Quick and Easy Caramel Apple Cider CrockPot Recipe



A friend of mine treats her kids a few times a week to a caramel hot cider at Starbucks, and my kids are were jealous and kept bringing this up each time we drove by the strip mall.

So I evened the score. 

I made a boatload.

and the kids WERE THRILLED.

save yourself $3.50, and dig through the cupboards. 

You can do this. It's super easy.

The Ingredients.

serves 4, (can easily be multiplied --use a larger cooker though!)


4 cups apple cider
3 tablespoons caramel syrup (the ice cream topping)
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream

 (optional; I leave it off for my kids)

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. 

Now this is sweet---I've modeled it after the stuff they serve at the store. 

After making it this way a few times, I've successfully cut back on the syrup without my kids (and their friends!) knowing---do what is right for your own family.

Mix it all in together---stir, and cook on low for about 4 hours. 

I like to put it on after I clean up the breakfast dishes and then leave it alone until our after-school snack. 

I've also made a large pot for Girl Scout events and  playdates. 

The kids really like it, and it's a nice change of pace from hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Leftovers refrigerate and reheat well (in the microwave).

The Verdict.

The only drawback to this recipe is that when we have caramel sauce in the house, it tends to get everywhere. 

Chris (from notesfromthetrenches) always says that she has an eighth child named "Not Me" who is the main mischief-maker in her home. 

"Not Me" is evidently to blame for sucking syrup right out of the bottle and leaving sticky fingerprints all over my doorknobs and couch cushions.

hmmph.

other coffee-house copycat recipes:


I've got a new interview with Erin Chase, the $5 Dinner Mom up on stephanieodeaTV

Erin is a great friend and a true mommy mogul.

 I appreciate the way Erin puts her family in front of her business and doesn't apologize for it. Ever. 

She's also got a brand new cookbook out!

have a great day!

2008 flashback:

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Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at January 20, 2011

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What they say about this article

  1. I always want to stop at Starbucks and get one of these but we live 30 mins. from the closest Starbucks and I can't see myself paying that much for something I can make myself. I now I really can make it myself! Thank you, Thank you!

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  2. Sound good, can't wait to try it :)

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  3. YUM!!!! my grands will love this ☺
    Donna

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  4. We love Starbucks apple cider too but due to the cost we don't get it very often. I can't wait to try your recipe. I'm sure the entire family will love it!

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  5. You are so my hero right now. Thank you!!

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  6. Thanks for the recipe I will try it!

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  7. OMG I actually have all this in my pantry too! My daughter would love this!
    I just got your 1st book for my bday and I have almost the whole bean section on my menu plan, the taco soup, chicken nachos and brown sugar chicken...got all the groceries last night! We had the breakfast risotto today...yummo! Even the 2 toddlers I watch couldnt get enough!

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  8. This looks so tasty!

    On another note, it seems that every house has a child named "Not me."

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  9. THANK YOU!!!! I will be trying this out this weekend!!! The Carmel Apple Spice is the only thing I get from Starbucks and you've definitely made my wallet happy!!

    We also have a "not me" and an "I don't know" in our house!!!

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  10. Yum! I am planning on trying your rotisserie chicken this week. I am excited about it.

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  11. What a great idea! My DD and I are becoming hot cocoa afficianados with all the brands and flavors we own. This will add a little spice to our menu. And I actually have all these ingredients on hand! Looking forward (now) to a very cold weekend!

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  12. The first thing I noticed was that you have a Bunnikins mug! I have a whole bunch of Bunnikins from when I was a kid! I might even have that exact same mug :D

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  13. I get a lot of the same with my kids... I swear, "Not Me" and "I Don't Know" must be relatives...

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  14. You'll save LOTS more money (and have a higher quality sauce) if you make caramel sauce yourself. There's nothing like homemade!!! Need a recipe?

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  15. I looked for a crock pot recipe for you but didn't find one. Ran out of time to look bc the toddler needed potty help.

    http://kitchen-goddess.yumsugar.com/Foolproof-Alton-Brown-Recipe-Caramel-Sauce-6744772 is a nice simple recipe for caramel sauce, but it uses corn syrup, which I won't use.

    If you go to Eileen Talanian's blog, she has a copy of her vanilla marshmallow recipe, which includes "Marshmallow Syrup" (a homemade corn syrup substitute). You can find the recipe for the corn syrup sub at http://howthecookiecrumbles.typepad.com/recipes/vanilla-marshmallows.html

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  16. Hey, thanks for sharing this recipe! It sounds yummy for any age... I would even drink it out of a bunnykins cup myself!

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  17. I found your website completely by accident. I am absolutely thrilled and you are my new best friend. I love my crock pot and am always looking for recipes to make my life easier. Thank you!

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  18. I just wanted to say thank you so much for your blog! My life is so much easier and more organized because of your recipes! I am able to have wonderful warm dinners on the table ON TIME because of my crockpot and your recipes!!! I was wondering though, have you even used Slow Cooker bags? I found them and they make my life even easier with clean-up. Have you ever tried them? Anyway... thank you soooooo much, and I have told all my friends, and family, and a few people I don't even really know that well to go to your blog because it's amazing!

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  19. I just mixed this up and got it ready for after school. My kids don't know that Starbucks has anything besides coffee which is a BIG help. I don't drink coffee so they have never gone there anyway. One day they will find out and then it will get added to the fast food whining I hear when we go out!

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  20. Oh my gosh, this sounds so good. Going to try it, thanks for sharing!

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  21. Anonymous1/24/2011

    I saw someone else comment about the Bunnikins mug - I also grew up with a whole set and it was the first thing I saw when I visited your site today. My daughter was given a set from my mom when she turned 1 last year too. It totally adds to the "comfort" level of this post! I love this site and have your book. But this picture is my all time fave! :-) Thanks for sharing all of your great recipes!

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  22. This is great stuff. Thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes. ;-)

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  23. Anonymous1/26/2011

    Oh my goodness I LOVE your blog! My husband and I only have a stove top (no oven) so I'm always looking for good crock pot recipes. All of these look fantastic! SO excited to try some.

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  24. Thanks for sharing the recipe:)

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  25. Thanks for the recipe! My kids love Starbucks-style Apple Cider but I couldn't quite figure out the caramel part. I'll be picking some up this weekend for them!

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  26. I laughed out loud at "not me sucking the syrup right out of the bottle." I think all moms have a "not me" in the family. This recipe sounds wonderful, but your gingerbread latte is the one that I'm starting with. No point spending all that money at Starbucks with this list of recipes! Thanks!
    Melissa

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  27. Yum! We live 2 blocks from a Starbucks, and drive past it every day on the way to take my oldest to school. This will definitely come in handy when they start asking. I also find if I put my substitute in a travel cup rather than a mug, they are even happier.

    Funny how "Not Me" exists in most homes, my 4 year old recently has decided to just take the blame for all his naughtiness. I think it's middle child syndrome, so only his older sister has a sibling named "Not Me." They have yet to figure out to blame it on the twin toddlers.

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  28. This looks delicious. However, as a former Starbucks employee, I have to tell you that the Caramel Apple Cider doesn't have caramel flavoring in it. It just has caramel sauce on top of the whipped cream. The cinnamon syrup is what sweetens and flavors the apple juice.

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  29. Mmmmmm...love caramel on ANYTHING. But you are right -- the stickiness of it gets everywhere. But who cares? : ) Can't wait to try this on a cold winter evening, like tonight.

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  30. I made a test batch of this tonight before a GNO I am hosting on Friday- it smells and even tastes great, but has tons of little clumps in it! Totally gross looking! Any suggestions/remedies for this? I followed the directions 100%!

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  31. Is the whipped cream supposed to go on top afterwards or mixed in to begin with?
    Thanks! =)

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  32. Great recipe and idea. I find the caramel sauce burns on :( Oh well, a work around is to pour it in the individual cups after the fact.

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  33. Justine8/27/2012

    Just to let you know there is no caramel in the caramel apple spice from Starbucks aside from the drizzle on top of the whip cream...

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  34. Just made this for a Ladies get-together and everyone loved it! It really DOES taste just like Starbucks :)

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  35. Thank you thank you thank you! This is the only apple cider I like(I find regular apple cider too tart) and one of my favorite Starbucks drinks as I don't drink caffeine often or in large amounts. So much cheaper and a reason to bust out my crock pot(I know it needs some lovin) Thanks again!

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  36. I made this tonight in a huge batch....32 servings for a mom's night out. It tasted great, but a mere stir is not enough. It needs to be fervently whisked to keep it smooth. Also, after a few hours on the crockpot and the caramel starts to seperate from the cider and does so in your cup if you have it sitting too long. (We were crafting, too). I kept going up to rewhisk it, which I was fine doing. I am going to try to come up with ways to get the same flavor without it separating....

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  37. I have made this twice and LOVE it!!! it makes the house smell soooooo good! my only problem is that the cinnamon floats to the top and makes it hard to drink, is there any tips that anyone has to fix that??

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  38. This tastes just like Starbucks! YUMMY!

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  39. can caramel ice cream topping be substitute with dulce de leche? will it make any difference? I have no access to caramel ice cream toppings.

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  40. Can you add spiced rum to this? How much would you say?

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  41. Hi Amanda, I think you can add spiced rum to anything! :-) It's usually 1 shot per person when making cocktails ---- you can add it to the mug and then put the cider on top or add it to the pot; your choice.

    enjoy!

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