This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.
Who says all fall cocktail recipes must be warm? My easy and festive Brandy Apple Cider Slush recipe can act as an after-dinner drink and dessert all in one.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Apple cider: You’ll use kid-friendly, classic apple cider in the slush base. Then as a fizzy finish, I call for topping off each glass with a splash of sparkling hard cider (Angry Orchard, Virtue, and Strongbow tend to be widely-available across America). You can also opt for sparkling water as the final element instead of the hard cider, if desired.
- Brandy: This distilled wine is often sipped as a digestif after meals, and has between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume. That alcohol will keep the Brandy Apple Cider Slush recipe from freezing rock hard (while adding some good spirit to your party).
Step-by-step instructions
- In an empty one-gallon ice cream pail, combine the apple cider and brandy. Place in the freezer and chill at least 8 hours, overnight, or up to a month in advance.
- Remove from freezer 1 to 2 hours before serving. As the slush melts, it will become easier to scrape and serve.
- To serve, add 1 cup slush to a glass (a ladle works well). Top with hard cider or sparkling water, as desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 12 (1-cup servings), ideal for parties or for the adults to enjoy after dinner over a few fall weekends.
- Make ahead: Feel free to stir together and freeze this slush recipe up to 1 month in advance, then store in the freezer until you’re ready to slightly thaw and scoop.
- Garnish your glasses: Try nestling a few pieces of thinly-sliced apple in each mug or cup. Or make this drink a dessert by adding a dollop of Whipped Cream and a generous drizzle of Caramel Sauce.
Apple Cider Donuts
Overflowing with the flavors of fall, these homemade Apple Cider Donuts are baked, not fried, and then rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture for extra crunch. They are warmly spiced and the perfect chilly morning treat.
View Recipe
More fall beverages
Cocktail Recipes
Hot Toddy
Drink Recipes
Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider
Drink Recipes
Mulled Cider
Drink Recipes
Mulled Wine Recipe
Join Us
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for our latest recipes! Tag all your glorious creations #culinaryhill so we can eat vicariously through you.
Brandy Apple Cider Slush
Who says all fall cocktail recipes must be warm? My easy and festive Brandy Apple Cider Slush recipe can act as an after-dinner drink and dessert all in one.
Ingredients
- 64 ounces apple cider (see note 1)
- 2 cups brandy (see note 2)
- hard apple cider or sparkling water, for serving
Instructions
- In an empty one-gallon ice cream pail, combine the apple cider and brandy. Place in the freezer and chill at least 8 hours, overnight, or up to a month in advance.
- Remove from freezer 1 – 2 hours before serving. As the slush melts, it will become easier to scrape and serve.
- To serve, add 1 cup slush to a glass (a ladle works well). Top with sparkling water or hard cider, as desired.
Notes
- Apple cider: You’ll use kid-friendly, classic apple cider in the slush base. Then as a fizzy finish, I call for topping off each glass with a splash of sparkling hard cider (Angry Orchard, Virtue, and Strongbow tend to be widely-available across America). You can also opt for sparkling water as the final element instead of the hard cider, if desired.
- Brandy: This distilled wine is often sipped as a digestif after meals, and has between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume. That alcohol will keep the Brandy Apple Cider Slush recipe from freezing rock hard (while adding some good spirit to your party).
- Yield: This recipe makes 12 (1-cup servings), ideal for parties or for the adults to enjoy after dinner over a few fall weekends.
- Make ahead: Feel free to stir together and freeze this slush recipe up to 1 month in advance, then store in the freezer until you’re ready to slightly thaw and scoop.
- Garnish your glasses: Try nestling a few pieces of thinly-sliced apple in each mug or cup. Or make this drink a dessert by adding a dollop of Whipped Cream and a generous drizzle of Caramel Sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 162kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 6mgPotassium: 154mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.