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.

homemade wassail recipe crockpot with ingredients

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. 

homemade wassail recipe in mugs

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. 

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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. 

wassail recipe in copper mugs

homemade wassail recipe crockpot with ingredients

Homemade Wassail Recipe

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!
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Servings: 6 servings
Author: Ann Drake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours

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

I used a 4 quart Crock-pot.
I used Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry, Tropicana Trop50, diet ginger beer, and apple juice (no sugar added.)
This recipe can be doubled if a larger slow cooker is used.

Nutrition

Serving: 10oz. | Calories: 60kcal
Like this recipe?Follow me at @onsuttonplace

wassail in crockpot and copper mugs

Happy Thanksgiving!

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10 Comments

  1. Beverly O says:

    Thanks for sharing! I used to serve this when I hosted an open house and had lost my recipe. We have served your recipe for non-alcoholic Sangria for the past few years at Christmas because it goes so well with a breakfast menu that we enjoy for a luncheon or early dinner. This year I will have a hot drink to offer as well!

  2. Thanks so much for sharing! We have served your recipe for non-alcoholic Sangria for the past couple of years at Christmas and it goes great with our breakfast menu. Now, I also have a good recipe for a hot drink as well!

  3. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says:

    Thanks, Ann, for the Crockpot Wassail recipe! We are having a group in next Thursday and I’m going to serve this!

  4. Thank you! This recipe sounds delicious! Ladies, what alcohol would you suggest adding to this if you were looking add it? Vodka? I’d put it on the side so the heat wouldn’t boil it away.

  5. Thank you for the wonderful ideas and recipes! Can’t wait to try this Wassail recipe.

  6. I am a “guest” at my daughter or son’s home on both Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this sounds so good that I may make a batch so that my house will smell good and I can enjoy a cup(s) while watching holiday movies. Thank you for sharing.

  7. Maureen Provost Ryan says:

    Dear Ann, Just wanted to say “Happy Thanksgiving” to you! Have a wonderful time this week with your loved ones and all that good food! Thank you for all you share with us, making our lives richer; it is much appreciated. We will be reading the Thanksgiving Prayer at both of our family Thanksgiving celebrations — thank you for it, too.

  8. I’ve printed the Thanksgiving Prayer to share with my family at our Thanksgiving gathering. Thank you! The historical facts about wassail and especially wassailing are nice to know. Your wassail looks delicious. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

  9. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, enjoy your time together.

  10. This sounds delicious Ann. I love the Thanksgiving Prayer printable as well. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.