Best Caramel Apple Cider Recipes

APPLE CIDER BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL BOURBON-PECAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Combine bread cubes, apples, and raisins in a very large bowl.
• Whisk eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt together in another large bowl until well combined. Whisk in milk and apple cider. Pour mixture over bread mixture, and toss gently using a spatula until evenly coated. Let bread pudding mixture stand for 15 minutes.
• Pour bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let bread pudding cool for at least 15 minutes; pudding will sink slightly.
• Meanwhile, spread pecans on a baking sheet. Bake in the hot oven until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, and butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Stir in pecans, bourbon, and vanilla extract.
• Serve sauce with bread pudding.

HOT CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup cream and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Raise heat to medium-high and stir in apple cider and water. Cook until mixture starts to simmer, about 4 minutes.
• Beat 1/2 cup cream and 1 tablespoon brown sugar together in a bowl until soft peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the whipping cream will form soft mounds rather than a sharp peak.
• Pour cider into mugs and top with caramel whipped cream.

APPLE AND CARAWAY TARTLETS WITH CINNAMON-CLOVE ICE CREAM AND CIDER-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, caraway and salt in processor. Add butter and process, using on/off turns, until butter is cut into pea-size pieces. Add 5 teaspoons ice water. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Cut into 6 equal pieces. Press each piece of dough into 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan with 3/4-inch-high sides and removable bottom. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover each crust; chill.)
• For filling:
• Place 3/4 cup Cider-Caramel Sauce in heavy large skillet. Add apples and cinnamon. Cook over high heat until apples are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Cool filling completely.
• Place rack at lowest position in oven; preheat to 375°F Divide filling among crusts, overlapping apples, if desired. Place tartlets on oven rack; bake until apples are tender and crust is brown at edges, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 30 minutes. Push up pan bottoms, releasing tartlets. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Rewarm remaining sauce in small saucepan. Place tartlets on plates. Top with ice cream and some warm sauce. Garnish with grapes and mint, if desired.

APPLE SUNDAES WITH CIDER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together both sugars, butter, and vinegar until well combined. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Peel and core apples, then slice into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Toss with cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Place on top of sugar mixture in a single layer, overlapping slightly if needed. Cover with parchment-lined foil and bake until just beginning to soften and bubble, 20 to 25 minutes. Spoon sauce over apples, and increase heat to 450 degrees. Continue to bake, uncovered, until sauce thickens and apples are soft and brown, about 15 minutes more.
• Divide apples evenly among 4 bowls. Whisk cream into liquid in baking dish to make a caramel sauce. Transfer to a bowl; let cool until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Top apples with ice cream, caramel sauce, and cookies; serve.

CIDER-CARAMEL APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Roll out one disk of dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out the second disk as directed in Cook's Note and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill the crusts while you prepare the caramel and filling.
• Make the caramel: In a large wide pot, bring the cider to a boil over medium heat, then lower to medium-low heat and cook, without stirring, until the cider reduces to a sauce with the consistency of thin caramel, 45 to 60 minutes (the timing will depend on the size of your pot; check the progress every 15 minutes or so to start, and more frequently once it begins to thicken).
• Stir the butter, salt, and vanilla into the caramel, then pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Make the filling: Place the apples in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the mixture to the apples and toss to coat. Add the cooled caramel and toss well to combine.
• Arrange the filling in the chilled piecrust: If you place the apples in overlapping concentric circles, like a rosette, there will be fewer air pockets between the fruit, reducing the chance of the top crust collapsing after baking. Once you reach the upper edge of the pie pan, begin to make the circles smaller to mound the filling higher in the center to give the baked pie the domed look.
• Roll up the top crust onto the rolling pin and gently unfurl it over the filling. Press the edges of the top and bottom crusts gently together to seal, then trim the excess dough away using scissors, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang under itself all the way around the pie.
• Crimp the edges of the crust as desired. I refrigerate the pie for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C), preferably with a baking stone on the bottom rack.
• Brush the top crust with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Use a small sharp knife to cut a few small vents in the crust. Bake the pie on the stone or bottom rack until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling up through the vents, 40 to 50 minutes. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and/or tent the crust or edges with foil. Cool the pie for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• To mix the dough by hand: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the butter cubes, tossing them through the flour until each piece is well coated. Cut the butter into the flour by pressing the pieces between your palms or your fingers, flattening the cubes into big shards and continuing to toss them through the flour, recoating the shingled pieces.
• For a flaky crust, continue cutting the butter into the flour just until the pieces of butter are about the size of walnut halves. Or, for a mealy crust, continue to work the mixture together until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. To mix the dough in a food processor: See Pro Tip.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add 3 tablespoons ice water for a single crust or 6 tablespoons for a double crust and mix to incorporate. Then add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time and continue mixing just until the dough comes together. As it begins to come together, you can knead it a few times to make sure it's fully combined. It's important not to add too much water to the dough, which should never be sticky- it should hold together easily in a ball but still feel almost dry to the touch.
• Form the dough into an even disk if making a single crust; or divide in half and shape into 2 equal disks if making a double crust. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• For a double-crust pie: Using one disk of dough, follow the instructions for a single-crust pie and chill the bottom crust in the pie pan. Roll out the second disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Fill the bottom crust as directed in the recipe. Roll the top crust up onto the rolling pin, starting at the far edge of the dough. With the pie pan in front of you, start at the edge closest to you and gently unfurl the dough onto the filling. Trim the excess dough from the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Use your fingers to press the edges of the bottom and top crusts together so they are lightly sealed. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes.
• Tuck the excess dough under at the edges, pressing lightly to help seal the dough to the rim of the pie pan. Return the dough to the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or to the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Crimp the edges of the piecrust as desired. Bake as directed in the recipe.

CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, stir together brown sugar and 1/3 cup whipping cream. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Stir in vanilla and apple cider. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often, until thoroughly heated.
• Serve cider in mugs. Top with whipped cream, caramel topping and/or cinnamon.

APPLE CIDER-CARAMEL DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Make the apple cider-caramel sauce: In a medium pot, heat the cream and butter over medium until the butter is melted. Add the brown sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-low. Once simmering, cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the apple cider and stir well to combine. (The sugar will seize, but just keep stirring and it will dissolve back into the liquid.) Add the cinnamon sticks and salt, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
• While the mixture comes to a simmer, make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Make a well in the center and add the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla. Whisk to combine, then switch to a spatula or wooden spoon as the mixture comes together.
• Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add a single layer of tablespoon-size scoops of batter to the pot (about 5 to 6 dumplings), cover the pot and set a timer for 8 minutes. (If desired, you can test one dumpling by cutting it in half to make sure it's cooked through.)
• After each batch, use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil to help keep the dumplings warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, poaching the dumplings in batches until all of the batter is used. (The poaching liquid will thicken slightly and decrease as you cook the dumplings, even with the pot covered.)
• Once all the dumplings are fully cooked and removed from the pot, add the apples to the pot and simmer on low heat, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how toothsome or soft you like your apples.
• While the apples cook, make the whipped cream: In a medium bowl, whisk the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until it thickens enough to coat a spoon, but is still fluid. Chill the whipped cream until ready to use.
• Divide the warm dumplings among serving dishes. Spoon the sauce, apples and cream sauce over each portion and serve immediately.

APPLE-PEAR GALETTE WITH APPLE CIDER CARAMEL

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flours, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some larger pieces. Add the ice water and pulse just until the mixture is evenly moistened. Tip the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Use the edges of the plastic to pack the dough into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together apples, pears, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and cinnamon. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Top the dough with the prepared fruit in concentric circles leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Lift and press the edges up over the fruit, folding as necessary. Using the parchment paper, transfer the galette to a rimmed baking sheet. Chill for 10 minutes.
• Brush the border of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using. Dot the fruit with the butter. Bake until the filling is tender and the crust is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Some of the juices may leak out, but that's O.K.
• Meanwhile, make the caramel: Bring apple cider to a boil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Continue to cook the cider until it has reduced to 1 cup liquid, about 13 to 14 minutes. Then add brown sugar, butter, and salt and stir to combine. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and continue to cook the mixture, whisking often, until it has become syrupy and thickened slightly, about 13 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the cream and set aside to cool slightly. (The caramel will thicken as it cools.)
• Remove tart from the oven, and let it cool slightly on the pan on a rack. Transfer the galette to a serving plate and drizzle with caramel. Serve warm or at room temperature with any remaining caramel.

SLOW-COOKER APPLE CIDER CINNAMON ROLLS WITH EASY CREAM CHEESE-CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• Line bottom and side of slow cooker with cooking parchment paper, then spray parchment with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir Roll Dough ingredients until dough forms. Turn out dough onto surface lightly sprinkled with Bisquick mix; knead until smooth, about 10 turns.
• Roll dough into 15x9-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. In small bowl, mix brown sugar and apple pie spice; sprinkle on top. Tightly roll up dough from long end; pinch seam to seal. Cut roll into 9 equal slices. Place slices cut-side up in slow cooker.
• Note: To absorb any condensation that forms inside the cover, secure a paper towel inside top of slow cooker cover. Cover; cook on High heat setting 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes or until rolls are baked through.
• Use parchment to remove rolls from slow cooker. In medium bowl, stir Icing ingredients until well combined. Spread over warm or room-temperature rolls (you might not use all the icing). Serve immediately.

SPIKED CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• Stir together apple cider and 4 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping in a 3 1/2- or 4-qt. slow cooker until smooth. Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours or on High for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Mix together sugar, salt, and apple pie spice in a small shallow bowl. Pour remaining 2 tablespoons caramel topping into a small saucer.
• Dip the rims of 8 mugs or heatproof glasses into caramel topping, evenly coating the rim; then dip into spice mixture. Ladle hot cider into mugs. Add 1 1/2 fluid ounces (3 tablespoons) spiced rum to each mug and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

APPLE CIDER BEIGNETS WITH BUTTER-RUM CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Heat sugar in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber. Stir in butter, water, rum, vinegar, and a pinch of salt (caramel will harden and steam vigorously) and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel has dissolved. Add cream and bring to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat. Cool to warm.
• Make beignets:
• Preheat oven to 250°F with rack in middle. Set a cooling rack in a large shallow baking pan.
• Heat 2 inches oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, peel apples and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut out core with cutter, then pat apple rings dry.
• Put 1 1/4 cups flour in a large shallow bowl and make a well in center. Beat egg in a small bowl with a fork, then stir in cider and 1 tablespoon oil and pour into well. Stir with fork until a lumpy batter forms.
• Working in batches of 3 or 4, dredge apple rings in remaining 1/2 cup flour, shaking off excess, then dip in batter to coat, letting excess drip off, and fry, gently turning over once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes total per batch. Transfer to rack and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 375°F between batches.
• Just before serving, dust warm beignets with confectioners sugar. Stir sauce, then serve on the side.

BROWN BUTTER APPLE CROSTATA WITH APPLE CIDER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For the crust: Combine the flour, butter and salt in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture looks like Parmesan. Drizzle in half the ice water and pulse until the mixture forms a rough ball, adding the remaining water if needed. Remove and form the dough into a disk, and then wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the vanilla bean. Cook until the butter starts to brown and begins to smell like hazelnuts, and then remove the vanilla bean pod and transfer the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed. Gradually add the flour. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the eggs one at a time.
• For the apples: Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the raisins, sugar and apples until the apples begin to soften, 6 to7 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour in the brandy, then return to the fire and flambe, letting the alcohol burn off.
• For assembly: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the dough from the fridge 15 minutes before using, allowing it to soften and come to room temperature. Dust a clean work surface with flour. Roll the dough 1/8-inch-thick and lay it into the tart molds with lots of overhang on the sides. Schmear half the filling into the bottom of the tart pans and top with the apples. Fold the extra dough over the top of the apples, and then brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake until the tops are golden brown and slightly crispy, about 25 minutes. Cool.
• Loosen the edges of the tart from the mold using a sharp paring knife. Gently remove the tart mold before plating. Serve with the Cinnamon Mascarpone and Apple Cider Caramel Sauce.
• Mix the mascarpone, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl until well incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cook the apple cider and lemon juice in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 2 pats at a time, allowing the butter to melt before adding more. Serve warm.

SLOW COOKER CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the apple cider, caramel syrup and lemon juice. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds; add seeds to cider mixture. Place the bean, cinnamon sticks and allspice on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Add to cider mixture., Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Discard spice bag. Pour cider into mugs; garnish with whipped cream, caramel topping and additional cinnamon sticks if desired.

PUMPKIN-RICOTTA PANCAKES WITH SPICY APPLE-CIDER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For the caramel sauce: Combine the cream, apple juice, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger and nutmeg in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm while you make the caramel.
• Combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, and the cider vinegar in a medium saucepan over high heat, and cook without stirring until it reaches a deep amber color, about 8 minutes. Slowly strain in the warm cream, whisking constantly; continue whisking until smooth. (Be careful! The caramel will bubble up as you add the cream.) Whisk in the apple schnapps and cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. (The sauce can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat before serving.)
• For the pancakes: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place a baking sheet with a rack in the oven to heat.
• Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger in a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, ricotta, pumpkin and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and whisk until just combined; do not overmix. Let the batter sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Brush with melted butter or spray with nonstick spray. Drop a scant 1/4 cup of the batter onto the pan; cook until small bubbles form on the surface and at the edges and the bottom is lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes. (Adjust the heat if the bottom browns too quickly.) Flip, and continue cooking until golden brown on the reverse side, another 2 or 3 minutes. Remove to the rack in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Serve the pancakes with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a dollop of creme fraiche.

HOT CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• Combine apple cider, caramel and vanilla into a sauce pan.
• Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until apple cider is hot and caramel has melted.
• Pour into a mug and enjoy.

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS WITH CIDER-CARAMEL GLAZE

Steps:

• Make the Cider-Caramel Glaze:
• Bring cider to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups, 15-20 minutes. Stir in butter and brown sugar continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes more. Remove from heat; glaze will thicken as it sits.
• Make the doughnuts:
• Bring cider to a simmer in a medium saucepan and cook until reduced to about 2 Tbsp., 20-30 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
• Beat granulated sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Add egg and continue to beat, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and gradually add buttermilk and reserved reduced cider, beating just until combined. Gradually add dry ingredients and beat just until dough comes together.
• Turn out dough onto a large piece of parchment paper and cover with a second sheet of parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll dough between parchment sheets to about 1/3" thick. Transfer dough in parchment to a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Peel off top sheet of parchment. Working on bottom sheet, punch out as many rounds as you can with 3" cutter, then use 1" cutter to punch out center of each round. Gather doughnut holes and scraps and re-roll; repeat process 3-4 times until all dough has been used (you should have 12 doughnuts). Place doughnuts on a second parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until slightly chilled, about 5 minutes.
• Pour oil into a heavy-duty pot to a depth of 2" and fit pot with deep-fry thermometer. Heat oil to 375ºF. Working in batches, fry doughnuts until deep golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a wire rack lined with paper towels and let cool 2-3 minutes. Dip warm doughnuts in Cider-Caramel Glaze. Place on rack to let glaze set, about 3 minutes, then dip again.

VODKA CARAMEL-APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring the apple juice, cinnamon, and caramel syrup to a boil.
• Reduce heat, and add vodka.
• Let simmer for 5-7 minutes
• Serve in a mug.
• Top off with whipped cream, another dash of cinnamon, and/or caramel sauce, if you prefer.
• Enjoy your hot, relaxing beverage!
• ** If beverage is too sweet, omit the caramel syrup and have a vodka-apple-cider-sans-caramel instead!

HOT CARAMEL APPLE CIDER (STARBUCKS COPYCAT)

Steps:

• Heat apple cider. (either microwave for 1, stove top for a couple or when I did them for a crowd I kept it hot in a crockpot).
• Drizzle caramel syrup in cup; stir to combine.
• Top with whipped cream.

SLOW COOKER HOT CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• combine all ingredients except topping in a slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on low setting 5-6 hours.
• Serve in mugs, drizzling a teaspoonful of topping into each mug.

CREAMY CARAMEL HOT APPLE CIDER FOR A CHILLY NIGHT

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan heat apple cider, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir occasionally, until hot.
• Add caramel syrup to taste and stir to mix.
• Remove from heat and pour into 2 mugs.
• Top with whipped cream. Drizzle over a little more caramel syrup. Sprinkle a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon over the top. Enjoy!