Incorporate the sweet smells of fall into your home and cooking with this easy and inexpensive Homemade Mulling Spices recipe!
If you’re a fan of mulling spices, then you know that if purchased all together that they can get pretty pricey. But did you know that it is so VERY EASY to make your own?! That’s right! We used mulling spices a ton last year and while we started with storebought, we very quickly realized that making your own is simple, more cost-effective AND you can personalize them to your own tastes! So let’s get down to our favorite starter version.
What you’ll need:
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cardamom seeds
- Cloves
- Star of anise
- Peppercorns
- Orange zest
Then simply gather your ingredients together, mix and store in an airtight container. THAT EASY!
Now, mulled wine and mulled cider are a few of the most common uses for mulling spices…but don’t let that limit you! Last year, I even took the mulled beverage to the next level with Mulled Cider Sangria – now THAT was one tasty drink! Or even make a big batch of mulling spices and hand them out as Thanksgiving favors. Any which way, you’ll enjoy having your own Homemade Mulling Spices to use all season long!
Ingredients
- ½ cup orange zest
- 8 cinnamon sticks
- ½ cup cardamom pods
- ½ cup star anise pods
- ¼ cup whole cloves
- ¼ cup black peppercorns
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place orange zest on the parchment paper and spread so it's not all clumped up.
- Bake for about 1 hour until dried and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Place cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and cardamom in a Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to break up the spices. You don't want to crush them into powder, just break them into small pieces.
- Mix orange zest, spices, and peppercorns together in a mixing bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Mulled Cider or Wine
- Place 2 teaspoons of mulling spices in a muslin tea bag to make a sachet, and steep in 8 ounces of hot cider for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bag and enjoy!
Notes
- If you're using the spices right away, you don't need to dry the orange zest. I like to dry it though to help the spices last longer, it's makes for better gifting.
- If you want to make a big batch of mulled cider, steep the entire mulling spice mixture (in a muslin bag) in 1.5 gallons of hot cider.
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