Chai spices meet apple cider in this cup of why-haven’t-we-thought-of-this cozy loveliness. It’s essentially a cheater’s mulled cider with a chai tea bag replacing the spices and citrus you’d normally use.–Renee Schettler Rossi

A white enamel pot filled with chai spiced apple cider and two cinnamon sticks.

Chai Spiced Apple Cider

5 / 3 votes
This chai spiced apple cider calls for nothing more than apple cider, your favorite chai tea, and a cinnamon stick. Quick liquid comfort.
David Leite
CourseDrinks
CuisineAmerican
Servings1 servings
Calories113 kcal
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup water, depending on how sweet or spicy you like your apple cider
  • 1 chai tea tea bag (regular or decaf if sipping at night)
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick, about 2 inches/50 mm long

Instructions 

  • Dump all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. As soon as the cider starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and let everything warm for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick and tea bag, and pour the chai apple cider into a mug. Sigh deeply.
Alternative Vegan Cookbook

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Alternative Vegan

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 mugCalories: 113 kcalCarbohydrates: 28 gProtein: 1 gFat: 1 gSaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 1 gSodium: 10 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 23 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2017 Marie Reginato. Photo © 2017 Marie Reginato. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This chai-spiced apple cider is a perfect way to meld two of the ultimate fall drinks—apple cider and chai tea—and comes together in minutes. Warm cider is delicious on its own, but with the addition of chai spices and a hint of cinnamon, this drink would be perfect on a chilly day.

Upon reading this recipe, my first thought was “Why haven’t I thought of this?!” Apple cider and chai tea are my favorite things to drink in autumn so I had little doubt that I would love this beverage. I was right. In essence, this recipe is a shortcut for making a mulled cider with the chai tea bag replacing the spices and citrus fruit you’d normally use. The resulting flavor will depend on the brands of cider and chai that you use, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the perfect combination!

I drink my coffee black, my tea with lemon and no sugar, and I skip most fancy drinks at coffee stores. Obviously, I am not one to enthuse over a hot, sweet drink. Still, it’s cider season and since apple cider imparts such a lovely glow to pork chops, a container of it can usually be found in my refrigerator this time of year. The addition of the cinnamon and chai tea, however, raised this drink from a “thanks, but I’ll pass” to one I could actually see myself drinking on a crisp autumn day. The sweet was cut considerably by the spicy flavors.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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