Mulled Wine, known by many as Gluhwein in German is easy to make at home and is the toastiest, coziest, mug of wine you have ever had. We have enjoyed this wine both in the Bavarian Alps and at home (Bavarian Alps for the win though). Since travel is not happening this year, I thought we would show you how to make mulled wine at home.
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How To Make Mulled Wine (or Gluhwein) At Home
This is a really easy mulled wine recipe that takes 3 minutes of preparation and then hands-off warming in the crockpot. We first had Gluhwein (mulled wine) in Germany during our favorite vacation of all time. While winter is significantly scaled-down in Germany (lots of outdoor venues are closed), Christmas time is truly epic. Every village has its own Christmas market where you can browse craft vendors while sipping piping hot mulled wine. Every Gluhwein vendor has their own secret recipe, so it doesn’t taste quite the same at each stall. We basically lived on Gluhwein and Currywurst for our entire trip, I’m okay with that.
Making it at home is extra special this year since we can’t take any trips (thanks for nothing Corona). And since our old farmhouse is especially cold in the winter (I know I say that like every day), this mulled wine is warming us right up. This is the perfect warm drink to sip while you are decorating the tree, or making cookies.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR THIS SPICED WINE
You only need a couple of ingredients to make this mulled wine.
- Whole Spices: Cardamom, Star Anise, Cloves, Allspice, Cinnamon
- Dried Oranges or fresh oranges: You can dry them using my how to make dried orange slices tutorial, or simply use fresh orange slices.
- Red Wine: Use your favorite. I used 19 Crimes Red Wine Blend because I have it on hand.
- Maple Syrup: Just a little to sweeten things up. If you chose a sweeter wine you may want to hold off and adjust this to taste.

HOW TO MAKE MULLED WINE (OR GLUHWEIN) AT HOME
Mulled wine is an easy process in the crockpot, which helps keep it warm while you enjoy.
- Add wine: Add one bottle of red wine to a small crockpot.
- Crush: Crush allspice, cloves, and cardamom in a plastic bag using a rolling pin.
- Combine: Combine crushed spices, dried oranges or orange slices, maple syrup, and cinnamon stick with wine.
- Cook: Set on low and cook for 3+ hours or set on high for 2 hours. Once the desired taste is reached, use the “keep warm” setting or lowest setting on the crockpot to keep the wine warm.
MULLED WINE GOES GREAT WITH:
- A babysitter but also:
- Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Homemade Crackers With Parmesan and Black Pepper
- Authentic Italian Focaccia Bread
- Savory Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart
- Is it 1 am? Then Truffle Tots
Hey- you’ve made it this far, and now we’re BFFs. If you make this recipe, I would love for you to give it a star rating below (scroll down to the comments). P.S. What makes me happiest is hearing from you! Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!
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How To Make Mulled Wine
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 2 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Mulled Wine, known by many as Gluhwein in German is easy to make at home and is the toastiest, coziest, mug of wine you have ever had. We have enjoyed this wine both in the Bavarian Alps and at home (Bavarian Alps for the win though). Since travel is not happening this year, I thought we would show you how to make mulled wine at home.
Ingredients
1 bottle of red wine (your favorite)
7 Whole Allspice
7 Whole Cloves
1 Cardamom pod
2 Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
1–2 dried or fresh orange slices
Instructions
- Add wine: Add one bottle of red wine to a small crockpot.
- Crush: Crush allspice, cloves, and cardamom in a plastic bag using a rolling pin.
- Combine: Combine crushed spices, dried oranges or orange slices, maple syrup, and cinnamon stick with wine.
- Cook: Set on low and cook for 3+ hours or set on high for 2 hours. Once the desired taste is reached, use the “keep warm” setting or lowest setting on the crockpot to keep the wine warm.
Equipment
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Crockpot
- Cuisine: German
Keywords: mulled wine, spiced wine, gluhwein, christmas drinks, christmas alcohol drinks, alcoholic christmas drinks,
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