Apple Cider Slushie

Ready for the best fall drink? This apple cider slushie is so easy to make and looks stunning! With hints of cinnamon and clove, it’s perfectly cozy.

No fall is complete without a trip to the apple orchard (at least in our minds!). This year, after picking our apples with friends, our son Larson and I shared a cider granita. Man was that refreshing! The slushie was just sweet enough, the perfect drink for a chilly fall day. My first thought was of course: I have to do this at home! Alex and I started cooking and figured out how. Here is this cider slushie: it has a pure cider flavor and nice notes of cinnamon and cloves. Best of all, it looks great for fall entertaining or leaf viewing! Here’s how to do it.

Any more apple recipes we love? That awesome apple pie, cozy apple crisp, applesauce, sautéed apples (a la mode!). and these apple crumble muffins (plus a vegan version).

How to make a cider slushie: two methods

Making a homemade apple cider slushie couldn’t be easier: don’t worry, you don’t need a slushie maker! There are two different methods: the ice cream machine method and the mixer method. Here are the pros and cons of both.

Method 1: Ice Cream Maker

The ice cream method is the fastest method: it only takes 10 minutes to make a slushie! All you have to do is mix the apple cider and spices and pour in! It comes with the perfect slushie texture. The downside is that you must have an ice machine! Here it is 2 liter ice machine Alex and I use: Check out the section below for why we think it’s worth having.

Method 2: Blender

The blender method takes a little longer, but you don’t need an ice cream maker! All you need is a blender, which we assume you have handy. With this method, you mix apple cider and spices together and freeze them in ice cube trays. Then freeze them until set, about 3 to 4 hours depending on your freezer. When you’re ready to make the apple cider granitas, toss the ice cubes with a squeeze of apple cider to aid in the blending.

Serve a Cider Slushie (And Can You Brown It?)

The best part about this apple cider slushie is the topping I think! Alex made small slices of apple for garnish. And those red and white striped straws are just perfect, right? (His idea.) You can serve the slushie in any glass: stemless wine glasses look especially good.

Want to make a cider slushie instead? We haven’t tried it, but it sounds like you could add about 1 cup of bourbon to the mix to make an alcoholic slushie. Or you can try it hot: we have a great recipe for Fortified Cider.

Speaking of hot cider… be sure to try our Hot Apple Cider or Slow Cooker Apple Cider if you fancy a hot drink. And that’s it: How to make the perfect fall slushie! Let us know if you try it in the comments below.

What is the best ice cream maker?

What is the best ice cream maker? Alex and I use this 2 liter ice machine and I love it: it’s high quality, durable and works every time. We used to have an ice machine that didn’t chill the ice enough and it melted, so that’s saying something!

An ice cream maker makes a great holiday or birthday gift if you’re on a budget. Aside from making a cider slushie, you can make ice cream like Vegan Salted Chocolate Ice Cream or our favorite Jamoca Almond Fudge! Or our Lemon Gelato is a must.

A few other fall drink recipes…

Looking for more fall drinks or cocktails? Try this:

This apple cider slushie recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.