Quick Apple Cider Sangria: Best Easy Fall Recipe
This Quick Apple Cider Sangria with Cinnamon Sticks comes together in 10 minutes and tastes like you spent hours on it. Perfect for fall gatherings, it’s a crowd-pleaser that balances sweet apple cider, dry white wine, and warm cinnamon.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (480 ml) apple cider
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 3–4 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple brandy or Calvados
- 2–3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 large apple (Honeycrisp or Fuji), thinly sliced
- 1 medium orange, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (240 ml) club soda or sparkling water (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the apple and orange thoroughly. Cut the apple into thin rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the orange into similar rounds. Remove any seeds. Leave the peel on both for color and slight bitterness.
- In a large pitcher, pour the entire bottle of dry white wine. Add the apple cider and apple brandy. If using honey or maple syrup, add it now. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the sweetener dissolves completely.
- Drop in 3-4 cinnamon sticks, then add the apple and orange slices. Push them down gently so they’re submerged in the liquid.
- Stir and taste. Adjust sweetness with more honey, spice with another cinnamon stick, or strength with more brandy as desired.
- Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 4-6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice. Give the sangria one last stir, then pour over ice, making sure each glass gets some fruit slices and a cinnamon stick. Top each glass with a splash of club soda (about 1/4 cup per serving) for fizz if desired. Garnish with an extra cinnamon stick or fresh apple slice.
Notes
Don’t use cheap wine; a decent $10-12 Pinot Grigio works perfectly. Let the sangria rest for at least 2 hours for best flavor. Apple ciders vary in sweetness, so taste before adding sweetener. Stir before serving as ingredients settle. For a non-alcoholic version, replace wine with more apple cider and skip the brandy. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 ounces
- Calories: 180220
- Sugar: 1418
- Sodium: 10
- Carbohydrates: 1822
- Fiber: 1
Keywords: apple cider sangria, fall sangria, easy sangria recipe, cinnamon sangria, apple cider drink, fall cocktail, quick sangria