The first example of mulled wine shows up around the second century when Romans heated their wine to fight against the cold winters. Now, unlike our Roman ancestors, we have central heating in our homes (or we live somewhere warm) but either way the love of mulled wine continues to warm our souls all through the holiday season.
Maybe you’ve noticed, we are kind of obsessed with our flavonoids. But our love of flavonoids made us realize some extra added benefits of mulling your wine. Flavonoids are compounds found in plants that have antioxidants known to provide important health benefits. The compounds that make up flavonoids can be found in red wine, apples and cranberries – coincidentally these are all of the ingredients that go into our mulled wine recipe! 😉
Throw on your favorite sweater, light a candle or two, and cozy up to a mug of seasonal spices and antioxidants!
Slow-Cooker Mulled Wine
Prep Time : 5 Minutes
Cook Time : 10 Minutes
Yield : 4-6 Cups
- 1 750 mL Bottle of Red Wine (it doesn’t have to be the fancy stuff)
- 2 Cups Unsweetened Apple Cider
- ¼ Cup Honey
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Cranberry Juice (make sure you avoid cranberry juice cocktail)
- 1 Vanilla Bean, Cut in Half
- 4-5 Star Anise
- 1 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ Cup Brandy
- 1 Lemon Sliced
- 1 Small Orange Sliced
- Fresh Cranberries for Garnish
- Place cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, cloves, ground nutmeg and cinnamon sticks in a small sauce pan and roast over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes
- Add wine, honey and apple cider in slow cooker on the low or warm setting
- Place sliced lemons, oranges and a splash of brandy in each glass, pour in mulled wine and top with fresh cranberries and a cinnamon stick!
