While these freezing temperatures can be annoying, they can also be beautiful and romantic. Provided you are not just super cold the whole time, in that case, they are pretty hard to enjoy. I got a recipe that might help, though! This hot spiced apple juice is there to warm you from the insight out, making the coldest winter day something cosy to enjoy! And the best thing is you can make it in 25 minutes, simple and with low effort. It’s just what I need after stepping inside from the cold weather. This recipe is inspired by “Apfelpunsch”, which is enjoyed on our German Christmas markets (locally also called “Christkindlmarket”). If you haven’t heard of them before, trust me, they can be quite a vibe when enjoyed with a hot beverage.
Ingredients for Hot Spiced Apple Juice:
- Apple juice
- Cinnamon
- Star anis
- Cloves
- Cardamom
- Peppercorns
- Nutmeg
- Optional: Vanilla
- Optional: Fresh ginger
- Optional: Dried orange
What I love about this drink is that you can make it easily with a few common ingredients. As you may have guessed from the name, you will need apple juice. I am using a naturally cloudy juice, but you can just as well use a clear one. Just pick an apple juice you like, and it will taste good. Secondly, you will need some spices. You could practically use Christmassy spices and adjust their quantities to your liking, just like we did with this delicious masala chai. For orientation, I use a cinnamon stick, two pieces of star anis, five cloves, three cardamom pods, five black peppercorns, and a pinch of grated nutmeg. Vanilla beans, fresh ginger, or dried orange slices would make delicious additions as well. As said, feel free to customize this to your preference. Depending on your apple juice, you might want to have a bit of additional cane sugar on hand. When heating the apple juice, it brings out its natural tang, so you can balance it out with some additional sweetness. Lastly, I’d recommend thinning the punch with a little bit of hot water.
Preparing the Apple Juice:
Firstly, add the spices (aside from the nutmeg) to a pot, and toast gently. That helps to develop the flavour of the spices. Be careful not to burn them, though. After toasting, crush the spices gently using a pestle and mortar, which helps extract their flavour. The finer you break them, the more intense the flavour gets, especially how much spice the pepper contributes.
Add the apple juice and the crushed spices to the pot and gently simmer together for approximately 20 minutes. I am serving it directly, so I am just straining the hot juice through a tea sieve. If you want to make a big batch, consider putting the spices into a cheesecloth or teabag so you can remove them after the apple juice is infused to your liking. After the apple juice is finished infusing, season to taste with cane sugar, and dilute with hot water to your preferred concentration.
I hope you enjoy this cosy hot spiced apple juice as much as I do. If you want to make the funny adult version of this drink, it works well to add some liquor. Additions such as rum, amaretto, or brandy transform this harmless juice into a tasty spiced apple punch.
Some more Recipe Inspirations:
- This easy seven-ingredient pumpkin soup may be just what you need!
- If you are ever looking for a cozy autumn dessert, this vegan apple crisp might be the right choice.
- This vegan Schmalzgebäck is the German pastry treat during Christmas season.
- French toast with caramelised apples is a treat for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast.
Looking for other Delicious Drinks:
- A delicious hot spiced mint tea
- Sea buckthorn tea is a beautiful cozy winter drink.
- How to make water kefir at home
- Lavender milk tea is a delicious floral hot beverage.
- Rose hip tea is another warming drink for the cold autumn and winter days.
Hot Spiced Apple Juice
Course: Drinks, Hot BeverageCuisine: GermanDifficulty: Easy2
servings5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
0.5l apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
2 pieces of star anis
5 cloves
3 cardamom pods
1 pinch grated nutmeg
Optional: Cane sugar
Optional: Hot water
Optional: liquor (Rum, amaretto or brandy)
Directions
- Firstly, add the spices (aside from the nutmeg) to a pot, and toast gently. After toasting, crush the spices gently using a pestle and mortar, which helps extract their flavour. The finer you break them, the more intense the flavour gets, especially how much spice the pepper contributes.
- Add the apple juice and the crushed spices to the pot and gently simmer together for approximately 20 minutes. I am serving it directly, so I am just straining the hot juice through a tea sieve. If you want to make a big batch, consider putting the spices into a cheesecloth or teabag so you can remove them after the apple juice is infused to your liking.
- After the apple juice is finished infusing, season to taste with cane sugar, and dilute with hot water to your preferred concentration.
- Enjoy the beverage nice and hot. If you want to make an alcoholic version, you can add a shot of liquor to the hot cup.