Name: Easy Homemade Wassail
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 8 cups apple cider; 2 cups orange juice; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 4 cinnamon sticks; 1 naval orange; 1 tsp whole cloves; 1-2 tbsp brown sugar (optional); Optional: Sliced apples, cranberries, star anise

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On Christmas morning my mom always puts a large pot of homemade wassail or spiced hot apple cider on the stove and we enjoy it all day long. The smell of warm cider on the stove brings so many great memories to mind and is a fun Christmas tradition! This traditional wassail recipe is the perfect warm drink for the holiday season and easy to make for family gatherings and large groups of people.

Cup of wassail on a towel next to apples and a spoon

This homemade wassail recipe will fill your home with the warm smells of fall and your favorite spices. It is warming, cozy and a perfect drink for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations.

Wassail is a classic spiced cider drink and is quick to put together for holiday gatherings, cozy evenings by the fire and is often requested by my children after they come inside from playing in the snow.

The History of Wassail

Wassail is a traditional spiced beverage that dates back to medieval times and is a popular holiday drink especially around Christmas and New Years. A lot of times in a traditional wassail recipe there will be the addition of baked apples, but to keep this recipe simple I left them out.

Whenever I hear the word “wassail” it brings me back to my high school madrigal performance where we sang this wassail song which is an old English Christmas carol. Oh those were the days 🙂

Historically, wassailing is a celebration where friends and neighbors exchange gifts, sing carols and toast to the good health of their friends and family. People would go wassailing through their apple orchards and sing, drink, dance and be merry in hopes of a good harvest the next year.

Cup of wassail with cinnamon sticks next to a spoon and apples on a towel

Why You’ll Love This Easy Wassail Recipe

This homemade wassail recipe is easy to make and customize based off of what you have available. It will also make your home smell amazing. The combination of apple cider and orange juice, along with the warming spices of nutmeg and cinnamon, creates a comforting and delicious drink.

Ingredients for Homemade Wassail

apple cider
orange juice
nutmeg
cinnamon sticks
brown sugar
navel orange
whole cloves

Cup of hot spiced cider next to sliced apples, whole apples a spoon and a towel.

How to Make Wassail

Poke the whole cloves all over the orange.

Add the ingredients to a large saucepan and cook on low-medium heat until warm and serve hot. You can also put it in a large crock pot on low heat to enjoy all day long.

My mom always has a little caramel syrup and whipped topping next to the pot of wassail and I highly recommend both 🙂

traditional wassail recipe on the stove with sliced apples, cinnamon sticks and an orange with cloves in it

Tips and Variations

Feel free to modify the amount of brown sugar according to your taste preferences. If you prefer a sweeter drink, add more brown sugar.
Experiment with Spices: Try adding other spices like star anise or ginger for a unique twist.
You can also experiment with adding different fruit juices like pineapple juice, lemon juice or cranberry juice.
It is also popular to add brandy and whiskey to your wassail, but this recipe is a non-alcoholic wassail that you can always customize if you would like 🙂
Add fun garnishes like orange slices, apple slices, cranberries and star anise all create a beautiful looking drink.
You can store leftover wassail in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove the next morning.

I hope you love this delicious hot drink and it can become a tradition in your house to make on the holidays year after year. The smell of hot apple cider brings so many good memories to my mind and I hope over time it will do the same for you!