This slow cooker mulled wine is the perfect festive cocktail! It’s warming, cozy, delicious and so easy to whip up (with only 5 minutes of prep time). Great for those holiday parties!
It’s official.
Yep.
I’ve started sharing holiday recipes.
Heck, I was listening to Christmas music the other day.
Later I got sucked into watching a romantic Christmas movie.
I don’t know what it is about those movies.
They all have roughly a similar plot line.
A little predictable.
They’re kinda cheesy.
And totally heartwarming and awesome!
What can I say? I’m a sucker for them!
You know what goes great with watching a good holiday movie? Mulled wine! Oh, and cozy clothes (preferably holiday themed pajamas and silly slippers). With me?
What Is Mulled Wine?
Mulled wine is essentially a yummy spiced wine or hot wine. Though, “mulled wine” sounds a lot better than “hot wine,” don’t ya think?
The base is red wine that has been infused with warming spices (that you typically associate with fall and winter). It’s served warm and usually enjoyed during the holidays.
Ingredients for Spiced Wine
- Red wine
- Mulled wine spices, like cinnamon, clove and star anise
- Orange peel
- Brandy
- Maple syrup
Best Wine To Use
Use a wine that you actually enjoy drinking. Don’t go for the cheap stuff, but don’t break the bank either.
Something that’s not overly sweet and kinda fruity works great for mulled wine.
How To Make It
You literally place all the ingredients in a slow cooker, set on low, cover and heat through for about an hour.
After the hour is up, strain through a sieve (to catch those whole spices and orange zest). Cheesecloth works good too!
You can then enjoy or keep on the warm setting in your slow cooker as you are serving it. It’s such a great recipe during the holiday season!
Full details are in the recipe card below.
Can I Make This Without a Slow Cooker?
The beauty of slow cooker mulled wine is that you just have to place all the ingredients in the pot, cover, set the heat and forget about it for an hour.
However, if you’re in a time crunch, you could absolutely use the stovetop to make this mulled wine recipe!
Place all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a slow (very gentle) simmer (not boil). Then, reduce heat to medium-low and heat through for about 15 to 20 minutes. Strain by using a fine mesh strainer (or sieve) to discard orange, cloves, anise and cinnamon sticks. Divide into mulled wine glasses (or your favourite hot beverage mugs), serve and enjoy!
Tip: Don’t boil mulled wine or you’ll burn off much of the alcohol.
How To Serve Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
To serve this mulled wine, use a heavy-duty mug, preferably one with a handle (because the wine is warm/hot).
You don’t necessarily have to have any special mulled wine glasses. Your favourite holiday mug will work. Pick one that makes you happy!
Can I Make Ahead of Time?
Absolutely!
Allow mulled wine to cool, then properly store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Reheat It
Place leftover mulled wine in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and warm through, being careful not to boil.
Alternatively, place the mulled wine back into the slow cooker, heating on the low setting until warmed through.
Can I Drink Mulled Wine Cold?
You sure can!
Of course, because this is a hot wine beverage, naturally one would go for it being on the warmer side. You can really taste the spices and it just goes with the season.
Having said that, hubby and I did enjoy leftovers without reheating and it tasted delicious!
Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use whole spices, not the ground variety. That way you can easily fish them out. Plus, they make for a lovely presentation, if you want to leave some in for garnish. I wouldn’t garnish with the cloves, though, because they are too tiny.
- Ensure you have all of them removed before portioning up the mulled wine. Nobody wants to get a mouthful of cloves when taking a sip.
- If you like things more or less sweet, simply adjust the maple syrup accordingly.
- Don’t have of maple syrup or prefer to use something else? You could sub with honey.
What To Serve With Mulled Wine
This holiday cocktail goes great with any of these appetizers:
If you make this red wine cocktail, be sure to leave a comment below!
Slow Cooker Mulled Wine Recipe
Ingredients
Mulled Wine
- 3 cups red wine, use a wine that you would enjoy drinking (a 750 millilitre bottle or 24 ounces)
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ¼ cup maple syrup, or to taste
- 1 orange, peel only, pith removed
- 5 whole cloves
- 3 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Garnish Ideas (optional)
- Orange slices
- Cinnamon sticks, for stirring/appearance
- Cranberries
- Pomegranate arils, they will sink in the glass, but are super festive and fun eating afterwards
Instructions
- To a slow cooker, add red wine, brandy, maple syrup, orange peel, whole cloves, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Stir. Set to the low setting, cover and cook for 1 hour.
- Strain the mulled wine through a sieve (fine mesh strainer) to remove spices.
- Divide mulled wine among six mulled wine glasses (or your favourite hot beverage mugs) and garnish, as desired, with any of the garnish ideas. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use whole spices. That way you can easily fish them out. Plus, they make for a lovely presentation, if you want to leave some in for garnish. I wouldn’t garnish with the cloves, though, because they are too tiny.
- Ensure you have all of them removed before portioning up the mulled wine. Nobody wants to get a mouthful of cloves when taking a sip.
- If you like things more or less sweet, simply adjust the maple syrup accordingly.
- Don’t have of maple syrup or prefer to use something else? You could sub with honey.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Vanessa | Zest & Simmer
I am just imagining how delicious the house will smell after making this holiday beverage! Perfect to enjoy while decorating the tree, wrapping presents, and celebrating with friends!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Totally! Thank you Vanessa 🙂
Marieke
Love that this recipe calls for maple syrup instead of sugar — and what a beautiful combo of spices! I’ve also been watching Hallmark movies already 🙂
Kelly Neil
I’ve only had mulled wine once and I completely forgot about how much I liked it until I saw your recipe just now. Bookmarked for the holidays! Thank you!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Yay! Hope you enjoy! Thanks Kelly!
Elaine
Great tips, Dawn! I love having this simmering in the kitchen during the holidays. It reminds me of crisp fall days in European Christmas markets when we had time to just wander without a care in the world! Sigh . . . Thanks for a great recipe!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks Elaine 🙂 Great memories, I’m sure!
Leanne
I’m in full holiday mode here! I’ve been listening to holiday music, watching xmas movies (including the cheesy Hallmark ones) and we even put up our tree this past weekend! I’m wishing I had some of this mulled wine while decorating! Love that it’s made in the slow cooker!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Yay! Soon up for us too…well in another couple of weeks! So exciting! Thanks Leanne 🙂
David @ Spiced
Mulled wine just screams holidays to me! Curling up on the couch with a mug of mulled wine while watching a Christmas movie (ahem, Elf, ahem) is pretty much my definition of the holidays. 🙂 I’m totally saving this recipe for those lazy days during Christmas break. We’ve been stocking up on our wine supplies with the holidays approaching, so I think I’m all set to make this one! 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
To me too! Oh, Elf is awesome! Watch that one every year! Thanks David…hope you love it!
Valentina
Dawn, I love Hallmark movies (Lifetime, too! – GASP! ;-)) This sounds delicious and I LOVE the way it can make a whole house smell like the holidays. 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Haha…I completely understand 😉 Thank you Valentina…it sure does!
Matt - Total Feasts
Mulled wine is big in the UK, but German glühwein is also really good. I remember before we had kids we went to Munich for the Christmas markets, and basically drank too much of the stuff as we went from stall to stall. We bought some very random Christmas gifts as a result….. anyway, love your recipe, especially the Canadian twist with the maple syrup. Everything is better with maple syrup.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Too funny!! Thanks Matt 🙂
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Hahaha! YES! I think Hallmark has three different plots and they just rotate the characters through, but they’re still so addictive! I think this weekend I’ll have to make myself some of this mulled wine and just sit on the couch and watch some Hallmark :). Happy Fri-yay, Dawn!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Totally! Thanks Kelsie! Hope you had a great weekend 🙂
Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl
That moment when it’s 10 AM on a Friday and I want a large glass of mulled wine….LOL! But seriously. We had the best mulled wine in France while we were walking through a lovely village and seeing this totally took me back…this weekend is supposed to be super chilly where I live so I am totally making this, my friend! Thanks for the super awesome + informative recipe! Happy weekend! (btw, I love the cheesy Christmas movies too!)
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Lol!! Yay! Hope you guys love this one, Haylie!! And bring on those cheesy movies, right??!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I’ve started watching the Hallmark channel too! They are just such fun little Christmas love stories and I can’t help myself. Next time, I need to make a delicious mug of this mulled wine to sip on while I’m watching the Hallmark channel!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Right?? Hope you love it, Kathy 🙂