Slow cookers are incredibly versatile. They can make a variety of dishes from to stews to soups to desserts. While we know all this to be true, and we have the posts to prove it, it's easier said than done. Even armed with an arsenal of delicious sounding recipes, we almost always break out the Crock Pot for same two recipes time and time again. Shredded salsa chicken and shredded BBQ on repeat like a broken record. Even when we do break out from the same slow cooker Groundhog day, we still stick to main courses, but there's a whole world out there of foods that can be cooked for 4-6 hours. Goodbye basic shredded proteins, hello… drinks?
Real talk, we had no idea that one could even make drinks in a slow cooker until researching this post, but boy, were we wrong. Not only can a host make drinks, but they can make any drink their heart desires. We've got a drink to go with whatever guests' vices are– booze, caffeine, or just good old fashioned sugar. The running theme of all the drinks we're featuring today (aside from wonder that they can be made in a slow cooker) is that they are seasonal drinks, perfect to serve to Thanksgiving guests. These drinks are perfect to make in batches for every part of holiday prep; there's a chai tea to make for waking up early to put the turkey in the oven, there's hot spiced cider to make the house smell cozy and inviting to arriving guests and several types of mulled wine for when those guests start to wear out their welcome. There's even a recipe for waking up early to hit Black Friday sales– a DIY PSL!
THANKSGIVING SANGRIA
If you could distill a liquid into a season, fall would be this sangria. The cranberry, orange and cinnamon flavors make it the perfect drink for Thanksgiving.
Get the recipe here.
HOT SPICED APPLE CIDER
Fall would be nothing without warm apple cider. The seasons would just go from summer directly to winter. This recipe is perfect for the whole family, but if you want to make it just for those 21 and over, a healthy splash of rum is a great add.
Get the recipe here.
SPICED APPLE SPARKLERS
This recipe is perfect if you've tried the previous recipe, Hot Spiced Apple Cider, because your leftovers are an integral part of this drink. The cider leftovers make for flavorful ice cubes in this sparkling beverage.
Get the recipe here.
ROSEMARY CRANBERRY MULLED CIDER
Cranberry, apples, cinnamon, rosemary… this drink has all the flavors associated with fall. A dash of rum or apple flavored vodka could give you a glow rosy enough to match the hue of this drink.
Get the recipe here.
CHERRY ORANGE MULLED WINE
Added fruit flavors and brandy give this spiced wine a truly delightful flavor. Serve garnished with a cinnamon stick and orange slices.
Get the recipe here.
HOMEMADE WASSAIL
Here We Come A-wassailing! Honestly, we were never really sure what that carol meant, but now it means drinking this tangy cider. Tangy isn't just an adjective choice; the recipe calls for Tang mix, and brandy if you are feeling so inclined.
Get the recipe here.
CINNAMON-PUMPKIN TODDY
Hot toddys are perfect if you are feeling under the weather or need to warm up against a chilly night. This recipe is a twist on the classic hot toddy, made with the fall flavors of cinnamon and pumpkin.
Get the recipe here.
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
Stop giving a certain global coffee chain all your money and make this DIY PSL instead. It's just as delicious as the real thing, if you want to make it even more authentic feel free to spell your own name wrong on your cup.
Get the recipe here.
NUTELLA HOT CHOCOLATE
Drinkable Nutella–can it get any better than that? Somehow yes. Not only is it criminally easy to make with just 4 ingredients, but you can even add bourbon to make it next level.
Get the recipe here.
CARAMEL APPLE CIDER
We may have already said that apple cider is the quintessential fall beverage, but who says you can't improve upon a classic? Caramel syrup and caramel ice cream topping are a sweet and sugary addition to our old standby.
Get the recipe here.
BUTTERBEER RUM
Hot buttered rum, is something that at best sounds like something your grandmother would drink and at worst sounds bad for your cholesterol. Luckily, the former drink has a sorcery-themed rebrand as Butterbeer rum, which is hot, buttered rum with a butterscotch twist.
Get the recipe here.
GINGERBREAD LATTE
This warm, seasoned latte is great to make in large batches to offer to guests after a large family meal. It's basically a cookie in drinkable form.
Get the recipe here.
ANDES MINT HOTCHATA
This is not a typo–we meant to type hotchata. Hotchata is a fun portmanteau of hot chocolate and rumchata, rumchata being a portmanteau of rum and horchata. Linguistics aside, this minty, chocolatey, boozy drink is a must try.
Get the recipe here.
SCARLET WINE PUNCH
This drink will keep you warm all autumn (and winter) long. Made with white wine, cranberry and cinnamon in 3-4 hours in a slow cooker you'll have a perfect drink to serve a housefull of guests.
Get the recipe here.
HOT CHRISTMAS PUNCH
The dominant ingredient in this dish is Red Hots, yup, you read that right, like the candy. Some might be tempted to use real cinnamon, but not us. If a recipe calls to dump candy into a crock pot, who are we to say no?
Get the recipe here.
CHAI TEA
A friend recently made crock pot chai tea and posted it on Instagram. Wide eyed, we thought "you can do that? She's so fancy!" Be that fancy person to all your friends, it's easier than you think!
Get the recipe here.
MULLED RIESLING PUNCH
Apple, honey, ginger–this drink is basically a salad. It's healthy for you, go drink your salad!
Get the recipe here.
MULLED CRANBERRY PUNCH
If you were a fan of the Scarlet Wine Punch or wanted to try it without the alcohol, this drink is for you. It's also heavy on the cranberry juice which is great if you are in the mood for a seasonal beverage and are also, um, experience discomfort when you pee.
Get the recipe here.
GINGER CIDER
We cannot get enough cider. The ginger cider is set apart from the pack by its added ginger herbal tea and fresh ginger.
Get the recipe here.
