This Apple Cider Slush is bursting with fall flavors- warm spice, sweet brown sugar, and tart apple cider. It is refreshing, easy to make, and all you need is a blender.
Apples and cider are a few of the best things about fall. Try my Apple Crumble Tart, Apple and Plum Crumble Bars, or Apple Butter BBQ Pork Sliders!
It is officially fall here in Michigan! The leaves are turning, it’s getting colder at night, and apple season is among us. Every year I visit our local orchard for a bag of apples and a box of cake donuts. But this time I kept eyeballing the machine of apple cider slushies, so I decided to try one.
With each cold and refreshing sip I took, my mouth was full of sweet apple and warm cinnamon flavors. It was more addicting than my favorite pumpkin spice latte. NO JOKE!
When I got home I kept thinking about those epic apple cider slushies and knew I had to recreate them. So that’s what I did! After multiple attempts I found the perfect balance for blender made Apple Cider Slushies.
Why You’ll LOVE This Apple Cider Slush Recipe:
- It uses frozen and cold apple cider. But don’t worry, we are not messing around with ice cube trays here.
- Quick and easily make it in your blender. There is nothing better than an easy drink recipe and this one takes only minutes.
- It has the perfect creamy slushie consistency every single time- NEVER ICY AND BLAND. Other recipes contain a lot of ice in them which gives you an icy and overly watery slushie.
Let’s Make Some Slushies Together! Watch This Quick Tutorial:
Apple Cider Slush Ingredients
This slushie recipe requires 4 simple ingredients, 5 if you include the ice.
- Apple Cider: Well, duh! I always buy my apple cider at local farms (yay for supporting local) but you can also get it at your grocery store. In this recipe we will use it cold AND in frozen form.
- Ice Cubes: Just a little ice goes a long way. It helps to keep our drink cool and in the perfect slushy consistency.
- Brown Sugar: Adds another level of flavor and sweetness to our slushies.
- Cinnamon: This can be omitted if your apple cider is already spiced.
- OPTIONAL Garnish: Mini donuts and/ or apple slices.
You will also need a high-powered blender or food processor, glassware, and fun striped straws for drinking.
How to Make Apple Cider Slushies With A Blender
This is a short summary of the steps, the recipe card below will have more details.
- Freeze part of the apple cider (this takes about 3 to 4 hours). The next section goes into detail about how I freeze apple cider in gallon bags.
- Throw everything into your blender (frozen apple cider cubes, cold apple cider, ice cubes, brown sugar, and cinnamon) and blend until you have a smooth and thick slushy consistency.
- Pour into your glasses.
- Garnish! I like to garnish my slushies with apple slices, mini donuts, and cinnamon sticks.
Troubleshooting Your Apple Cider Slush
- Too thick? Add a tablespoon more of apple cider.
- Too thin? Add a 1/4 cup more of frozen apple cider cubes or ice.
- Not sweet enough? Add a 1/2 tablespoon more of brown sugar at a time.
How to Freeze Apple Cider
I will be honest, I never use ice cube trays and I don’t own any either. For this recipe I freeze my apple cider in a sealable gallon bag. You are probably thinking I am crazy but it is so easy and not as terrifying as you think.
- Grab a gallon sized resealable bag, stuff it into a large measuring cup, and fold the edges over the rim.
- Fill the bag with apple cider and seal the bag shut (gently remove as much air as you can).
- Lift your bag from the measuring cup and place it flat in the freeze for about 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the frozen apple cider from the freezer and run the bag under warm water until it can be easily broken into chunks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
I do not recommend doing so, these are best served right out of the blender.
A gallon of apple cider is equal to 16 cups which will make around 10 servings of Apple Cider Slush.
Of course. If you are looking for an adults only spin on these slushies, just add a splash of bourbon, cinnamon whisky, apple brandy, caramel vodka or whatever you would like.
Yes you can. It is actually quite simple and you do not have to freeze the apple cider or use ice. Just add 3 cups of apple cider, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the ice cream machine. Allow it to churn for about 10 minutes or until it is frozen.
Leftover Apple Cider Recipes:
- Apple Cider Sangria Mocktail
- Apple Bee’s Knees Mocktail
- I also love these Apple Cider Cookies from my friend April.
- Apple Cider Mule Mocktail
More Frozen Drinks You Might Enjoy:
- Marshmallow Pumpkin Milkshake
- Watermelon Lime Slush
- Pina Colada Mocktail
- Nutella Milkshake
- Strawberry Daiquiri Mocktail
Thanks for dropping in! Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter for fun NEW CONTENT and CONVERSATION delivered to your inbox. If you love this recipe save it now so you can find it later. Thank you for your support!
Apple Cider Slush
EQUIPMENT
- Blender or Food Processor - I use this one from Ninja
- glassware - low ball
- straws
INGREDIENTS
- 2 ½ cups frozen apple cider cubes
- 1 cup ice cubes
- ½ cup apple cider - cold
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- apple slices - optional garnish
- mini donuts - optional garnish (I use these ones)
INSTRUCTIONS
Freezing Apple Cider in a Gallon Bag
- Place a gallon sized resealable bag into a large measuring cup, fold the edges over the rim.
- Pour apple cider into the bag, remove as much air as possible and tightly seal the bag.
- Lift your bag from the measuring cup and place it flat in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours or overnight until solid.
- Remove the frozen apple cider from the freezer. Run the bag under warm water until it can be easily broken into apple cider chunks.
Making Apple Cider Slushies
- In a blender, add frozen apple cider chunks, ice cubes, cold apple cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Blend until smooth and all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Pour the Apple Cider Slushies into glasses and garnish with fresh apple slices, cinnamon sticks, and mini donuts.
VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
Troubleshooting Your Apple Cider Slush
- Too thick? Add a tablespoon more of apple cider.
- Too thin? Add a 1/4 cup more of frozen apple cider cubes or ice.
- Not sweet enough? Add a 1/2 tablespoon more of brown sugar at a time.
Make Your Slushies Boozy:
- If you are looking for an adults only spin on these slushies, just add 4-6 ounces of alcohol: bourbon, cinnamon whisky, apple brandy, caramel vodka or whatever you would like.
How To Make Apple Cider Slushies In An Ice Cream Maker
- Add 3 cups of apple cider, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the ice cream machine. Allow it to churn for about 10 minutes or until it is frozen.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
First off, I just want to say how ADORABLE this drink is. I saw the picture on Pinterest and immediately knew it was made for me- haha. I’m testing out recipes for my upcoming Halloween parties next month and this will definitely be one of the drinks!! Its sooooo good and a great upgrade to just a basic apple cider.
My boys were begging to try apple cider yesterday so I whipped up this cider slush and they were fans! Thanks for sharing the recipe — it’s perfect for days where it’s not quite cold enough for warm apple cider.
This is the perfect way to enjoy and use up all the apple cider I over zealously buy this time of year. Such a fun treat for both adults and kids!
I’m a big fan of apple cider, so when I heard about Apple Cider Slush, I knew I had to try it. The icy coolness mixed with the tangy apple flavor was refreshing.
The flavors in this apple slushie just scream fall! Also, we did toss in some Four Roses Bourbon and I’m not even going to hide it. Haha This drink will be perfect for upcoming Halloween events.