Hot mulled apple juice with little fruit dreidels

This fruity mulled apple juice has all the flavours of the festive season. Cosy, warm and delicious, it’s perfect for Chanukah!

Chanukah is a special time of year, a time to brighten the dark winter evenings and celebrate with family and friends. All else being equal, we like to throw a Chanukah party, with candle lighting, games, and plenty of food and drinks.

Spending time with loved ones in a cosy, candle-lit room is wonderful way to make the holiday extra special.

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Party planning

Our party menu has evolved over the years but always includes some delicious and traditional fried foods like latkes, fried gefilte fish balls, and doughnuts, plus some not-so-traditional treats like Chanukah mince pies, gingerbread gelt and olive oil cupcakes.

But one area where we’ve been slow to innovate has been in the drinks we serve. We usually stick to simple staples like wine, juice and fizzy water.

With a few weeks to go until the festival, I challenged myself to create a delicious Chanukah beverage.

Inspiration strikes!

A couple of months ago we made a birthday party for my daughter Kipper. On a perfect early autumn day the kids spent time exploring outdoors and making a camp fire.

At Kipper’s request I’d made a big flask of warm spicy apple juice, and the children loved it. I realised that with a tweak or two, this could be the perfect drink for our Chanukah celebration, since:

1. Hot mulled apple juice is a deliciously seasonal child friendly drink.
2. It can easily be ‘spiced up’ for the adults by simply adding a splash of whisky or rum to each cup if desired.
3. I could make little dreidels from apple and cloves to give the mulled apple juice some real Chanukah flair. (Scroll down now if you want to see how to make them!)

Mulled apple juice – a fruity sensation

Kipper’s party mulled apple juice had been a pretty simple concoction but I went all-out with the Chanukah version. The little apple dreidels were joined by sliced apples, oranges and lemons, plus warming spices like cinnamon and star anise.

As the mixture reached a gentle simmer, fragrant steam carried festive aromas around the house – just gorgeous.

Ingredients for hot mulled apple juice

To make this deliciously warming winter drink yourself, all you will need is:

• apple juice
• apples
• oranges
• lemon
• cinnamon sticks
• whole cloves
• star anise
• fresh ginger root
• honey – optional, we found it sweet enough without
• whisky or rum – optional, and only for the grown ups!

The taste test…

As soon as it was warmed through I ladled some mulled apple juice into a cup, inhaled its fruity fragrant scent, and took a sip. Like a hug in a mug, it had all the flavours of the season – cosy, warm and soothing.

I filled Kipper’s insulated bottle and set off on the school run. At the end of a hard day’s learning, this warm mulled apple juice was a welcome after-school treat. I’d been a little worried that the spices might be too strong for her taste, but was relieved to hear a resounding “It’s delicious, Mummy!” from the back of the car.

Mulled apple juice – a wonderful winter drink

Whether or not you have a Chanukah party, do treat your family to this wonderful winter drink. With just juice, fruit and spices, and no added sugar, it’s a healthy festive treat. Plus, it’s so simple to make, and will help to turn any cosy, candle-lit evening into a seasonal celebration.

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📖 Recipe

How to make apple dreidels

More Chanukah eats and treats!

If you like these little apple dreidels, check out this list of edible dreidels – all the dreidels you can eat!

You might also enjoy this Chanukah gelt hot chocolate, these rich chocolate Chanukah gelt cupcakes, this crispy chanukah chocolate bark, or this yummy jam doughnut pull-apart challah.

For my secrets of stress-free Chanukah gift giving, click here.

Or for my guide to Chanukah Food Traditions (plus over 50 delicious recipes!) click here.