Hug in a mug: How to make mulled apple juice

Autumn and apples go hand in hand. From a slice of warm apple pie to a healthy dollop of apple sauce with your roast. But nothing quite compares to the warming sensation of a mug of hot mulled apple juice on a chilly day.

With more people turning to non-alcoholic drinks this festive season, mulled apple juice is a great alternative to the more boozy mulled wine, and really showcases the fruitiness of our Eager apple juice alongside seasonal spices like cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and ginger.

For the full effect, serve your mulled apple juice in heat resistant glasses or glass mugs like these stylish glass ones from Ferm Living.

Here are some of our favourite mulled apple juice recipes to warm you up from the inside out…

Classic mulled apple juice with Eager juice 

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 This classic mulled apple juice recipe takes just 5 minutes to prepare and is ready on the hob in 15 minutes. Start by adding the cinnamon stick, orange and lemon peel, and a sprinkle of grated ginger to a large saucepan.

Pour in the apple juice and place the pan over a low heat, simmering for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Stir in the honey (you can add a little more to taste if required) and then strain the mixture into a jug and serve whilst still warm.

Garnish with cinnamon sticks and orange rind for a festive cosy drink!

Ingredients (makes 6-8):

• 1 cinnamon stick (plus extra to garnish)
• Peel of 1 large orange
• Peel of 1 large lemon
• Small knob of fresh ginger, grated
• 1l Eager apple juice
• 2 tsp runny honey
• Orange rind, to garnish

Simple mulled apple juice recipe

With just four ingredients, this mulled apple juice recipe is as easy as they come. Simply simmer the apple juice with the strips of orange peel, cinnamon stick and cloves for 5-10 mins until all the flavours have infused, and sweeten with sugar or honey to taste.

Garnish with cinnamon sticks and orange peel, or serve on its own.

Ingredients (makes 8):

• 1l Eager apple juice
• Strips of orange peel
• 1 cinnamon stick, plus extra to garnish (optional)
• 3 cloves
• Sugar or honey, to taste

Spiced mulled apple juice with cinnamon and nutmeg

This lightly spiced mulled apple juice is also extra citrussy, with fresh lemon and orange slices infused into the mix.

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and serve warm with lemon slices and individual cinnamon sticks.

Ingredients (makes 4-6):

• 1l Eager apple juice
• 250ml water
• 100g brown sugar
• ½ lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
• ½ orange, thinly sliced, seeds removed
• 1 stick cinnamon, plus more for serving, if desired
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Lemon slices, for garnish

Cranberry, apple and orange juice mulled wine

In a twist on mulled apple juice, this non-alcoholic mulled wine combines three of our favourite Eager juices; cranberry, apple and orange, with a selection of warming additions from the spice rack.

Start by adding the orange juice and honey into a large pan and boil until syrupy. Then add the spices, apple juice and cranberry juice and simmer for 5 minutes, before turning off the heat and letting the punch rest for 2 hours so the can spices infuse.

Strain the spice mix, reserving the cinnamon stick, orange slices and star anise for garnishing the glasses, and ladle in the non-alcoholic mulled wine.

Ingredients (makes 8):

• 600ml Eager cranberry juice
• 250ml Eager apple juice
• 150ml Eager orange juice
• 2tsp honey
• Sliced oranges
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 10 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 30g dried ginger
• Small pinch of nutmeg
• 5 cardamom pods
• Orange peel, zested

If you’re planning on making large batches of any of these recipes, you can also use a slow-cooker on a warming setting.

We’d love to see your mulled apple juice creations – share them with us on Instagram @eagerdrinks 📸