Homemade mulling spices will fill your house with a cozy warming aroma. Simple to make and easily customizable, DIY mulling spices also make for the perfect holiday gift.
Stay warm and cozy with homemade mulling spices
It doesn’t get much cozier than holding a piping hot mug of mulled apple cider or wine.
Come fall and winter, I find myself craving these spiced beverages. And while you can buy mulled apple cider at the market, I love making my own at home as it just fills your kitchen with the most wonderful aroma.
As I couldn't keep these flavors all to myself, I've found that DIY mulling spice sachets also great holiday gifts for friends, family, and neighbors.
Keep reading to find out just how easy it is to make mulling spices, as well as two of my favorite beverages to use them in.
What is mulling spice made of?
Mulling spice is a blend of spices that usually includes cinnamon, cloves, and allspice berries.
Of course, you can add additional spices and flavorings to give your mulling spice blend a personalized twist.
Some ideas include:
- Star anise
- Cardamom pods
- Peppercorn
- Lemon or orange peel
- Ginger
- Orange zest
- Raw sugar
- Raisins
- Dried apples
Ingredients in this mulling spices recipe
I kept this recipe for mulling spices simple, with just 5 ingredients:
- Allspice berries
- Cardamom pods
- Whole cloves
- Cinnamon quills
- Crystallized stem ginger pieces
I recommend using my recipe as a jumping off point to add or adjust spices and flavors to create your own unique mulling spice recipe.
TIP: While you can keep your blend of spices loose in a jar, I recommend making spice sachets using tea filter bags. This will make them easier to use in recipes like my mulled apple cider. I like these 100% natural, unbleached tea bags.
Homemade mulling spices are perfect DIY stocking stuffers
For several years now I’ve given out these homemade mulling spice sachets as stocking stuffers, and they’re always a hit! Not only do they make a flavorful cup of mulled apple cider or wine, but there's just something so personal and thoughtful about a homemade gift.
To make your own DIY stocking stuffers, you’ll need a handful of supplies, including tea filter bags to make the sachets and jars to put the sachets in.
I also recommend including instructions for how to use the mulling spices to make mulled wine or apple cider.
Once you have your sachets made and placed in your jars, all that’s left is tying your tags onto the jars using ribbon or twine.
You can make your own tags, or save time by buying these handy Christmas kraft tags instead.
What can I do with this homemade mulling spice?
Homemade mulling spices can be used in many different ways to add those warm, holiday flavors to your favorite drinks and foods:
- Simmer them with syrup for a spiced topping to homemade buttermilk pancakes or brioche French toast.
- Create a spiced vinegar for salad dressings by simmering the spices with apple cider vinegar.
- Steep the sachets in warm milk for a simple tea latte.
- Grind the spices up to add a warming kick to a batch of apple muffins or cinnamon sugar pull apart bread.
- Boil the spices in hot water to fill your house with a lovely aroma before having guests over.
But my favorite uses for these DIY mulling spices are homemade mulled apple cider and mulled wine.
How to make homemade mulled apple cider
Making homemade mulled apple cider is really quite simple.
All you have to do is heat some apple cider, add your homemade mulling spice sachets, and then simmer until the flavor is right where you want it.
To avoid any confusion for non-US readers, when I say apple cider, I'm using US terminology. In the UK, the drink that's most similar is called pressed cloudy apple juice. I have not tried this with alcoholic apple cider.
How to make homemade mulled wine
The process of making mulled wine is very similar to making mulled apple cider.
Simply bring the wine to a very gentle boil, add your mulling spice sachets, and simmer.
Tip: Be careful not to overheat your wine! While some wines hold up to heat better than others, alcohol in general starts to vaporize at 173 degrees Fahrenheit (78 degrees Celsius).
The best wines for making mulled wine are those that are full-bodied, dry, fruity, and not overly sweet. Zinfandel, Granche, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon all work well.
If making it for a crowd, boxed wine is a great way to go. Just note that you’ll need to use several of these DIY mulling spice sachets depending on how much mulled wine you plan on making.
Give the gift of homemade mulling spices this season
This DIY mulling spices blend is the perfect gift for others or even for yourself. Not only is it simple to assemble, but it makes for the best warming cup of mulled apple cider.
For more DIY recipes that make for great stocking stuffers, be sure to check out these other Worktop recipes as well:
I really hope this mulling spice recipe makes it on your table soon. It’s definitely a recipe we keep on hand during holidays to quickly whip up something warm and cozy to drink.
Any questions? Feel free to ask in the comments below.
Homemade Mulling Spices
Print Recipe Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 tbs allspice berries
- 4 tbs cardamon pods
- 4 tbs whole cloves
- 6 whole ceylon cinnamon stick
- 5 ounces crystallized ginger pieces - chopped to smaller pieces if necessary
- 30 tea sachets
Instructions
- Mix the spices together in a small bowl. Fill each sachet with about 8g of the spice mixture. Store sachets in a glass container.
HOW TO MULL APPLE CIDER OR WINE
- In a medium saucepan, heat pressed apple juice or wine over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil. Once just boiling, reduce heat to a simmer.
- Add in one sachet for every 0.75L-1L of apple cider or wine.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until desired flavor is achieved. Discard the sachet.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
L. Chan says
I just tried your blend when we were frozen in (not snowed in--FROZEN) here in Chicago. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Tina Jui says
Ah, I've been seeing the pictures of frozen Chicago! Stay warm!!!
Rachel says
You have no idea how much it confused me that cider in the US is actually apple juice. It took me simply ages to get it! Still confuses me how it ever came to be called Cider in the US, because making cider is a process that has been going for centuries!
Tina Jui says
Not sure how that naming difference happened! It took me so long to realize that pressed apple juice in the UK is the closest thing here to American apple cider. I sure did miss the Midwest apple cider this year though.