12 Cider Recipes You'll Want To Try Out This Fall
Close your eyes and feel the autumnal cold of the wind on your face. Now imagine walking into a warm kitchen and the aroma of fall surrounding you. Does it feel like the promise of comfort food that's going to warm you up? What ingredients come to mind? Can you almost taste the sweet, sour flavor of rosy red and crisp green apples and the warming spiciness of cinnamon?
There are plenty of apple recipes to make this fall. And, there are some that add a distinctly fruity fall flavor by using fresh apple cider. Celebrate the seasons with culinary creations that fit with the time of year and fill your kitchen with warmth. Whether it's Halloween, Thanksgiving, or simply a cold Monday night, here are some fabulous cider recipes you'll want to try out this fall. There are hot drinks, cocktails, meaty roasts, and spiced apple cookies.
1. Small-Batch Apple Cider
Non-alcoholic apple cider spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger is a wonderfully warming drink. It not only gets you in the mood for the colder weather but positively encourages you to welcome it. Each season should be enjoyed to its fullest, and fall is definitely a time when maple syrup mixed into a homemade apple brew is going to work wonders. There aren't any rules on what varieties of this sweet and sour fruit to use, so try different ones and then make this recipe a family tradition to enjoy every fall.
Recipe: Small-Batch Apple Cider
2. Apple Spice Cookies
The aroma of buttery baked apples, cinnamon, and sugar in cookie form is the epitome of fall flavors. The heat from the oven, and the taste of apple cider, spices, and real apple pieces in a sugary bite are warming and comforting. The apple cider accentuates the tart apple perfectly and you can also add walnuts into the mix, too. There's nothing wrong with serving these apple spice cookies with a hot homemade apple cider, either. Or, maybe you prefer to make an equally autumnal copycat Starbucks pumpkin spice latte.
Recipe: Apple Spice Cookies
3. Apple Cider Old Fashioned Cocktail
To make a classic Old Fashioned cocktail, muddle a sugar cube with Angostura bitters before adding bourbon and garnishing with orange peel. Add a little fall flavor with apple cider, and use walnut and almond bitters. Use twice as much cider as bourbon, and garnish with a seasonal sprig of thyme.
If it's too chilly out to add an ice cube, then heat it instead and serve it like you would a hot toddy. Serve with a warming bowl of comfort food or a charcuterie board.
4. Apple Cider Pork Chops
There's no denying that succulent pork chops pair pretty darn well with applesauce. So, why not enhance the flavor by cooking the meat in fresh apple cider instead? Use cider to deglaze your skillet after sauteeing garlic and shallots so that they don't burn. As you cook the chops and the cider heats up, make sure it isn't reducing too much and add more if need be. You want a consistency that's not too thick before you add heavy whipping cream to finish. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.
Recipe: Apple Cider Pork Chops
5. Apple Cider Slushie
Whether sweet or sour, a good apple cider tastes so good. Add it to a blender with some ice and you can make a thirst-quenching fall slushie for all those walks out on crisp days. It's also a refreshing change from iced drinks made with the usual soft, summer fruits. Lemon juice lifts the tanginess and cinnamon and nutmeg add seasonal spice. If your cider is a little tart (especially with the citrus), sweeten your blended drink with some brown sugar or maple syrup, both of which pair so well.
Recipe: Apple Cider Slushie
6. Instant Pot Spiced Apple Cider
Making your own apple cider is worth it just for the aroma that fills your kitchen. This Instant Pot version is quick and flavorful, too. It has only a few ingredients and doesn't include any fresh apples at all. Go figure.
Aside from the addition of apple juice or pre-made cider, orange adds a subtle citrus tang and cinnamon sticks give the brew a characteristic spiced fall taste. Whether you serve it hot or cold, add a measure of whisky and a drizzle of honey for a sweet kick.
Recipe: Instant Pot Spiced Apple Cider
7. Down Home With The Neelys' Apple Injected Smoked Pork
This recipe can't get enough of the flavor of apple cider. You use it to make a marinade that infuses a pork butt joint with apple notes for at least a couple of hours. You don't just let it surround the meat but actually inject it into it with a syringe. The result is that every juicy morsel that you serve is flavorful. Each bite reminds you of chilly fall days and warm roast dinners.
Recipe: Down Home With The Neelys' Apple Injected Smoked Pork
8. Slow Cooker Mulled Cider
Sometimes you want to come in after a cold day and wrap your mitts around a mug of something warming to sip. What's better on a fall day as the sun goes down than a mulled cider? And, what better way to let the flavor of the apples mull than with ground cloves, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices in a slow cooker? Imagine the autumnal aroma that's going to be coming from your kitchen over the four-hour cooking time. Use apple cider for a pulpy texture.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Mulled Cider
9. Homemade Apple Pie Moonshine
Get ready for a fall gathering by serving a warming apple cocktail with a boozy hit in a jar. You can serve this moonshine-style brew straightaway, but it's way better if you make it four weeks in advance. And, if you take out the cinnamon sticks and slices of vanilla pod, you can keep reserves to last you for the colder months to come. Nutmeg, allspice, ground cardamom, and cinnamon sticks work their spice magic on apple cider. And, you can vary the proof of the grain alcohol and amount.
Recipe: Homemade Apple Pie Moonshine
10. Gordon Ramsay's Pork Belly
In the U.K., cider is what Americans call hard cider and it's what's used in this recipe. A non-alcoholic cider works too, though. Instead of using white wine and fennel, as Brit chef Gordon Ramsay does in his dish, this version adds a fall-inspired twist by using cider and apples. Don't add too much cider to the pan to keep the fat dry so that it crisps up in the oven. The sweet, tart flavors make a splendid gravy that cuts through the rich fattiness of the pork belly beautifully.
Recipe: Gordon Ramsay's Pork Belly
11. Slow Cooker Apple Cider
The perfect drink for a chilly night or autumnal get-together is a warm mug of apple cider. It tastes like the flavors of fall in a cup and the warmth seeps through you after a few sips. Add pizzazz with some on-theme garnishes: orange, cinnamon sticks, cranberries, and star anise. This could be a hot drink favorite that sees you through fall into the festive season. If you want to turn it into a party drink, then add a few shots of spiced rum, bourbon, or whiskey.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Apple Cider
12. Easy Apple Cider Donuts
Turn the taste of apple pie spices into a fall dessert with some hot, sugared, and cinnamon-coated donuts. There's no way they sound better than they taste, and they sound incredible. What boosts the flavor profile is a batter that includes the warming flavors of nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon along with vanilla extract and dark brown sugar. Apple cider concentrate gives this classic fairground treat a sweetness with some sour and caramel-tasting notes.
Recipe: Easy Apple Cider Donuts