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Slow cooker Christmas wassail punch with warm apple cider, cranberry, orange slices, cinnamon sticks and fresh cranberries served in a festive mug.

Cozy Slow Cooker Christmas Wassail Punch

An easy non-alcoholic Christmas wassail made in the slow cooker with apple cider, cranberry and orange juices, fresh fruit, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and warming holiday spices.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups apple cider
  • 3 cups cranberry juice
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 1 medium orange sliced into rounds
  • 1 medium firm apple cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 2 whole star anise pods
  • 1 inch fresh ginger thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
 

  1. Wash the orange, apple, cranberries, and ginger thoroughly.
  2. Slice the orange into rounds and remove visible seeds.
  3. Core and thinly slice the apple.
  4. Thinly slice the fresh ginger.
  5. Pour apple cider, cranberry juice, and orange juice into a 5–6 quart slow cooker.
  6. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and ginger.
  7. Add orange slices, apple slices, and fresh cranberries.
  8. Stir in 2 tablespoons maple syrup.
  9. Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 1½–2 hours.
  10. Stir in vanilla during the final 15 minutes.
  11. Taste and add additional maple syrup only if needed.
  12. Remove the cloves and ginger before serving.
  13. Switch the slow cooker to WARM.
  14. Ladle into heat-safe mugs.
  15. Garnish individual mugs with orange, cranberries, or cinnamon sticks if desired.

Notes

  • Use traditional apple cider for deeper apple flavor.
  • Whole spices work better than ground spices for a clean punch.
  • Don't add too many cloves; they become strong during slow cooking.
  • Taste before adding additional sweetener.
  • Keep the slow cooker on WARM after the wassail is fully heated.
  • Remove strong spices before prolonged holding.
  • For an adult option, add rum or bourbon to individual servings rather than the whole batch.
  • The main recipe is completely non-alcoholic.