

What is star anise and where can I buy it?

• Star anise is a spice that is used in much eastern cooking, particularly popular in Chinese cuisine. It is one of the integral spices in Chinese 5 spice powder, which is a distinctive spice blend that I like to use in my teriyaki meatballs and on roasted sweet potatoes.
• Star anise is actually the fruit of a small ornamental Chinese evergreen tree. The fruit is plucked from the tree before ripening, then dried. It can be used whole or ground.
• Many well-stocked grocery stores often carry star anise, either in the spice aisle or in the international aisle. Alternatively, you can order star anise online (affiliate link). If you have an Asian market near you, chances are that you can find star anise at a smokin' deal! This is one of the items that I always stock up on at our local Asian market. Cinnamon sticks, too!

Throw everything into the crockpot - apple cider, chai tea bags, cinnamon sticks, star anise and apple slices - and heat until warm. If you have a large slow cooker and a crowd of people, feel free to double or even triple the recipe.

Other hot drink recipes:

{Cookin' Canuck}
{Cookn' Canuck}
Chocolate Caliente (Authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate) {The Spruce Eats}
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte {Inspired Taste}

Printable Recipe

The post was originally published on September 28, 2016 and updated on September 22, 2019.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

More Beverage Recipes (Tipsy & Non-Tipsy)