This Mulled Wine Crockpot Recipe has been something I have wanted to share for a while, and today was the perfect day to sit down and share this recipe. It is chilly outside, and frost is covering the trees. We have been working on recipes for an upcoming football party we are planning. I wanted to make a delicious wine cocktail that could keep us warm.
Mulled Wine Crockpot Recipe
I dream of living in an area where you can tailgate all season and enjoy the lovely winter weather. That is sadly not happening in Spokane unless you dress up in layers and layers of clothes and love the snow.
I also love that this CrockPot Mulled Wine Recipe can be started hours before our guests arrive, and I have free time to get everything else ready for the party. Plus, it is easy to serve straight from the CrockPot. Guests can quickly grab refills during lulls in the game or when they feel like it.
We fell in love with mulled spiced wine while visiting the Christmas Markets in Europe. We had the opportunity to explore the Budapest Christmas Market, St. Gilgen Austria Christmas Market, and the Salzburg Christmas Market.
Closer to home we always love visiting Leavenworth, Washington during Christmas season.
How to make an Easy Crock-Pot Mulled Wine Recipe with cranberries! This slow-cooker cocktail recipe is perfect for football parties or cold winter days! The CrockPot does all the work! We love serving this as one of our Christmas Cocktails.
The Frontera website has some great suggestions if you’re looking for more wine cocktail recipes!
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make an epic CrockPot Mulled Wine Drink! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Red Wine
- Orange Juice
- Fresh Whole Cranberries
- Sugar
- Orange
- Whole Cloves
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Brandy
Optional Mulling Spices - star anise, cardamom pods
Best Wine - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Malbec, Pinot Noir
Garnish - Cranberries, orange peels, cinnamon sticks
Equipment Needed
- CrockPot
- Fine Sieve
- Large Bowl
- Spoon
- Kitchen Spoon/Stirring Utensil
- Mugs for Serving
Preparation and Storage
Make-Ahead: Your CrockPot Mulled Wine needs at least two hours to simmer to perfection, making it the perfect make-ahead recipe that frees you up to work on other drinks or menu items for the evening.
Storage: Store leftover mulled wine in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and enjoy them within three days.
Freezing/How to Freeze: You may be surprised to know that this slow cooker mulled wine freezes well. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container, and enjoy them within three months.
How to Reheat: Reheating mulled wine using your stovetop or CrockPot is amazing, depending on how many servings you need to prepare. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge for a few hours to ensure they reheat evenly.
Recipe Variations
Substitutions:
You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. Keep in mind that frozen cranberries add to overall cooking time.
We’ve seen versions that substitute brandy for Port wine or Grand Marnier. Use Port wine for a lighter CrockPot Mulled Wine and brandy or Grand Marnier for a higher-ABV wine cocktail. Grand Marnier is a fantastic option for infusing more citrus flavor into your beverage.
Any orangey citrus fruit works, so use what you like! Blood oranges and clementines are solid options if you want to use a different type of orange.
Vegetarian + Vegan Option: This wine cocktail recipe is 100 percent vegetarian and vegan! Check that your alcohol ingredients do not contain animal by-products, as some manufacturers process them with animal-derived ingredients.
Gluten-Free: This recipe should also be gluten-free, as none of its components typically contain gluten.
Alcohol-Free Option: Swap the Merlot and brandy with zero-proof alternatives for NA CrockPot Mulled Wine.
Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes eight servings. Scale it up or down to your desired yield, keeping in mind that you may need to work in batches if you scale up.
If you are making big batches make sure you have space to store all of the mulled wine.
Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 15 grams of sugar per serving. Use sugar-free orange juice and white sugar substitutes to make it sugar-free.
Tips for the Best CrockPot Mulled Wine
- A soup ladle is handy for safely serving this hot wine cocktail with minimal spillage. Keep one by your CrockPot so guests can fill their mugs and serve themselves.
What to Serve with CrockPot Mulled Wine
Keep spirits warm as the temperatures fall with our homemade take on a classic holiday libation. Serve this CrockPot Mulled Wine alongside any wintertime evening feast, especially if you plan to stay up past midnight and wait for Santa.
Sides: Cheddar Bay Sausage Biscuits, Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies, Cheesy Green Beans, Apple Stuffing, Sausage Breakfast Biscuit Cups, Cranberry Salsa, Pineapple Stuffing
Main Dishes: Easy German Apple Pancake, Broccoli Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Yams, CrockPot Ham, CrockPot Coke Glazed Ham, Bourbon Baked Ham
Desserts: 4 Ingredient Christmas Crack, Sugared Cranberries, Easy Holiday Reindeer Chow, Grinch Bark, Watergate Salad, Cherry Cheesecake Dip, Hot Chocolate Dip
Drinks: Broken Down Golf Cart Shot, Baileys Hot Chocolate, Grinch Jello Shots, Fireball Jello Shots, Peppermint Patty Shot, Cranberry Mimosa, Three Wise Men Shot, Polar Bear Shot
When to Serve
- Holiday Gathering
- Christmas Party
- Holiday Cocktail Party
- Christmas Brunch
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Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.
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Crock Pot Mulled Wine Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bottle Merlot
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup fresh whole cranberries
- ⅓ cup White Sugar
- 1 orange medium
- 2 Tablespoon cloves
- 2-3 Cinnamon Sticks
- ½ cup Brandy
- Garnish with cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Pour entire bottle of Merot Wine into the crock pot
- Add in orange juice, cranberries, and orange with cloves stuck into it and cinnamon sticks
- Cook on low for 2-3 hours making sure it does not boil
- Remove the orange and cinnamon sticks carefully, strain the wine through a fine sieve into a large bowl.
- Use a spoon to press juices out of the cranberries into the wine
- Pour the wine back into the crock pot and stir in the brandy
- Add in additional sugar to taste
- Serve in mugs with your desired garnish
- Keep your crock pot on warm to keep the wine nice and warm.
Kitchen Tools
- Slow cooker
Nutrition
Recipe Originally shared on January 15, 2016. Updated October 2020
Avianti
Can you use Cognac as a substitute for brandy?
This looks like a great recipe!
Briana
I have never heard of mulled wine! Seems like a great way to enjoy wine in the cold weather! 🙂
Amber NElson
Wow, I've never seen a recipe like this one. I am curious to try. Making with brandy sounds really interesting.
Toughcookiemommy
I had no idea that you could make drinks like this one in the crock pot. I can't wait to try this in mine.
Jes
Love all the things that can be made in a crockpot! Saves my life!
valmg
I love how simple crockpot recipes are. This sounds like it would be really tasty.
Dogvills
I've never had a mulled wine before. This looks yummy and I want to try this.
Chelley
Oh wow- this looks so good! We're having a party in a few weeks, and I know that I'll be trying this out!
Annemarie LeBlanc
I never tried this drink before but it does sound delicious! I have seen so many recipes about food for game day Sunday, but this recipe for a drink to serve guests is really unique. I will try to make some this weekend and see how it goes. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Michele
Honestly I never heard of mulled wine before-actually I never heard of drinking warmed up wine before. Live and Learn! This does sound like a great party drink--especially in the winter time..