Slow Cooker Spiced Wine (Mulled Wine)
Slow cooker spiced wine is an easy holiday cocktail recipe, made with red wine, apple cider, citrus, and warm spices. The delicious warm drink will be a festive hit at your holiday parties. One of the best crock pot recipes to warm you up from the inside out!
Spiced wine goes by many names—mulled wine, hot wine, grogg, and vin chaud are a few I hear used interchangeably.

If you’ve never had it, spiced wine tastes like a big, fruity red wine crossed with a spicy batch of apple cider, with a hit of brandy and a sprinkle of holiday magic.
Spiced wine is piping hot, smells of cloves and cinnamon, and tastes of the childhood nights my sisters and I spent singing unsolicited Christmas carols to our neighbors and convincing my dad to light our wood-burning fireplace: cozy, welcome, and somehow familiar.
While there isn’t a single best wine for mulled wine, as long as you choose something dry and full bodied, your spiced wine will be delightful.
You can be quite economical with spiced wine. Because of the added flavors, this is a good place to make use of a more budget-friendly bottle. Don’t choose the very bottom shelf, but you can save the super good stuff to enjoy on its own!

Slow Cooker Spiced Wine Recipe
Hot Spiced Wine—the best mulled wine with brandy, apple cider, and spices. This traditional mulled wine is festive, easy, and perfect for parties!
Ingredients:
  • 1 (750ml) bottle red wine (choose something fruity but not too sweet—Merlot, Zinfandel, or Cabernet Sauvignon all work well)
  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 whole star anise
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • Orange slices, for garnish
  • Cinnamon sticks, for garnish
Directions:
  1. Add wine, cider, honey, orange zest, and orange juice to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise. Cook on low until warm, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your slow cooker. Stir in the brandy.
  2. Ladle into mugs and serve with an orange slice and cinnamon sticks. To keep the wine warm, leave the slow cooker on the “Keep Warm” setting. If your slow cooker does not have a warm setting, alternate between “Low” and “Off.”