Homemade Wassail Recipe in the Slow Cooker
Fill your home with the scent of Christmas by making this homemade wassail recipe for family and friends in your slow cooker. Easy and delicious!
Here we come a-Wassailing
among the leaves so green.
Here we come a-wand’ring
so fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you,
and to you a Wassail too,
And God bless you and send
you a Happy New Year,
God send you a Happy New Year.
We’ve all heard this familiar Christmas carol, but have you ever wondered what exactly is a wassail or wassailing? It turns out that they are two very different things. Wassail refers to an apple cider based drink that is made spicy with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Even more flavor is added by including fresh fruit.
Wassailing is actually the centuries old, British custom of wandering around apple orchards singing to the trees, hoping all the while that the next harvest will be abundant and healthy. This ritual eventually evolved into groups of people going from one home to the next, singing Christmas carols. Somewhere along the way, these small groups of people began carrying a bowl filled with wassail to share with their neighbors.Â
Even if you don’t plan to go wassailing this holiday season, I enthusiastically recommend that you whip up a pot of this drink anyway! It’s a delicious and spicy treat that’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.Â
*Affiliate links included. Click HERE for my disclosure statement.
Homemade Wassail Recipe
- I tried to cut out as many calories from this recipe as I could. I used diet Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Trop50 orange juice, and diet ginger beer. Knowing it was a skinny 60 calories per serving made it even tastier and more enjoyable!
- An added bonus to warming this delicious drink in a Crock-pot is the scent that fills your kitchen as it simmers. It’s amazing.
- If you don’t have a Crock-Pot, it works just as well to simmer the mixture in a pot on the stove.Â
Homemade Wassail Recipe
Equipment
- 4 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberry juice
- 2 cups apple juice or apple cider
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 1/2 cups ginger beer or ginger ale
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 orange
- 1 lemon
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Add to a 4 quart slow cooker: cranberry juice, apple juice, orange juice, ginger beer, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and fresh cranberries.
- Stir until combined.
- Thinly slice the orange and lemon.
- Add slices to slow cooker ingredients.
- Cook on low for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Happy Thanksgiving!
More easy drink recipes!
