Spiced Cider with a Tummy-Friendly Twist!

This apple cider recipe is one of my favorite fall-time drinks to cuddle up with on a crisp day. The best part is that it contains some gut-friendly ingredients to help our tummies and support digestion! It's spicy and sweet and oh, so comforting!

The first step is to toast up some aromatics in my mini crockpot. This recipe can be expanded for a larger batch, so you can even use a larger crockpot or your stove-top if you want; I’ve even made it in a pot on my wood stove before! For aromatics I have star anise, a couple of nutmeg cloves, and some cinnamon sticks. These are going to go onto the bottom and toast up a bit. The heat will help them be aromatic before entering the liquid of the recipe. Now that the aromatics have had a chance to toast, and are really living up to their name, it’s time to put this cider together.

First of all, we’re just starting with a basic jug of apple cider, you can get the fancy stuff if you want but I’m just using what I got at my local grocery store. I’m gonna pour in as much as I can fit into this crockpot to start to mix in with what I have toasting.

Next, I’m gonna go in with just a little bit of apple cider vinegar-- just a splash!

This kind has the mother in it, you’ll want that specifically because of its prebiotic/probiotic benefits. I’m also adding a little bit of raw honey into there just to add some sweetness to balance out the tartness of that vinegar.

Now it’s time for the very special ingredient, which is powdered bone broth protien. I like this affordable one from Thrive Market. It mixes beautifully-- especially if you make a little slurry with some more apple cider and a scoop of the protein in a separate glass and mix with a handheld frother wand. This extra step helps the powder incorporate fully and dissolve before I put it into the the bigger batch!

This bone broth is going to add those nice collagen benefits that help heal our gut, settle an upset tummy, and take this apple cider to the next level.

Next I’m going to add just a couple of garnishes a to add some pizazz and even more flavor. I like to slice some Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples along the fat middle section to show that lovely star in the center. My mom used to slice our apples this way and it brings me back to when I was little.

Personally I love orange flavor in anything this time of year, so I’m also adding a few orange slices as well! This is the sort of recipe that can evolve with the season, so feel free to include anything that would make it yummy for you! Let's return the lid to the crockpot and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes- the longer the better in my opinion to get all of those warm and spicy flavors from the aromatic spices to infuse into the cider.

Love and Hibiscus Everything,