Homemade Instant Pot Apple Cider Recipe

Instant Pot apple cider makes your whole house smell like fall, with about five minutes of hands-on work. You drop apples, an orange or two, cinnamon sticks, and a few more spices into the pot and walk away. In about an hour, you can strain it into a pot of deep, spiced homemade apple cider. You don’t have to stand over the stove stirring for hours.

I make a batch of this almost every week from the first cold week of October straight through the holidays. You can drink it hot on a cold afternoon, pour it over ice if the weather hasn’t cooled off yet, or stir a little bourbon or rum into a mug if you want to spike it. 

If you’ve been buying jugs of cider all season, homemade cider will surprise you. It is brighter and less sugary than the store version, and you decide exactly what goes in. And you can make it ahead of time. 

The flavor gets better after a day in the fridge, and it freezes beautifully, so you can make a batch weeks before Thanksgiving and thaw and warm it as guests trickle in. Instant Pot apple cider is naturally vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free, so it works for pretty much anyone at your table.

Keep reading, and I’ll walk you through the Instant Pot method (my favorite), plus stovetop and slow cooker versions if you don’t have a pressure cooker, along with the handful of mistakes to avoid. You will love the way homemade cider makes your house smell, full of the warm fall smell of apples, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is better than any scented candle.

Ingredient Notes

For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below

• Apples
• Oranges: peeled and sectioned. Adding a couple of oranges is traditional in cider and gives it a little citrus edge.
• Whole spices: cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice berries, and a whole nutmeg. Whole spices strain out cleanly. Ground spices don’t, and they’ll turn your cider gritty (more on that in the mistakes section below).
• Water
• Brown sugar: Add this after cooking so you can taste and adjust as you go. Apples are sweet on their own, so you may need less than you’d think.

What Apples to Use for Cider?

Any apples will work here. I think the cider tastes best with a mix, tart apples like Granny Smith paired with something sweet like Cortland or Honeycrisp. That balance keeps the cider from having a one-note sweetness.

But if you’ve got a favorite variety or found a good deal at the store, using just one kind is fine too. I’ve seen bags labeled all-Honeycrisp cider apples at my local grocery store, and that would work just as well.

How to Make Instant Pot Apple Cider

A note before you start: I make this in a 6-quart Instant Pot. If you have an 8-quart model, you can go bigger. I’ve been tempted to buy one just for cider season.

1. Wash the apples and cut them into chunks. No need to peel them, just cut around the core. Peel and section the oranges.
2. Add all the fruit to the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Fill it to about the halfway mark.
3. Push the whole spices down into the fruit, then pour in about 8 cups of water, enough to reach that same halfway line. Don’t go much past it.
4. Lock the lid, make sure the valve is sealed, and set the Instant Pot to Manual, high pressure, for 15 minutes. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to come up to pressure before the timer starts.
5. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 to 15 minutes, then do a quick release for whatever’s left. Fish out the big spices, the cinnamon sticks, and the whole nutmeg. Smaller ones like the cloves and allspice berries can stay in.
6. Mash the softened fruit right in the pot with a potato masher or a sturdy wooden spoon. This is what pushes the juice out of the apples and oranges.
7. Strain the cider (double-strain it so it comes out clear instead of cloudy, see the tip in Common Mistakes below), then stir in the brown sugar a few tablespoons at a time until it tastes right to you.

Stovetop and Slow Cooker Methods

The Instant Pot is the fastest, but you don’t need one to make this. Both versions below use the same fruit, spices, and water from the ingredient list; they take longer to get there.

Stovetop

Add the apples, oranges, spices, and water to a large stockpot. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and let it go, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the apples are falling-apart soft. Keep it at a simmer, not a hard boil, or you’ll cook off some of the spice flavor. Mash and strain it the same way as the Instant Pot version, then sweeten to taste.

Slow Cooker

Add everything to your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for 3 to 4 hours. I like the low setting on a day I’m going to be out of the house, since the smell builds all afternoon and it’s ready when I walk back in. Mash and strain it the same way once it’s done, then sweeten to taste.

Ways to Use This Apple Cider

• Serve it hot in a mug on a cold day, or pour it over ice when the weather’s still nice out.
• Cook with it. I use it in my apple cider beef stew, apple cider turkey brine and anywhere I want a fall apple flavor.
• Pour it into mason jars and give it as a homemade gift. A cinnamon stick tucked into the jar makes it look festive without any extra work.
• It keeps well in the fridge and freezes, so you can make a big batch ahead of a party (more on that under How to Store).

Apple Cider Variations

• Mulled cider: add a few star anise pods, a handful of fresh cranberries, and an extra cinnamon stick or two for a more holiday, mulled version.
• Spiked cider: stir a splash of bourbon, rum, or brandy into a mug once it’s done. Keep the pitcher plain and let people add their own; that way it works for everyone.
• Sweetener swaps: brown sugar is my default, but maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar all work. A reader named Aimee left a comment saying she swapped in maple syrup instead of brown sugar and it came out perfect.
• Apple juice shortcut: no fresh apples on hand? Heat apple juice on the stove or in the Instant Pot with the same whole spices for 20 to 30 minutes, then strain out the spices. You get that same spiced cider flavor without mashing or straining any fruit.

How to Serve

You can serve this cider hot, at room temperature, or cold, whatever fits the day. For a hot mug, heat it gently on the stove or back in the Instant Pot on sauté (not a hard boil, that dulls the spice), then float some apple or orange slices and a cinnamon stick on top. 

Around the holidays, I’ll toss in a few fresh cranberries for color. If I’m serving adults, a splash of rum or bourbon turns a mug into a cocktail. Or try this apple cider punch for a delicious fall party beverage.

How to Store

Store cooled cider in an airtight container, a mason jar, or a pitcher with a lid, in the fridge for about 5 days.

To make it ahead for a party, freeze it. It keeps in the freezer for up to 3 months, so you can make a double batch in the fall and freeze half for Thanksgiving. Leave a little room at the top of the container since it expands as it freezes, then thaw it in the fridge before serving.

If you reheat it, do it gently on the stovetop or back in the Instant Pot. Don’t let it come to a hard boil. That dulls the spice flavor instead of bringing it back.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most cider problems come down to one of these five things.

1. Skipping the double strain. A single pass through a strainer leaves the cider cloudy and a little gritty. Strain it once through a colander to catch the big solids, then again through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer, pressing the solids to release more juice. That second pass is what gets you clear cider.
2. Using too many cloves. Cloves are strong, and it doesn’t take much extra to turn a whole batch bitter. Stick to the amount in the recipe instead of eyeballing more.
3. Using ground spices instead of whole. Ground spices don’t strain out. They settle at the bottom of the pitcher and make the cider gritty instead of smooth.
4. Adding too much water. More water than the recipe calls for waters down the apple flavor. Stay at or near the halfway mark of the Instant Pot.
5. Using only sweet apples. A batch of all sweet apples with no tart ones comes out flat. The mix of tart and sweet is what gives the cider depth. On the stovetop version, boiling too hard instead of simmering can cook off flavor the same way.

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