Healthy Recipes Drinks Whipped Frozen Apple Cider Is the Drink of the Season—Trust Us 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews This apple cider slushie–inspired frozen drink is the perfect mix of warm and cold, offering the comforting taste of autumn spices while being refreshing enough for any time you want a cooldown. Coconut milk adds creaminess. You can swap it out for light coconut milk but the texture will be thinner. By Julia Levy Julia Levy Julia Levy has been working in recipe publishing for almost a decade, but testing recipes for as long as she's been able to wield a spoon. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 1, 2024 Tested by Craig Ruff Tested by Craig Ruff Craig Ruff was first exposed to professional food service while working for an event center at the business school he was attending. There, he was responsible for maintaining the kitchen for caterers. He has been a lifelong cook, and followed his passion through culinary school and to working in restaurants. Meet the EatingWell Test Kitchen Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 4 hrs 10 mins Servings: 2 Nutrition Profile: Sesame-Free Nut-Free Dairy-Free Soy-Free Vegan Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe This Whipped Frozen Apple Cider is a perfectly balanced fall beverage that you’ll want to sip all season long. Antioxidant-rich cinnamon, ginger, cloves, black peppercorns and allspice berries infuse unsweetened apple cider with warm, earthy notes. A touch of maple syrup smooths out the flavors, and coconut milk provides just the right amount of creaminess and prevents the slushie from becoming too icy. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to turn this into an adult beverage. Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! We don’t recommend using dairy milk because it will curdle in the apple cider.To make an adult version of this apple-cider slushie, you can add your favorite spiced rum.Keeping the ingredients in the fridge or freezer before making this drink, and serving it in a chilled glass, will help it stay frozen for longer.This recipe serves 2, but you can make 1 serving with 6 cider ice cubes and ¼ cup coconut milk. Nutrition Notes Apple cider is similar to apple juice. The difference is that cider is not filtered, which affects the taste more than the nutritional content. In fact, according to the USDA, apple cider and apple juice are virtually the same nutrition-wise. The main nutritional difference is that apple juice is often fortified with vitamin C and apple cider is usually not. With that said, apple cider provides small amounts of several vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants. As with any fruit, you get more fiber by eating the whole fruit versus drinking the juice. Besides adding a warm spiciness to this cider, ginger also adds health benefits. It’s been linked to reduced inflammation and pain, as well as reducing nausea and vomiting. This is, in part, due to ginger’s powerful plant compounds, including antioxidants. Coconut milk is made from the meat of mature coconuts. Here we use canned coconut milk, often found in the baking aisle, which is creamier and more concentrated than coconut milk in a carton (aka coconut milk beverage, which can be found refrigerated or on the shelf with other beverages). It also contains more fat and protein but fewer carbs than the coconut milk in a carton, which is thinner and more watered down. Coconut milk contains several essential vitamins and minerals, including potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, all necessary for a healthy nervous system and heart. Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1½ cups unsweetened apple cider, plus 3 more Tbsp. as needed 1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon thinly sliced unpeeled fresh ginger ½ teaspoon whole cloves ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns ½ teaspoon allspice berries (optional) ½ cup unsweetened canned coconut milk, well shaken and stirred Directions Combine 1½ cups cider, 1½ tablespoons maple syrup, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon sliced ginger slices, ½ teaspoon cloves and peppercorns and ½ teaspoon allspice berries (if using) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; let steep at room temperature, stirring once or twice, until cool, about 1 hour. Strain and discard spices. Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf Pour the cider mixture evenly into 12 ice cube tray wells (about 2 tablespoons each). Freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf Place the frozen cider cubes and ½ cup coconut milk in a blender. Process until slushy, about 30 seconds. Add up to 3 tablespoons cider, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach the desired consistency. Divide between 2 (8-ounce) chilled glasses and serve immediately, garnished with a cinnamon stick, if desired. Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf Frequently Asked Questions Can I make apple cider slushies ahead of time? We wouldn’t prepare the slushies in advance because they would melt. However, we recommend doing some prep work, such as placing ingredients in the refrigerator or freezer well before making the drinks, so that they stay frozen for longer. What’s the difference between apple cider and apple juice? You can easily find apple cider in the refrigerated case in the produce department in autumn. It has a strong, acidic, refreshing flavor—like drinking a fresh, crisp apple. It’s usually unfiltered and could be unpasteurized, so it’s usually refrigerated, while apple juice is more often found in shelf-stable bottles or boxes. Apple juice is readily available year-round, and it has a sweeter taste. It’s filtered, which gives it a smooth taste, and it’s pasteurized and contains preservatives, so it’s much more shelf-stable than apple cider. EatingWell.com, November 2024 Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 244 Calories 13g Fat 35g Carbs 2g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 2 Serving Size about 1 cup Calories 244 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 35g 13% Dietary Fiber 1g 5% Total Sugars 27g Protein 2g 3% Total Fat 13g 16% Saturated Fat 11g 54% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Vitamin A 0µg Vitamin C 72mg 80% Vitamin D 0µg Vitamin E 0mg 1% Folate 9µg Vitamin K 3µg Sodium 20mg 1% Calcium 57mg 4% Iron 2mg 13% Magnesium 44mg 11% Potassium 380mg 8% Zinc 1mg 6% Vitamin B12 0µg Omega 3 0g Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs. Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a freelance writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines and Linda Frahm Linda Frahm Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications, such as Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines, and has edited cookbooks for Dovetail Press and The Taste Curators. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Sources EatingWell is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. United States Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. Apple cider. United States Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. Apple juice.