This Spiced Apple Cider Mocktail is a fall-inspired drink made with apple cider, fresh orange juice, a spiced brown sugar syrup, and club soda. This refreshing mocktail is sure to be a new favorite for the colder months!
I love sipping on this apple cider mocktail during the holiday season when I am in the kitchen cooking up cozy recipes.
This recipe comes together very easily!
Make a simple homemade brown sugar syrup. It's made up of brown sugar and a handful of spices and is simmered for only 3 minutes.
Combine apple cider, orange juice, and brown sugar syrup in a pitcher and then pour into individual serving glasses with ice.
Top with club soda and garnish with orange and apple slices.
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Ingredients
Vibrant orange juice, crisp apple cider, a medley of fresh fruit, and a touch of cinnamon come together to create the perfect non-alcoholic beverage to serve during your next family gathering!
Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup: This apple cider mocktail is made up of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, and water. I recommend adding between 2-3 tablespoons for a serving of 4. But if you like things less sweet, add less.
Apple Cider: Because we will be adding a cinnamon spiced brown sugar, I recommend apple cider without any additives.
Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed is best. The combination of orange juice and apple cider make up the base for the most delicious mocktail.
Club Soda: Seltzer or club soda is used to top off the drink.
Brown Sugar Rim: Optional but a cute serving option is to rim the glass with cinnamon and brown sugar.
See recipe card for quantities.
Helpful Equipment
This brown sugar spiced syrup is very easy to make. You will need a small pan, a whisk, and a fine mesh strainer.
A fine mesh strainer is used to strain out the grainy bits that come from the spices.
How to Make This Recipe
This spiced apple cider orange non-alcoholic drink is the perfect pre-dinner beverage to sip on while cooking Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!
But really, it's delicious all the time.
The full written recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, and water to a small pan. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Bring to a soft boil and then immediately reduce to a simmer over medium-low and continue to simmer the syrup while whisking occasionally for 3 minutes or until the sugar has melted.
Step 3: Remove from the heat and strain the syrup using a fine mesh sieve.
Step 4: In a pitcher or a large measuring cup, add the apple cider and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Step 5: Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup to sweeten. Whisk to combine.
Step 6: Fill a small glass with ice and add about ½ cup spiced apple cider mixture. Top off the drink with club soda and garnish with an orange and apple slice.
NOTE: This recipe makes 4 servings but you will have plenty of brown sugar syrup left over. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a party.
Substitutions & Variations
This cinnamon spiced apple cider mocktail is the ultimate fall drink! But feel free to change things up depending on what you have on hand.
Sugar: I used dark brown sugar but you can use light brown sugar if desired. If you only have white cane sugar, add a touch of molasses.
Spices: Don't have all the spices? No worries. Cinnamon and nutmeg will be just as delicious!
Brown Sugar Syrup: If you don't have time to make a syrup from scratch, you can buy spiced apple cider. Oftentimes, you can find plain apple cider and spiced apple cider right next to each other in the store.
Club Soda: Seltzer or ginger beer will work as well.
Apple Cider: Apple juice can be used in a pinch but cider yields the best results. Apple juice is oftentimes sweeter so you'll need to adjust the added sweetener which will effect the overall flavor because the brown sugar syrup has a lot of the spiced flavor.
Storage
I recommend storing the apple cider, orange juice, and brown sugar mixture separately from the club soda.
Once club soda is open for a while, it won't be as bubbly or fresh.
When ready to serve, add the apple cider mixture to the glass and top with fresh club soda and garnishes.
Leftover brown sugar syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Tips & Tricks
Use high-quality apple cider as the base for your mocktail. Look for fresh, organic options for the best flavor.
Don't add the club soda until it's time to serve! It won't be as bubbly or crisp.
Taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking. You can always add more brown sugar syrup.
Garnish your mocktail with apple slices, orange wedges, and a cinnamon stick for visual appeal and an extra aromatic element. Everyone will be impressed!
Frequently Asked Questions
While apple cider and apple juice are similar in many ways, there are some differences. Apple cider is more robust and has a tangy flavor whereas apple juice is sweeter. You can use it in this recipe but you'll need to adjust the added sweetener which will effect the overall flavor because the brown sugar syrup has a lot of the spiced flavor.
Yes, I would recommend whiskey or rum. If you want something lighter, vodka will work.
The spiced apple cider mixture would be delicious warm but I wouldn't recommend warming up the club soda.
More Cozy Spiced Recipes
Looking for other spiced syrups and cozy drink recipes? Try these:
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Recipe
Spiced Apple Cider Mocktail
Ingredients
Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Allspice
- ⅓ cup Water
Apple Cider Mocktail
- 2 cups Apple Cider
- ½ cup Fresh Orange Juice
- 2-3 tablespoons Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup
- Club Soda
- Ice Cubes
- Apple Slices for garnish
- Orange Slices for garnish
Brown Sugar Rim
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, and water to a small pan. Whisk to combine.
- Bring to a soft boil and then immediately reduce to a simmer over medium-low and continue to simmer the syrup while whisking occasionally for 3 minutes or until the sugar has melted.
- Remove from the heat and strain the syrup using a fine mesh sieve.
- In a pitcher or a large measuring cup, add the apple cider and freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup to sweeten. Whisk to combine.
- In a small shallow bowl, mix together the ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Take an orange slice and rub it along the rim of a glass. Coat the rim into the sugar.
- Fill a small glass with ice and add about ½ cup spiced apple cider mixture.
- Top off the drink with club soda.
- Garnish with apple slice, orange slice, and cinnamon stick. Enjoy!
Notes
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