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Wassail

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 Homemade hot Wassail is one of my favorite easy holiday drinks. A delicious warm cider drink that combines the flavors of orange and apple with cinnamon and spices.
A clear class filled with hot wassail and a cinnamon stick.
Wassail

My mom always brewed a big pot of hot wassail for us on Christmas Eve and the wonderful smells of this holiday drink still take me right back to my childhood.  This recipe has been passed down for several generations and is very special to our family!

I now love to make it for my family on Christmas morning, and we all agree that it’s the perfect warm, cozy drink to enjoy when it’s cold and snowy outside.  This is a great wassail recipe that only takes a few minutes to stir together and then it simmers to allow all the flavors to blend. Your house will smell amazing!

What is wassail?
Wassail is like the tastier sister to Apple Cider.  Traditional wassail was made with hard liquor, apples, brandy, and other spices.  This recipe is made with cloves, apples, cinnamon, lemon, orange, ginger, and nutmeg and is a nonalcoholic wassail recipe.  You could certainly add alcohol if you wish!
How to make wassail:
To make hot wassail, start by piercing an apple all around the outside with whole cloves.
Add the apple and the rest of the ingredients and spices to a large saucepan. Simmer everything for up to 45 minutes.
Remove the apples and cloves. Serve warm and enjoy!
An overhead view of a large pot filled with wassail, orange slices, and apple, and cinnamon sticks.

We enjoy wassail all throughout the fall and winter months! I’ve even served it on Halloween as I sit outside with friends and neighbors as trick-or-treater’s come by. I’m confidant your family will love this recipe!

Consider trying these holiday drinks:

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5 from 5 votes
Hot Wassail is one of my favorite easy holiday drinks. A delicious warm cider drink that combines the flavors of orange and apple with cinnamon and spices. | tastesbetterfromscratch.com
Hot Wassail
Print Recipe
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

A hot cup of homemade Wassail is one of my favorite holiday drinks. It's a delicious hot cider drink that combines the flavors of orange and apple with cinnamon and spices.

Course: Beverage
Cuisine: American
Keyword: christmas drink, hot cider, wassail, wassail recipe
Unit: cup, Tablespoon, teaspoon, whole
Servings: 10
Calories: 139 kcal
Author: Lauren Allen
Ingredients
  • 2 apples
  • 8 cups apple cider
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 15 whole cloves ,or 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar , optional
Instructions
  1. Poke the whole cloves into the apples on all sides. 


  2. Add all of the ingredients, including the apples, to a large pot over medium low heat. 

  3. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. 

  4. Remove the apples and whole cloves. Ladle into mugs and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts
Hot Wassail
Amount Per Serving
Calories 139
% Daily Value*
Sodium 9mg 0%
Potassium 343mg 10%
Total Carbohydrates 34g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 27g
Vitamin A 2.4%
Vitamin C 38%
Calcium 3.9%
Iron 2.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

I originally shared this recipe November 2013. I’ve updated it with new photos and clearer instructions.

 

A hot cup of homemade Wassail is one of my favorite holiday drinks. It's a delicious hot cider drink that combines the flavors of orange and apple with cinnamon and spices. #wassail #cider #homemade #recipe #holiday #party #tastesbetterfromscratch.com
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Comments

  3. This must sound silly, but every year, we celebrate half-Christmas and throw a party with our friends. This year, I was assigned drinks. I brought this wassail and it was easily the party favorite. I received so any compliments, and so, my compliments to you.

    Reply

  4. Is it bad that I celebrated the first day of fall a few days early and made this tonight? With the leaves already starting to change where we live, I wanted a little fall treat. The was perfect! Not only was it delicious, but it made our house smell like fall! Yum! I can’t wait to try more of your fall recipes.

    Reply

  6. I made this for a baby shower I hosted during the holidays. Theme was “Baby it’s cold outside”. It was a big hit. Everyone kept coming back for more. My daughter-in-law who doesn’t even like apple cider loved it. And it made the house smell wonderful! I will definitely make it again, probably making it a new holiday tradition.

    Reply

  7. My grandson and I started making wassail during the Christmas holidays several years ago when he would make mountains of brown sugar cinnamon on his plate of toast. He is 16 now and still remembers making wassail at Grandma’s as a toddler☺️

    Reply

  8. What kind of apples to find best to use for this? I’m probably wrong, but in your video it looked to be Honeycrisps perhaps?

    Reply

  11. I made this for a ladies brunch & it was a big hit!! Thank you for the recipe. It brought back memories!!
    Happy New Year!! 2019

    Reply

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